Home Grown

College lacrosse recruiters around the nation knew who Hannah Leubecker was despite her being homeschooled from preschool through the end of high school. 

If they didn’t, they sure became familiar with her name when it later appeared on their scouting report. The University of Maryland and lacrosse are synonymous, producing some of the best players in the game. Leubecker may have come out of nowhere to some, but she has etched her name in the Maryland record books amongst the program’s best. 

Leubecker was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List, an annual award given to the most outstanding college lacrosse player, three times in her career. She is a two-time First Team All-Big Ten nominee, a two-time Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Third Team All-American, an Inside Lacrosse Third Team All-American, and an All-NCAA Tournament Team selection. These are just several of her accomplishments during the attacker’s career from 2020-24. 

The graduate student also ranks seventh in Maryland lacrosse program history with 209 goals scored. Her 231 career points also rank inside the top 20 all-time.   

“She's definitely one of the great players to come through Maryland lacrosse for sure,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “Her dodging ability, her speed, her change of direction, her explosiveness. Getting her tons of opportunities on the cage has been crucial to our development and success over the past five years.”

Leubecker grew up in Forest Hill, Md., as one of four children of Ron and Jodi Leubecker. Her parents were devout Christians, and their guidance later molded Hannah into a humble lacrosse star. However, it was soccer that first led them to believe their daughter was special. Hannah enjoyed playing soccer but quickly developed a newfound love for lacrosse. 

“I distinctly remember going to soccer practice,” she said. “I was prepared. I had all of my equipment, but I really wanted to take my stick. … I think that’s when it first hit me that this is something that I enjoyed more than any other sport that I had played.”

Hannah began playing lacrosse at about four years old. Soon after, her lightning-fast speed and ambidextrous ability to shoot and score from all angles became apparent. They later became the signature of her game. 

As Hannah's talent blossomed, her parents faced a unique challenge. Given her homeschooling, they realized finding her the proper training and a team to play with would be difficult. They discovered Sky Walkers Lacrosse, a program that has and continues to produce numerous Division I athletes. 

Hannah attended a tryout, hoping to join the renowned lacrosse club before her eighth-grade year. After one practice, Ron and Jodi spoke with Mike McLaughlin, the club's founder. Ron remembers the conversation well.

“He said, ‘Ron, by this time next year, every major program in this country is going to try and sign Hannah,’” he said.

Hannah made the team and played with future teammates at Maryland, including Emily Sterling, Libby May, and Sophia Antonopoulos. Furthermore, McLaughlin was right. Hannah began playing in many top club tournaments and stood out amongst her peers. She received calls from most of the nation’s top college programs before she was in high school.  

Every program shared the same concerns regarding Leubecker’s eligibility as a home-schooled prospect. After all, it wasn’t common for recruiters to pursue talent of the home-schooled variety. But Maryland worked with the Leubeckers, answered their questions, and sought to keep her home. 

Maryland won its 12th national championship in 2015, and Hannah and her father were in attendance for its 9-8 win over North Carolina in Philadelphia. Less than a week later, Hannah played in a tournament with Reese watching from the sidelines. 

“Our staff does a really good job of being out and being present and finding people who we think are good fits for our program,” Reese said. “We knew when we watched her play that she was the right fit for us. … We wanted to make sure she was a Terp.”

The quick turnaround showed the Leubeckers the dedication that Reese and her staff at Maryland had in recruiting Hannah. She later committed to the university during the fall of her freshman high school year. The lacrosse prodigy visited many other schools but kept comparing them to Maryland, finalizing her decision.   

Leubecker played high school lacrosse with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes varsity team. The sports ministry welcomed homeschooled athletes, and she played during the spring seasons with its Northern Maryland chapter for four years.  

Lacrosse in Maryland reported Leubecker as the highest scorer in state history with 364 goals and 89 assists. She also became the No. 9 overall recruit in the class of 2019, according to Inside Lacrosse. 

Everything Reese and other college recruiters saw in Leubecker was proven right, and she was ready to continue building the legacy behind the nation’s top college program. Still, Hannah’s mother, Jodi, was cautiously optimistic. 

“I would have nightmares that someone was going to call me after she started at Maryland and be like, ‘Oh, actually, you missed something,’” she said.

That call never came, but another did. Hannah appeared in all six games to begin her freshman season with the Terps in 2020. Then, the rest of the season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was particularly difficult for Hannah and her freshman teammates because they had no prior knowledge of what college lacrosse was supposed to be like. 

Many COVID-19 restrictions remained in effect the following season, but the lacrosse season was reinstated. Leubecker totaled just two goals in her six appearances the year prior. But in 2021, she earned her first career start in the season opener against Penn State.

Leubecker matched her scoring output from last season in that game, but Reese observed her sophomore playing timidly. Leubecker herself later admitted she was nervous. So, they each sat down and had a conversation.

“The belief that we had in her and the knowledge that we had about her capabilities was just through the roof,” Reese said. “She was trying to kind of find her way and where she fit in. … I was just trying to give her that confidence to do her thing and be herself.”

Leubecker’s confidence reached new heights heading into the Terps’ next game against Michigan. She didn’t worry about making mistakes and being the best player. She simply played the game she loved without putting any pressure on herself. 

However, Leubecker was the best player on the field that evening. She netted seven goals, which remains a career-high for the fifth-year student, in a 17-13 win. Leubecker was a star from that point on. 

“Opportunities came, and that's a huge credit to my teammates and the girls around me,” Leubecker said. “That was just a really exciting game for me to realize what I was capable of and what I could bring to the team.”

The attacker finished the year with a team-high 58 goals, which was 23 more than second on the team. She also scored goals in 28 consecutive games leading into her junior season, where she set career single-season numbers in goals (62) and points (71) while starting in all 21 games. Maryland also had its most successful season of the Leubecker era in 2022. It went 19-2, winning a Big Ten Tournament title and finishing with a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 

She followed that up with 40 goals and a Big Ten Tournament finals appearance during her senior campaign in 2023. 

Leubecker totals a team-leading 47 goals and five assists on the season heading into the Terps’ 39th NCAA Tournament appearance. Maryland earned the No. 4 seed and will play Robert Morris in the first round on May 10 in College Park.

It’s been quite the career and an even better journey for number 40. But Leubecker has never abandoned her humble roots. 

“I've had such an amazing experience here, one that I couldn't have really thought of before,” Leubecker said. “I've had awesome teammates and awesome experiences. I've learned so many lessons on and off the field, and just being able to be a part of a program like Maryland has changed me as an individual. I hope I've been able to impact other people through this process as well.”