Unbeaten (still): Notre Dame Academy lacrosse embracing target as two-time reigning champ

HINGHAM — Every challenger aims to dethrone the reigning state championship team at the start of a new season.

Imagine that state champion has won it all two years in a row, while riding an active 38-game win streak.

The Notre Dame Academy lacrosse team feels the target on its back.

“You can’t not," coach Meredith Frank McGinnis said. "You know it exists. You know it grows. You know every single time you take the practice field, someone out there is practicing just as hard as you. Every single time you show up to the field, you’re going to get the other team’s best game. You just always are.”

The Cougars haven't lost since May 23, 2022 as Bishop Guertin High (of Nashua, New Hampshire) topped NDA by a 12-9 margin that day. The last Massachusetts team emerge victorious was Franklin, 9-7, on May 18, 2022.

NDA has since doubled its championship total to four in the past decade (2013, 2019, 2022, 2023).

The Cougars opened the new season this spring winners of six in a row, with decisive wins over Walpole (16-10), Duxbury (15-2), Hingham (9-4), Falmouth (18-2), Natick (18-5) and Wellesley (7-3).

“Those two championships are definitely in the back of our minds, but it more (so) fuels our fire," said junior midfielder Emma Connerty, of Hanover. "We don’t want to lose that streak. We want to keep winning as much as we can. It keeps us going.”

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The team lost 10 seniors from last year (including Boston College's Alexa Kenney and Boston University's Reilly Walsh), but retains DNA from those title teams in Connerty, senior midfielder Jane Hilsabeck (of Hingham) and senior attacker Siobhan Colin (of Canton).

Adair Routh, a junior from Scituate, enters her first year as starting goalie with freshman Sadie Lopez (Cambridge) and sophomore Taylor Watts (Cohasset) among the underclassmen in key roles.

“This is a new year for us," Frank McGinnis said. "This is a much different team. Our make-up is much different. We graduated a lot of seniors and have a lot of underclassmen. For us, it’s a day at a time and a lot of learning.”

“Our team has a determination to pick up our younger players and keep making them better as the years go on," Routh said.

As for the mainstays, Connerty and Hilsabeck, a Clemson commit, combined for 96 goals and 45 assists in respective All-Scholastic campaigns last spring. Both were recognized as USA Lacrosse All-Americans.

Connerty had four goals, and Colin had three, in each of the past two title game wins -- which NDA won by a combined margin of 33-6. Hilsabeck had a hat trick in the 2022 matchup against Bedford, and one score in last year's against Wayland.

“They’re special players. They work so hard and are so invested," Frank McGinnis said. "Winning aside, for me, it’s about seeing their growth day in and day out. We rely on those great players to make great plays.”

Frank McGinnis cited Tuesday's win over Wellesley as an example. The Cougars relinquished two quick goals, the first within the first 30 seconds of play, but clamped down to allow one the rest of the way and claim a 7-3 win. Wellesley came in 4-0 and was the No. 2 seed in last year's Division 1 state tournament (NDA won the Division 2 crown).

“We realize every game is going to be a battle," Hilsabeck said. "Every game, we’re going to have to work harder and harder. That starts with our practices. We’re putting in the past the success we’ve had. We’re ready to work hard and re-prove ourselves this year.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Undefeated champ Notre Dame Academy lacrosse taking on all challengers