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08/13/2024 11:24 AMIt does not matter how you start, but more about how you finish. For Connor Stoner, he can add an addendum to that statement after his lacrosse career with North Branford. It is not about how late you start either, when you make up ground with dedication and desire to the utmost degree.
The North Branford Class of 2024 member grew up playing hockey and baseball, also competing in the former throughout his tenure as a Thunderbird. But he actually did not get involved in lacrosse until spring of his sophomore year, thanks to encouragement and influence from his friends. After waiting in the wings for a starting opportunity, Connor made the most of it as a long stick midfielder this past spring for North Branford, securing 82 ground balls and causing 29 turnovers as an All-State selection.
“Lacrosse was something new to me, and I wanted to see how good I could get with it. It was great to be with my friends and practice with them every day while trying to get better. Our coach did a lot to motivate us to be the best that we can be,” says Connor. “During my sophomore and junior years, I was a backup and on the bench, but I knew during that whole time that my time would come. Knowing that was a big motivation for me. I would hit the ball against the wall with my friend every day before and after practice, which helped. Putting in a lot of extra hours and working on my 1-v-1 skills helped me go far.”
While Connor primarily focused on the defensive front of his position, he also enjoyed mixing it up with the offense at times. He adds that his background from the rink served him well on the field when it came to laying the licks.
“Playing the position is a lot of fun at long stick midfielder. I played a lot on defense,” says Connor. “It was a pretty cool dynamic to play both sides as a midfielder. I played defense in hockey, so I liked playing defense here, and it transitioned well from hockey. I loved helping to create more possessions for the team. I also think our defense as a group helped us have a winning record.”
Connor details that through the years, he underwent a natural emotional boost when it came to growing nerves of steel. He adds that he keeps it simple: just worry about the task at hand in that instant moment while avoiding any pitfalls of pessimism.
“I was a lot easier to crack as an athlete when I was younger,” says Connor. “I think getting better with that just came with maturity and staying focused on what I had to do in the moment. I also made sure to stay out of a negative mindset. I just try to focus on the positive that will come out of my hard work.”
He will never stop at sharpening his defensive skill set, yet Connor has noticed a greater grasp of the fundamentals. His deep love and commitment to his squad this spring was evident fairly clearly by the fact that he became the team’s iron man out of necessity and never questioned it.
“I could always get better at defense. And I feel if I can get better at my footwork and positioning, it will make me an all-around better player,” Connor says. “My stick work has gotten better with practice, along with my passing and catching abilities. I tried to play as much of the game as I could because we had a lack of depth at the position this year. I also think I was strong with communicating with my teammates and vocalizing things in a positive way.”
Throughout his journey, Connor cultivated a closeness and bond with his brethren on the field. It manifested itself rather quite well by seeing the strides and gains made by the program.
“My entire time at North Branford was great. My lacrosse teammates were like my brothers. We developed a routine of practicing together and would spend time before practices together. It all helped build that closer environment,” says Connor. “The camaraderie translated to success on the field. I think the seniors did a good job of welcoming everybody, and we had a lot of good times on and off the field.”
T-Birds’ Head Coach Dave Carpenter saw the poise and patience in Connor’s heart and spirit. He explains that when it was his time in the spotlight, he made the most of it in all facets of student-athlete life. He was so confident in his abilities that Carpenter put Connor in some unconventional scenarios for his position.
“Connor was a kid that started late in his high school years. He played minimal minutes behind an All-State LSM [long stick midfielder]. But he never let it bother him and continued to work hard and became an All-State player this year,” says Carpenter. “He was a game-changer in the middle of the field, locking down opponents’ best midfielder and creating transition off of saves. He always held his teammates accountable and did a great job in the classroom. As a hockey player, he was able to make a seamless transition to lacrosse. He was a huge asset on the wings during faceoffs to pick up ground balls. Usually you put the LSM on the other teams’ draw side to stop them from pushing offense, but we used him on both sides depending on who was winning faceoffs to ensure he would be the first to the ball. I always had confidence in him handling the ball in traffic, and he will be missed.”
Moving beyond the purple and white, Connor will take with him an even greater collection of intangibles that will help bring more successes into fruition in his future.
“I learned a lot of leadership skills from the teams I have been on, and I think being a captain was a big part of that,” Connor says. “I also learned that communication works both ways, and Coach Carpenter was open to listening to our suggestions and input. I think the desire to be a better person overall that I learned from being at North Branford will help me in my future.”