Boardman Inducted Into Eastern Connecticut State University Hall Of Fame
Newtown native Laura (Oberstadt) Boardman, a four-year, two-sport athlete at Eastern Connecticut State University, who was named to eight regional all-star teams and helped her teams to seven postseason tournament appearances, has been selected for induction into the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame.
Boardman started all possible 67 games in her four-year soccer career between 1988 and 1991 and was penciled into the starting lineup every game of her final two seasons in softball between 1990 and 1993. A midfielder in soccer, the 5-foot-7 athlete helped the Warriors to their first three postseason tournaments and as a catcher, was part of four post-season softball tournament qualifiers — the 1990 and 1991 teams reaching the national championship game, with the ’90 squad winning the program’s fifth title.
Boardman was honored at the 22nd E-Club Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reception earlier in October.
She was named to six All-New England teams by three different organizations in softball, and in soccer, competed in the New England Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) Senior All-Star game, and also as a senior, was selected to All-New England teams by both the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA) and NEWISA. She served as a team captain in her final two seasons in both sports, received the Total Player Award twice and Best Offensive Player once in soccer, and shared team MVP honors as a junior in softball.
In 1988, Boardman was one of two freshman field players to start all 17 matches as the soccer team qualified for its first postseason tournament, defeating Smith College in the opening round of the ECAC tournament at home; as a sophomore in 1989, she had three goals and six assists as the fourth-year varsity program shocked No. 3 nationally ranked Plymouth State University (ending its 21-game regular-season winning streak) on the road and went on to host an NCAA regional tournament; as a junior, she led the team with seven goals and 18 points; and had a career-high total of 24 points on a second ECAC tournament qualifier, in her senior campaign.
Boardman left the soccer program ranked second all-time in goals (21) and assists (19) and points (61), and first in games (67) and starts (67).
Boardman joined the Eastern softball program in 1990, earning Most Improved Player honors as a sophomore in 1991, the program’s Gold Glove Award in two of her three starting seasons, and as a junior in 1992, sharing the team MVP Award and earning a spot on the national tournament team. As a senior, she joined the 100 career hit club on the final day of the regular season.
With Boardman, the Warriors won three regional softball championships and amassed an overall record of 124-40. When the team split four games in the 1992 national tournament — its last national tournament appearance for 18 years — Boardman was named to the all-tournament team by reaching base six times with five hits and a walk and playing flawlessly in the field. In the final at-bat of her career, in the 1993 regionals, Boardman had a leadoff sixth-inning single off College of New Jersey All-America Becky Koenig in a tie game before her team eventually lost.
While Boardman made the majority of her starts behind the plate, her versatility also allowed her to fill in at first base and corner outfield during her career. As a junior, she batted primarily fifth in the order before moving into the No. 2 slot as a senior, where she batted a career-high .343 and led all players with nine doubles and 14 walks. Through 2015, Boardman is ranked in a tie for sixth all-time in fielding average (.984) and tied for eighth in walks (50).
Boardman holds a BA degree in psychology from Eastern and has been employed by Fiserv, Inc for the past 13 years as a senior programmer analyst. She resides in Columbia with husband Tom and three children.