Hamilton Square’s Lora (Fink) Webber displays her plaque after being inducted into the FDU-Madison Athletic Hall of Fame on Sunday. Lora is a product of Mercer County’s No. 1 soccer family, the Finks (Photo by Phil Fink).
By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Oct. 1: When your last name is Fink and you are a soccer player from Hamilton Square, the pressure is already built-in.
Lora (Fink) Webber proved she could handle it as the proverbial apple who didn’t fall far from the proverbial tree.
On Sunday afternoon, Webber was inducted to the FDU-Madison Athletic Hall of Fame for her soccer accomplishments at the school from 2007-10.
“I am extremely humbled and thankful for this honor,” Fink said. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be surrounded by such amazing teammates and coaches during my time at FDU to make this possible.”
Webber is the daughter of former Steinert All-American Tom “Fritz/Otto” Fink, the leading goal scorer on the undefeated 1977 Spartans team that was ranked No. 1 in America. Her father is in the Mercer County Soccer Hall of Fame as an individual, and he and his six brothers are in the HOF as a family. Her brother, Tom “Fuji” Fink, starred for Mercer County Community College and Kean.
But Lora never looked at that background as pressure. She viewed it as enriching.
“Growing up in a soccer family, I have always looked up to and admired my dad for his passion and commitment to the game,” Webber said. “He instilled in me a strong love for the game of soccer and the ability to compete. I was very lucky to have the constant support of my family.”
That support continued Sunday as her Uncle Joe, the Trenton High head coach, and her cousin Christy, the Nottingham girls coach, were on hand for her honor.
Lora (Fink) Webber holds the all-time FDU-Madison record for assists in a season and a career, and is in the Top 3 in several other categories (Photo courtesy of www.fdudevils.com).
The induction culminated an outstanding four-year career for Webber, who served as the Devils captain her junior and senior seasons and helped lead them to the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom regular-season title in 2010. Lora was a second-team All-MAC Freedom choice during that year after collecting 12 goals and 16 assists, the latter which still stands as an FDU season record. She also holds the school’s career mark for assists with 48 (Fish4scores could not substantiate the rumor that her dad’s high school linemates, John and Jim Bowen, were stunned that any offspring of Tom Fink actually passed enough to get 48 assists).
Lora’s 40 points in 2010 places her third all time, and she holds the single-season marks for shots (132) and shots on goal (67). Webber finished third on the Devils in scoring as a freshman.
In the career FDU rankings, Lora holds the record for shot attempts (331); is second in points (116), shots on goal (166) and game-winning goals (8), and fifth in goals (34).
While playing for The Pennington School, Webber led Mercer County in assists; and helped the Red Raiders to four Prep A state championships, two Mercer County Tournament titles and two McDonough Tournament crowns. She was named first-team All-County and All-State Prep A, and also played lacrosse for two years after learning the sport from her mom, Denise, in the Finks’ backyard.
