Hill, a senior forward on the MSU women’s soccer team, doesn’t even want to consider that the Spartans’ match against Ohio State at noon Sunday might not only be her last home game as a Spartan, but could possibly be the last time she wears an MSU uniform.

“I don’t really like to think about it, and I try to erase it every time I do,” Hill said. “Every time I play, I have to play my best, my team has to do their best and whatever happens, happens. It’s one game at a time, so I’m not going to think about it until that game’s over with.”

It’s hard not to fault Hill for wanting her spectacular career to continue. A 5-foot-3 forward out of Northville, Mich., Hill will go down as one of — if not the greatest — goal scorers in MSU history.

Hill’s 37 career goals rank second in program history behind Michele Wise’s 39 scores and she also was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2006, before being named to the conference’s second team a year ago.

But even for a gifted player like Hill, the statistics only tell half the story.

“The thing about her, I would say from more of a character thing, is, honestly, she’s got to be one of the three or four most fierce competitors I’ve ever coached — she is a warrior,” head coach Tom Saxton said. “She’s played through pain this year, she gets up when she gets knocked down, she’s going against people twice her size — she’s as tough as they come.”

Saxton said Hill’s mindset of never letting up on the soccer field has rubbed off on the rest of the Spartans during her time at MSU. Because of her talent, leadership abilities and grit, Hill was named one of the team’s captains this past year.

Senior goalkeeper Danielle Petri, who also played AAU soccer with Hill, said she’s seen those qualities up close for years, but Hill has continued to mature in the time she’s been at MSU.

“I played with (Lauren) back on Vardar (Michigan Soccer Club) and she’s grown so much as an individual,” Petri said. “She’s always there for you and she’s one of those people you can always look up to. I can definitely say in my four years here I knew she was going to be a captain of this team because of that attitude.”

Hill is the first to admit she is fiery and competitive.

Simply by closely watching her on the field, it’s easy to see she plays with a passion that probably has hardly been equaled by either teammates or opponents.

And while that toughness and competitiveness defines Hill — a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection who wants to be a high school English teacher and has a year of student teaching left after this school year on the soccer field — it would be wrong to classify her as just that.

She might be described as a fierce competitor and warrior, but Hill also has a lighter side, Petri said.

“I guess I tell some pretty bad stories sometimes, and Lo will just look at me, say, ‘Are you serious?’ and make a funny comment off of it that makes me laugh so much,” Petri said. “She comes off as serious and a hard ass, but she’s definitely a jokester.”

But when it comes to soccer, there’s no joking around for Hill — perhaps even less than ever when Sunday comes.

There’s only her competitive fire burning and a focused look in her eye, as Hill demands that she and her teammates leave whatever energy they have on the field Sunday.

“Michigan State has been everything that I wanted in college soccer — there’s absolutely no sugar coat with that at all,” Hill said.

“And I don’t want it to end, so I’m going to give it all I have and hopefully that’s contagious in the game. It’s been awesome, my career, and like I said — if it ends, I’m going to be devastated.”