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08/30/2024 11:01 AMWherever there is a ball and a stick on the turf of the North Haven High School campus, there is no doubt Clare Cullagh will be there in a flash covering the ground. It is her steadfast speed and dedication to her clubs that has led to her earning a tandem of captain appointments.
The North Haven senior tried her hand at various sports growing up, including archery and swimming. Yet she really hit her mark with lacrosse and started the sport in third grade before adding on field hockey—another sport she still represents the Nighthawks in. Following a steady stint at the center midfielder position for the lacrosse squad last spring, Clare will serve as a senior captain for both North Haven clubs this upcoming year.
“I started in the sport of lacrosse at a young age and had a family that played it, so that helped me,” says Clare, who had a 60% draw control for lax in 2024. “I love the way the sport is set up because it requires a bunch of people all working together and touching the ball. I think skill-wise, being a good runner has helped me in lacrosse because you need to have endurance. I also do stick work away from games and in the offseason. The offseason work has been very vital to me, and I am grateful for the opportunity. The people here are great, too, and I love being surrounded by my best friends on the field. The team bonding aspect is also critical.”
Clare declares that she loves being one ready to run the length of the field at a moment’s notice. She adds that with that leg speed comes a speedy switch in mentality toward a constantly changing task at hand. One of her biggest assets has come forth through the job in being a quick draw dynamo.
“I am running back and forth all over the field at 100 miles per hour,” Clare says. “I usually start games on the draw, which is key with getting us a good start off the bat. It is a demanding position because you are running end line to end line. You also have to change your focus and mindset from offense to defense instantly. I feel I have done a good job on the draw, and it is a physiological position because you have to watch what the opponent is doing and where they are looking.”
Through defeats on the field, Clare has gained great mental maturity in finding solace in pure enjoyment of the sports she loves with the people she holds dear. She continues that no matter the adventure, each endeavor is a chance to better one’s self.
“We have not had a perfect record on the lacrosse team, so as long as we are having fun, then it is a win in itself,” says Clare. “I just like to tell myself that every draw control or every goal is a new chance and new opportunity to refresh and reset yourself. You have to play until the end, and play every day like the score is 0-0 no matter what.”
Clare is working vigorously at being a sharpshooter for the Nighthawks next year, as many of their top offensive snipers have since graduated. Looking ahead to a critical senior year at North Haven High School (NHHS), she is eager to both help her clubs attain newfound tiers of success while setting the stage for the next phase of her life.
“I want to improve on my shooting for next year because we graduated a lot of good shooters from last year's team,” Clare says. “I think my good skills are my draw control and endurance. We want to have a good record for both the field hockey and lacrosse teams. Yet we also want to make sure we are having a good time together and enjoying it while being active and healthy. I will start applying to colleges this fall, and I would love to play club lacrosse.”
North Haven girls’ lax Head Coach Bernard Pellegrino exclaims that Clare carries a quiet presence and demeanor that still speaks volumes. On the turf, she has burst onto the scene as a face-off force in possession game, while she is also someone who can rack up the points offensively.
“From day one, Clare emerged as a leader of the group. While she is even today on the quiet side, when she speaks, she is poignant, and even when she doesn’t say a word, her eyes speak loudly. I always know what she is saying with her eyes, and I think her teammates do, as well. She is a midfielder; she is able to run all day long. She keeps herself in tremendous shape and seemingly never needs a break,” says Pellegrino. “Last year, she stepped into the role as our No. 1 draw player. She has a certain drill set that she works on, and the dividends paid off last year—and I expect even more favorable results this coming season. On offense, she is also an excellent feeder and can score close to the goal. She was one of our points leaders this past season, and I hope that will continue to expand this spring.”
Still, along that journey, Clare will take on the captain’s chair in both the fall and spring. She takes it as the ultimate token of her peers’ respect and will certainly make sure their hopes for Clare are not dashed. More importantly, she wants to be a sympathetic and listening ear to all of her teammates in all avenues.
“Being a senior captain is definitely an honor,” says Clare. “It is an honor because it shows the younger girls believe in me and see me as a good player and person. I want to live up to their expectations as a captain. But I also want to be a person they can talk to in the hallways at school for help with anything.”