Printer Friendly Version - Young Hand Girls’ Lax Squad is Well on the Rise

Senior Haley Wines is a captain and attack specialist for a youthful Hand girls’ lacrosse squad that is well on its way to another tandem of postseason berths. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Carroll

Sophomore and midfielder Claire Levis is one of several standout underclassmen on the Tigers girls’ lacrosse squad this spring to help Hand maintain sustained success. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Carroll

The Hand girls’ lacrosse squad may have had a bit of a rebuild label put upon it by preseason prognosticators with a low number of seniors on the roster. Yet they have defied those expectations and have built themselves a bright future–both in the short and long term.

For 2023, Head Coach Lindsey Carroll and the Tigers finished 11-5 for their regular-season efforts, yielding Hand the No. 2 seed in both the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) and Class M State Tournament. First in the league draw, the Tigers fell 15-4 to third-seeded Guilford in the semifinals on May 22 after a first-round bye. Then, in the state bracket, the Tigers first dispatched No. 15 Ledyard by a 15-9 final for the first round at home on May 30 before falling to No. 7 Brookfield, 13-10, in the quarterfinals as hosts on June 2 to finish 12-7 overall.

Carroll and the Tigers have jetted out to a 9-4 record thus far in the regular season for 2024. She detailed that Hand may sport a squad that trends a tad more youthful than the prior edition, but they are still surely focused on attaining acumen and in-game knowledge to progress in the postseason.

“Our goals for the team on and off the field this year are to foster a team-first and growth mindset and look to get better and stronger each day,” said Carroll. “We are hoping to make a hard run at SCCs and states.”

Two of the Tigers’ lone four seniors are serving as squad stewards with captains Haley Wines and Paige Steffan. Wines wields a strong offensive stick as an attacker who can be quick on the draw. Steffan draws on defense as one of her main assets as a defender with a sharp mind and hustle.

“Haley Wines has a love of the game, high lax IQ, face off specialist, and she is a huge threat low on attack,” Carroll said. “Paige Steffan has an enormous work ethic. She is also a smart defender, composed, and great on transition.”

Hand also houses a great collection of sophomore sensations on the turf. Claire Levis shines as a dual threat on both the offensive and defensive ends of the grass. Fellow sophomore midfielder Ellie Flynn is someone who is never afraid to get after a loose ball, while there are a duo of dynamic goalies between the pipes with Ava Bonalsky and Lilliana Gerrard.

“Claire Levis has great vision of the game, a positive attitude, and she is a dynamic threat on both sides of the field. Ellie Flynn is insanely fast; she is tenacious and dominant on 50-50 balls,” said Carroll. “Ava Bonalsky is a tenacious goalie with extensive understanding of the game. Lilliana Gerrard is also a very athletic and dynamic player.”

Additionally on defense lies Elizabeth Walsh, who certainly helps up the Tigers’ tallies for takeaways on defense. Her junior counterpart in Bridget Waters brings some great intangibles to the turf, both on and off it.

“Elizabeth Walsh is a fast and athletic defender who forces a lot of turnovers. She is able to play both sides of the field,” Carroll said. “Bridget Waters is a natural leader on our defense, and she is a great competitor.”

Thus far in the young year, Hand scored plenty of benchmark victories with a close one-goal win against Amity by an 11-10 final and then another one-score decision over Cheshire (9-8). The Tigers also picked up a monumental triumph over nearby rival Guilford with a 17-12 final.

As the Tigers may sport a very healthy record beyond the midpoint of the regular season, they are still looking to fortify the future. Hand will continue to bolster its squad and skill set for the playoffs while putting together a collective effort the community will take note of and admire with a tremendous sense of pride.

“We are a young team with only four seniors,” said Carroll. “And so we are looking to develop a solid foundation for this program moving forward.”

The 2024 Tigers’ roster is comprised of seniors Steffen, Kelly Kilbourn, WInes, Regan Suerth; juniors Hadley Howard, Morgan Mastrobattisto, Lucy White, Marla Lafferty, Waters, Hannah Rich, Nora Hughes, Lily Vest, Margeaux Langille, Camryn McParland, Margaret French; sophomores Margaret Lavin, Kayla Warnke, Walsh, Claire Rickelman, Flynn, Levis, Gerrard, Bonalsky, Jolie Aarsen, Eva Rose; plus freshmen Ava Aboulian, Nicole Bettuchi, Ella Bodner, Elise Hardy, Colleen Hoban, Bridget Kaplan, Evelyn Lavigne, Neala O’Dea, Peyton Palo Mack, Makayla Perreault, Kate Rizzo, Addison Shearer, Dillon Staak, Mira Thadani, Annie Tompkins, Avery Waters, Maisy Wheeler, and Chloe Wiesbrock.

Carroll is in her fourth year at the helm as head coach after she was an assistant coach for three prior seasons with the Tigers. Her assistant coaches this year include Julie DaCosta (a three-year member of the staff), Andy Howard (back for his second season), and newcomer Morgan Madore.