Passion drives Prior Lake lacrosse goalie Hannah Gilbert

Senior goalkeeper Hannah Gilbert hopes to help the Prior Lake girls' lacrosse team improve on its 2012 season.

The Lakers finished with an overall record of 2-13 a year ago. Here is a look at Gilbert:

Three words or phrases my friends or teammates might use to describe me? Dedicated; driven; intense.

One song I never skip on my iPod is ... "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer. No one can help but feel pumped up after this song. You can't beat old-school rap.

How did you get started playing lacrosse? My cousin was a boys' lacrosse coach and my brother was one of his players. I would go to every game and watch. I soon started practicing with my brother in the yard. My dad found a youth league and I joined. Lacrosse was the only sport I had a passion for to keep playing.

At my first varsity practice, I felt ... terrified. I was the only freshman on varsity and I didn't know anyone. I was scared to make mistakes. The team was so welcoming that it didn't take long to get over that fear.

What did you work on most prior to season? I have been working on my overall technique and reaction time in goal.

To get focused for a game, I ... have to listen to music before and/or during warm-up. I just like to jump around and get pumped for the game. The happier I am before a game, the better I seem to do. I am very particular in my pregame warm-up.

What is your most memorable moment as a high school athlete? My most memorable moment as an athlete so far has been my sophomore year on varsity when we played Lakeville South. We went into a double overtime. It was freezing and pouring rain, but both teams refused to give up. I was terrified when the ball was shot on me within the last 15 seconds of the second overtime. I saved it and we ended up beating them 13-12. It's a save and game I will never forget.

How do you balance school and sports during the year? School first and sports second. That is just how it has to be to be successful. I do my homework first and use my free time to play lacrosse. In the end, it all ends up balancing itself out.

If you could change one thing about high school sports, what would it be? I would make the season longer. Our sports seasons go by in a blink of an eye.

In 10 years, I hope I'm ... like the other 99 percent of my grade, I hope to be out of college and have a good-paying job.