Once she traded swimming for a stick, Nola Coyle discovered an even greater and grander purpose within sports by playing with a group towards a collective goal. This has led to her hitting new heights as a proficient point producer at the forefront of a rebounding North Haven girls’ lacrosse team.

The senior captain and attacker grew up in a swimming family and followed suit at a young age before discovering lacrosse through a relative. Once she picked up the game in fourth grade, she ceased all other activities to solely focus on lax.

While also a goalkeeper for the Nighthawks’ field hockey squad, she has served as a focal point of the North Haven offense this spring–helping the team improve from a one-win 2023 campaign by competing much closer with opponents in 2024.

“Lacrosse gave me a sense of teamwork I had never felt before. Swimming was such an individual sport. But you really have to come together and communicate to have success in lacrosse, and I made so many connections with girls through it,” says Nola. “I love rolling around the crease to score. I drive the defenders out, cut in, and go close to the net. I feel patience is key to being a good offensive player. It allows you to take control of the game, and you are supposed to get a good shot on a good play. It also reflects positively on the team I feel.”

As part of the attack corps for the club, Nola appreciates how each ball carrier puts their own spin on pushing towards the net. It is a special element of the game that goes sometimes unnoticed and helps carry her through the days that tests her aforementioned patience and passion.

“On attack, it can be tough when you are playing a better team and do not have a lot of time possessing the ball; it can be rough on you,” Nola says. “But playing attack, I love how you have the ability to put your own style into the game. When each one of us has the ball on attack, it creates a different scenario for the game.”

It can certainly be a demoralizing undertaking when trekking through a campaign trail that is not going one’s way. Yet if anything, Nola utilized last year’s disappointments and exchanged them for positive prisms to highlight why she laces them up every day.

“Our record last season was 1-15, and that is something that gets tiring to deal with when you are losing,” says Nola. “But I realized I play the sport because it makes me happy and I love being around my friends. Focusing on that purpose for why I play has helped me still love the sport. It is not about wins and losses but more about the chances you get.”

Nighthawks girls’ lax Head Coach Bernard Pellegrino explains that Nola has always had the innate knack, temerity, and intensity to take the reins of a club. She not only serves as a spark plug on the North Haven offense, but she is also someone who craves knowledge and success for both herself and the squad.

“Since her freshman year, Nola has demonstrated strong leadership skills. As one of our three senior captains this season, she has proven her teammates right in selecting her for this position. Her teammates have been very receptive and responsive to her call for commitment and accountability,” says Pellegrino. “She is a leader of our team’s offensive attack and also plays an important role in our draw rotation. As one of the team’s leading scorers, Nola is one of the keys to the success of our attack. Nola is a pleasure to coach. She takes direction when given and provides valuable input to the coaching staff when she is asked to do so – and sometimes even when not asked! She is the type of player you’d want on your side.”

In a stewardship spot, Nola mimics her coach’s observations by being someone who commands a boisterous but revered voice among her teammates. She reflects, though, that she is trying to bring that same swagger to her own abilities when the ball doesn’t bounce her way certain days.

“I feel I have a strong voice and use it to lead the team. I feel I have earned my teammates’ respect, and it has helped us,” Nola says. “For me, I need to work on maintaining self-confidence on the field when I am not having my best game.”

Certainly grateful and humbled by the opportunity to lead, Nola details that her entire inspiration came by way of her predecessors.

“Being named a captain is a huge honor because of the captains that came before me,” says Nola. “Living up to those past captains’ expectations they set makes being captain a big deal. I want to embody them and have their same kindness, love for the game, and communication skills. Being captain was something I knew I wanted to do since freshman year.”

Nola continues her great gratitude by thanking her mentors for her ability to excel on the turf. She concludes that the girls cannot be judged for their 2024 group efforts by record alone–their true merit comes in the box score beside each contest.

“My high school coaches have helped me so much. They have an amazing way of coaching and know how to pick you up and lift you up for a game. They made me more excited about the sport and helped me go far,” Nola says. “We recently lost 11-10 in overtime for a game, and if you compare the final scores of last year’s games to this one, the results are much closer now. It is about perspective, and we are moving in the right direction. I remind everyone that we are in this together. If we keep giving 100% effort, then we will keep moving in the right direction.”