Ithaca’s Ella Thomforde takes All-American talents to Stanford

It’s no secret that over the past few years, the Ithaca girls lacrosse team has sent many athletes to the Division I level, particularly at high-major schools. Shea Baker (Class of 2022) won a national championship with Boston College. Alecia Nicholas (Class of 2021) helped North Carolina win two national titles, including this spring. Jamie Lasda (Class of 2020) flourished in attack for Ohio State. Ella Thomforde is the latest Ithacan to add her name to this impressive list.

Thomforde is heading all the way to the West Coast to continue her career at Stanford University. She has been committed to the school since her junior year, and she credits not only her strong connection to head coach Danielle Spencer as a big draw, but she also recalls her experience at their summer lacrosse camp.

“That’s where I immediately fell in love when I stepped out on the field,” Thomforde said. “Being surrounded by all the current players, I was able to meet all of them, and they’re all so amazing and welcoming. I just felt like it was a home here. The culture was amazing. That’s when my mind was like, ‘Wow, I would love to go here.’”

Thomforde joins a Cardinal program that has been a regular face at the NCAA Tournament. Stanford has qualified for the tourney 12 times since 2010 but have never advanced past the second round. Thomforde will aim to help them make even deeper tournament runs over the next few years.

“I definitely bring a lot to the attacking side,” Thomforde said. “I’m going to try to just work really hard to be aggressive, be a threat always on the field and just rack up some points for our team.”

Thomforde’s attacking prowess was on full display during her time with the Little Red. She recorded over 300 career points and was the team’s top scorer for the last two seasons. This spring, she tallied 67 goals as part of the Little Red’s historic campaign where they won their first-ever regional championship.

It seemed like almost every time Thomforde unleashed a shot, it would find the back of the net. That elite level of accuracy can be attributed to the amount of work she’s put into her craft.

“I’ve trained so much where I am able to see that outcome on the field during practice,” Thomforde said. “But even on my own, I love to go out in the backyard, shoot on my net, and also get some other players to come train with me.”

It also helps that Thomforde is left-handed, which is a rarity in virtually every sport. That in itself is an inherent advantage, especially when she opts for a sidewinding shot.

“I guess there’s not as many lefties, so it kind of gives me more opportunity to really work on that side,” Thomforde said. “I think it’s really important to use both hands too in the game, and that’s what I’ve really been working on. But it is special being lefty, because there’s not many of those out on the field.”

Thomforde was recently named a USA Lacrosse All-American for the second time in her career. Baker has also earned back-to-back All-American honors, and playing alongside her helped Thomforde grow her own game.

“Being able to play with Shea and some really talented players, I was able to see how they excel on the field,” Thomforde said. “I definitely gained my confidence going to the goal more, being creative, using both hands. But [it’s] also being in the weight room. I’ve been training a lot. The key to this game is being strong and I use that to my advantage.”

Speaking of All-Americans, Little Red goalie Olivia Frazier earned back-to-back USA Lacrosse Academic All-American honors. She too will be playing at the Division I level at UAlbany, as will Eleni Switzer at Niagara, while Reese Cole is flying south to play Division II lacrosse at Flagler. As this senior class goes their separate ways, Thomforde reflected on their unmatched chemistry that set them apart from the rest of their competition.

“We’ve played together since elementary school, and we have such a great bond together,” Thomforde said. “It’s just so fun playing with them, so I’ll definitely miss that. We’re so close off the field, which I think definitely impacts how we play on the field. That’s special to our team.”

Thomforde has learned many things while playing for the Little Red. The two big things that stand out? Work hard and have fun.

“Our coaches really hold us accountable every day at practice to give it our best every day, practice how you play,” Thomforde said. “It’s really an honor that we are able to play this sport. Lacrosse is so fun, and you play better when you’re loose and having fun.”