WSL Colorado Girls Player of the Year

By James Joseph
WSL Senior Features Writer

Alex Befus wants to win.

On the lacrosse field. At the park for a pick-up game. Even at home playing Guitar Hero.

“And I’m happy to say that I beat it on expert,” Befus said of the popular video game. "I’m like that with everything. I’m definitely a really competitive person.”

In 2009, Befus’ competitive streak and desire to win – not to mention her considerable talent – helped lift Air Academy to a 19-0 record, its first Colorado state title and WSL’s No. 1 ranking in the West. 

“Her competitiveness in practice and in games, I think, was a key factor for us,” Air Academy Coach Sean Harmon said of Befus, a senior attack.

“She’s a super competitive person, she practices very, very hard, and I think that’s what helps. When she’s out there practicing hard, she makes the team practice hard also. I think that is what helped put us over. We had a lot of players step up and work really, really hard every day in practice, and it translated into games.”

The University of Denver-bound Befus was relentless in 2009, scoring 95 goals and adding 46 assists for 141 points. Harmon said Befus has “a well-balanced game” and listed her top attributes as speed, agility and stick skills.

“She had top-notch stick-skills, they’re unbelievable,” Harmon said. “She had a better shooting percentage with left hand than her right hand, and her left hand is her off hand.”

Befus began developing her stick skills at a young age. When she was about seven, her older brother, Aaron, found lacrosse.

“I’d always go to his games, and he’d make me go outside and play catch with him,” Befus said. “Back then, I thought it was really annoying.”

But throwing and catching with her brother, who went on to play at Colorado State, helped Befus’ development. So did playing high-level club lacrosse.

By the 2009 season, she was a polished player ready to help the Kadets put together a dream season. Air Academy scored 18.5 goals per game, allowed just 4.6 and knocked off perennial Western powers La Costa Canyon and Kent Denver before taking down Cherry Creek in the Colorado state championship game.

Befus was the pulse of the team all along.

“I’m just really intense – I don’t take anything too lightly on the field,” she said. “I’m not one to sit back and let things happen. I like to make them happen.”