Georgia Southern women’s soccer head coach Ashley Hart calls her goalie a great shot stopper.

But Lauren Santos may have earned an even higher regard — perhaps as the best at her position in program history.

Santos, a Berwyn native who attended Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, holds the Eagles’ career record for saves which grew to 326 as of last Sunday.

“She reads the ball well and is one of the better keepers in the conference,” Hart said. “She has been a captain these last two seasons and teaches our team what we expect.”

Santos expects a lot from herself as well. A double major in finance and accounting with a minor in information systems, she received interest out of high school from Eastern Illinois and Northern Illinois.

Choosing Georgia Southern provided a well-received change in scenery and style of life for Santos.

“The Chicago area is upbeat and fast, where down here, it’s just the opposite,” she said. “I like the atmosphere and I enjoy the culture. Being recruited is overwhelming and you have a big decision to make. Coming here has allowed me to be a student and an athlete.”

Santos was a part of the fifth-year head coach’s first recruiting class. Now a fifth-year senior, she was originally noticed by Hart while playing with her Chicago Sockers club at the Washington (D.C.) Area Girls Soccer Tournament.

“We knew she was a good athlete because of her softball and basketball experience in high school,” Hart said. “Watching her play first-hand was very reassuring. We were hoping that she would earn a starting spot.”

But making her mark in the record books was a patient process for Santos early on in her career. She redshirted her freshman season after suffering an ankle injury.

But Hart said her return provided promise that she would develop into a consistent contributor. Santos would not disappoint.

During her redshirt freshman year in 2006, Santos started in all 19 games and played 1,655 minutes. She earned 103 saves, which was only two shy of the most in a single season at Georgia Southern. Santos also encountered a record 292 shots that year while posting a pair of 10-save matches against Winthrop and Western Carolina.

As a sophomore in 2007, she started 11 games out of 13 appearances and collected 66 saves. Santos was ranked fifth in the Southern Conference with 5.08 saves per game. The following year, she started all 18 games for the Eagles and ended up with 100 saves and one shutout.
Santos finished second in the league in saves and saw a school record 295 shots. She became the school’s all-time saves leader in the first half of a game against Georgia State on Sept. 19, 2008.

In a 1-0 loss to Chattanooga last Sunday, Santos recorded two saves and surrendered one goal.  

“She just kept getting better each game,” Hart said. “Now, she is a great leader on and off the field.”