Lindsey Purpura is a senior captain and midfielder for women’s field hockey. Purpura, known as “Purp” by her teammates, scored the only goal for the Generals in their loss against Lynchburg last Wednesday.

Along with her co-captain, Caroline Andress, Purpura was selected to play in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s Senior All-Star game. Lindsey is a Psychology Major and Studio Art Minor.

Meet this week’s General of the Week.

How do you feel your season went?

LP: I am incredibly proud of what our team accomplished this year. We, the seniors, couldn’t have asked for a better season to end on and I can’t wait to see what the team is capable of next year. I think this season was a breakout season for a number of the sophomores. Allie [Barry] and Kendall [Peterson] in particular developed confidence holding the center of the field and that’s a huge part of the game. The returning group for next year has so much talent. I have no doubt they will make it just as far, if not further, next year.

Do you have any pregame rituals?

LP: My hair is a big one. I always do my hair the exact same way and I use excessive amounts of hairspray, I can’t stand when my hair gets in my face while I’m playing. I try to warn anyone nearby when I am about to spray it so I don’t asphyxiate them. I also always wear the same earrings during games. I even lost one during a game once and, while playing, found it and tucked it into my shin guard sock for safekeeping. Oh, and Niko’s on home game Saturdays, of course.

What’s your favorite part about being an athlete at W&L?

LP: Definitely the camaraderie between all of the athletes on campus. There’s an article online called “15 Things That Only Happen When You’re an Athlete,” complete with GIFs for things like “when I get in the ice bath” and “when coach says get on the line.” I remember looking at it at lunch one day and I was sitting with a teammate, two soccer players and a volleyball player, and we all had the same reaction to every one. That’s what I love about W&L athletics.

Favorite memory from this season?

LP: I’m going to have to go with the obvious answer and say beating Randolph Macon in quarter-finals; actually, that entire day was incredibly memorable. Winning that game meant a lot to all of the returners, I believe, because Randolph Macon knocked us out of playoffs in quarter-finals last year.

What are your plans for after graduation?

LP: I am currently in the process of applying to graduate school. I am applying to programs for Human Factors Engineering, a field that researches human-computer interaction and user interfaces and seeks to maximize efficiency and safety of those systems. My favorite field within human factors is the aviation field, particularly with regard to the military. I would love to work on cockpit design or alerting systems someday.