Family first
4/15/2014 9:54:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
By: 
Lacrosse has always been a way to bond, a connection between Fitzpatrick's immediate family and her second family, Lehigh women's lacrosse.
"Both my dad and mom would take turns being at every game," said Alex. "It was always great because I knew I could always look in the stands and one of them would be there."
Fitzpatrick's decision to come to Lehigh was extra special for her dad.
"My father didn't go to college so he really cherished the fact that my brother, sister and I wanted to go to college," said Alex. "When I chose Lehigh, known for its academics, he was so proud that he could have walked around with a medal that said 'my daughter is going to Lehigh.'"
Fitzpatrick has certainly made her mark in the Brown and White. As a freshman, she was the first team All-Patriot League goalie, posting an 8.66 GAA and 50.6 save percentage. Fitzpatrick helped lead the Mountain Hawks to a 9-7 record and the Patriot League Tournament, which included a big late-season win at Navy on national television.
Alex was dealt a blow early in her sophomore year against Temple, tearing her ACL on an innocent play near the crease. She was off to a great start, owning a 7.74 GAA and 52.9 save percentage through three games. That ended her season and began the long road back.
Fitzpatrick was up and down as a junior, but started all 16 games and finished second in the league with 7.69 saves per game.
This year, Alex is back and better than ever.
"It was a long road back, mentally and physically," said Redfern. "We saw spurts and strong moments last year. Then there were weaker moments. This year, she's found her consistency."
Fitzpatrick has been the backbone of Lehigh's success this season. She's among the nation's leaders in save percentage and goals against average, leading the Mountain Hawks back to the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since her freshman year. Fitzpatrick made a career-high 17 saves in the league-opening win against Bucknell to set the tone for a successful Patriot League slate.
In early April, Fitzpatrick made 11 saves in a thrilling 12-11 double overtime win at Boston University, handing the Terriers their first-ever Patriot League loss and snapping their five-game winning streak overall. The Mountain Hawks followed by holding Navy, who was 12-1 and averaging almost 14 goals per game, to just nine goals in a heartbreaking 9-8 overtime loss. No matter how the Patriot League Tournament plays out, Lehigh has made huge strides this season and has raised its level of play, due in large part to Alex's presence.
Fitzpatrick has made her mark off the field as well. A Marketing major, she's been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and has been on multiple Dean's Lists for semester GPAs over 3.6. She is heavily involved in Student-Athlete Council, which is a group of 20 to 25 student-athletes who focus on the student-athlete experience such as community service and career outreach.
"This year, we really focused on uniting student-athletes," said Fitzpatrick. "We coordinated a lot of events, like pregame and postgame tailgates after soccer or basketball games. My role is pretty much the facilitator in order to make an event successful."
Fitzpatrick has also played a significant role in C.O.A.C.H. (Community Outreach For Athletes Who Care about Helping), which is a branch of the Student-Athlete Council. She's been on the board which reaches out to local Bethlehem elementary schools and the community in general.
"We have events such as Reading Rocks where we'll go to Donegan Elementary School. For an hour once per week, we'll sit down with the students and we'll help them complete their homework or read a book and then we'll spend 15 minutes talking about nutrition or the importance of school," said Fitzpatrick. "We also work with the community for Adopt-A-Family where each athletic team adopts a local Bethlehem family and provides them with necessities they may not necessarily be able to afford. It's extremely rewarding."
A team captain (with Scott), Fitzpatrick is the definition of a Lehigh student-athlete.
"Alex is a tremendous representative of our Lehigh lacrosse program and our entire athletic department," said Redfern. "The Lehigh business school is very demanding, yet Alex has managed to contribute in such meaningful ways to so many different causes while always prioritizing her lacrosse performance."
The fact that Alex lost her father before the season makes her story even more uplifting. Attitude is everything and she has made the best of her current situation. Fitzpatrick's resiliency and resolve to excel through tough circumstances has been inspirational to everyone around her.
"Alex takes on life with a positive attitude and never lets anything bring her down," said Scott. "All lacrosse aside, I really think that she's the type of person everyone aspires to be. Alex is the first to help anybody and truly cares about each and every player on the team. She is the least selfish and most heartwarming person I've ever had the chance to play with."
For as much as Fitzpatrick has played for her dad this season, she is playing for her mom as well.
"My mom, like my dad, has pushed me to be the best I can be," said Alex. "She's always the first person I call after a game if she can't come. She just sets things straight, like my dad did. She reminds me that I'm a goalie and can't score the ball, only stop it. She puts our family's needs ahead of her own, which has allowed me the opportunity to be where I am today."
Both Fitzpatrick and Redfern recalled one instance that embodies who John was as a person. During Alex's freshman year, the Mountain Hawks traveled to Florida to play the Gators. Instead of forcing the team to walk in the heat, John took turns shuttling the young women, making five or six trips.
"My dad was one of the hardest workers that I've ever met. He was always helping other people," said Fitzpatrick. "He had the biggest heart. He would do whatever he could for anybody."
Despite not physically being with us anymore, it's clear that John still lives on through Alex.
"For John, to have a legacy in Alex as a daughter is really impressive," said Redfern.
Â
"Both my dad and mom would take turns being at every game," said Alex. "It was always great because I knew I could always look in the stands and one of them would be there."
Fitzpatrick's decision to come to Lehigh was extra special for her dad.
"My father didn't go to college so he really cherished the fact that my brother, sister and I wanted to go to college," said Alex. "When I chose Lehigh, known for its academics, he was so proud that he could have walked around with a medal that said 'my daughter is going to Lehigh.'"
Fitzpatrick has certainly made her mark in the Brown and White. As a freshman, she was the first team All-Patriot League goalie, posting an 8.66 GAA and 50.6 save percentage. Fitzpatrick helped lead the Mountain Hawks to a 9-7 record and the Patriot League Tournament, which included a big late-season win at Navy on national television.
Alex was dealt a blow early in her sophomore year against Temple, tearing her ACL on an innocent play near the crease. She was off to a great start, owning a 7.74 GAA and 52.9 save percentage through three games. That ended her season and began the long road back.
Fitzpatrick was up and down as a junior, but started all 16 games and finished second in the league with 7.69 saves per game.
This year, Alex is back and better than ever.
"It was a long road back, mentally and physically," said Redfern. "We saw spurts and strong moments last year. Then there were weaker moments. This year, she's found her consistency."
Fitzpatrick has been the backbone of Lehigh's success this season. She's among the nation's leaders in save percentage and goals against average, leading the Mountain Hawks back to the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since her freshman year. Fitzpatrick made a career-high 17 saves in the league-opening win against Bucknell to set the tone for a successful Patriot League slate.
In early April, Fitzpatrick made 11 saves in a thrilling 12-11 double overtime win at Boston University, handing the Terriers their first-ever Patriot League loss and snapping their five-game winning streak overall. The Mountain Hawks followed by holding Navy, who was 12-1 and averaging almost 14 goals per game, to just nine goals in a heartbreaking 9-8 overtime loss. No matter how the Patriot League Tournament plays out, Lehigh has made huge strides this season and has raised its level of play, due in large part to Alex's presence.
Fitzpatrick has made her mark off the field as well. A Marketing major, she's been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and has been on multiple Dean's Lists for semester GPAs over 3.6. She is heavily involved in Student-Athlete Council, which is a group of 20 to 25 student-athletes who focus on the student-athlete experience such as community service and career outreach.
"This year, we really focused on uniting student-athletes," said Fitzpatrick. "We coordinated a lot of events, like pregame and postgame tailgates after soccer or basketball games. My role is pretty much the facilitator in order to make an event successful."
Fitzpatrick has also played a significant role in C.O.A.C.H. (Community Outreach For Athletes Who Care about Helping), which is a branch of the Student-Athlete Council. She's been on the board which reaches out to local Bethlehem elementary schools and the community in general.
"We have events such as Reading Rocks where we'll go to Donegan Elementary School. For an hour once per week, we'll sit down with the students and we'll help them complete their homework or read a book and then we'll spend 15 minutes talking about nutrition or the importance of school," said Fitzpatrick. "We also work with the community for Adopt-A-Family where each athletic team adopts a local Bethlehem family and provides them with necessities they may not necessarily be able to afford. It's extremely rewarding."
A team captain (with Scott), Fitzpatrick is the definition of a Lehigh student-athlete.
"Alex is a tremendous representative of our Lehigh lacrosse program and our entire athletic department," said Redfern. "The Lehigh business school is very demanding, yet Alex has managed to contribute in such meaningful ways to so many different causes while always prioritizing her lacrosse performance."
The fact that Alex lost her father before the season makes her story even more uplifting. Attitude is everything and she has made the best of her current situation. Fitzpatrick's resiliency and resolve to excel through tough circumstances has been inspirational to everyone around her.
"Alex takes on life with a positive attitude and never lets anything bring her down," said Scott. "All lacrosse aside, I really think that she's the type of person everyone aspires to be. Alex is the first to help anybody and truly cares about each and every player on the team. She is the least selfish and most heartwarming person I've ever had the chance to play with."
For as much as Fitzpatrick has played for her dad this season, she is playing for her mom as well.
"My mom, like my dad, has pushed me to be the best I can be," said Alex. "She's always the first person I call after a game if she can't come. She just sets things straight, like my dad did. She reminds me that I'm a goalie and can't score the ball, only stop it. She puts our family's needs ahead of her own, which has allowed me the opportunity to be where I am today."
Both Fitzpatrick and Redfern recalled one instance that embodies who John was as a person. During Alex's freshman year, the Mountain Hawks traveled to Florida to play the Gators. Instead of forcing the team to walk in the heat, John took turns shuttling the young women, making five or six trips.
"My dad was one of the hardest workers that I've ever met. He was always helping other people," said Fitzpatrick. "He had the biggest heart. He would do whatever he could for anybody."
Despite not physically being with us anymore, it's clear that John still lives on through Alex.
"For John, to have a legacy in Alex as a daughter is really impressive," said Redfern.
Â
2025 Lehigh Women's Lacrosse Season Preview
Thursday, February 13
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Lacrosse 2022
Monday, April 01
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Lacrosse
Wednesday, March 13
