Westwood girls lacrosse team prepares for new season
WESTWOOD, Mass. — It was widely regarded as the most dramatic moment of the 2021 scholastic sports year in Massachusetts. A lifetime memory unfolding in slow motion, two sunsets before Independence Day, in a season delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Westwood and Franklin, after battling through a steady rain, were knotted at five goals apiece. The evenly matched contest between the Wolverines and Panthers had been a back-and-forth battle, highlighted by incredible defense and nuanced skill. After more than 49 minutes of precipitation and perspiration, with a state championship and a place in history on the line, the time for decisive action was short.
Overtime was 15 seconds away.
Five feet behind the Franklin net, Ava Connaughton found herself in exactly the right spot. The sophomore attacker capitalized on an error, intercepted an errant pass and immediately darted toward the net. In less than a second, she had curled around the right side and was prone to the turf. With her stick fully outstretched, she flicked a wicked backhand through the goal mouth, past the feet of a stunned goalkeeper. As teammates swarmed Connaughton, 12.2 seconds showed on the clock. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Westwood had clinched a ninth state title in breathtaking fashion and added another chapter to an illustrious book of achievement.
The 2022 season proved to be a dominant encore performance, as the Wolverines steamrolled through their schedule unscathed, once again finishing atop the pack with nary a loss to rue. Last June, Westwood defeated Wellesley 16-1 at Babson University, capping off a tenth title season in rousing fashion. The championship game victory was the 49th in a row for the green and white and put the exclamation point on a postseason in which they outscored opponents by a combined tally of 81-15.
Pure, unadulterated domination.
A culture of excellence was established by head coach Leslie Frank over the course of 18 seasons, eight of which ended with her team celebrating a championship. That tradition continued when Margot Spatola took over upon Frank’s departure after spending six years on staff as an assistant. The case next to Bader Gymnasium showcases ten state title trophies, the most of any school in the Commonwealth, representing 20 years of dominance complemented by more than 500 wins – an average of more than 20 per season.
“I think the overall legacy of this program is such a big reason why we continue to see so much success,” said Riley Harrington, a senior goalkeeper. “The teams that Leslie Frank built years ago, we’re still building off of that success. It’s crazy. I’ll go to a tournament in a different state, and someone will ask me where I’m from and after I tell them, they say, ‘Oh my God, you’re from Westwood?’ We’re known for lacrosse and it’s really because of past teams and past coaches.”
True, but not 100% accurate. The Class of ’23 has held its own and this year looks to put the finishing touches on a long list of already impressive achievements. Five players – Connaughton, Harrington, Olivia Williams, Lil Hancock and Kella McGrail – have committed to play Division I Lacrosse in college. Granted, the 2020 season was wiped out by COVID, but no one on this year’s team has lost a game in high school.
“Coming into any season, our coach always says, honestly, ‘Forget about last season,'” said Connaughton. “This is a new year, a new state title to play for. Just bring it all out there and don’t worry about last year.
“It’s also important to recognize that we’re a new team this year and even though some things may have worked for us one year, different things might work the next year and we need to build off the strengths of our players now. How we can succeed this season might not necessarily be the same as the way we succeeded the past two.”
But you can build on last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. Most of the girls on this year’s roster recall their most impressionable days watching the champions who came before them at Westwood High.
“I used to go to the games and I’d get the roster and highlight my favorite players,” said Williams. “I still have some of those papers and it’s so crazy thinking that maybe I’m one of those players now. Seeing all the little girls on the sideline, it really is one of my main motivators. It makes me really excited and happy for the future of Westwood lacrosse and also makes me reminisce about what it used to be like.”
“It’s really cool being able to be in the shoes of the upperclassmen because we’ve watched them since we were little and we wanted to be just like them,” said Hancock. “Getting to play for the high school and being one of the best teams in the state. It’s just an honor to be those older kids now that we used to look up to.”
Spatola took the baton passed by Frank and took off sprinting like the next runner in a 4×100 relay.
“I had to figure out what worked for me as a head coach,” said Spatola. “What I took from Leslie along with what things I’ve come up with on my own and picked up from other coaching friends and mentors over the years. It was more so honoring what I had in front of me and really doing my best to give the girls on my team each year what they deserve, giving them as many opportunities as we could give them. That’s how I went into it.”
“I love Margot. Every day we go to practice and we look forward to it,” said Harrington, “I’ve never dreaded a Westwood Lacrosse practice ever. She makes every practice and game so intense and also so much fun. She always says this and I think it’s so true – we’re 80% work and 20% fun. So she always makes sure we’re having a good time, but we also need to recognize that we’re there to play lacrosse and we’re working to get better. I feel like her instilling that in us is such a big part of our success.”
Another big part of the success? Having a short memory and a focus out the windshield, not in the rear-view mirror.
“I do feel confident we can take another step, just by doing the same things we do in practice as we always have,” said Hancock. “It comes down to listening to Margot, working hard in practice and pushing each other. That’s the most important thing. Our hard work in practice correlates to the games.”
“Coming into this year, after the last two years, the girls obviously know what it takes to be the top team,” said Spatola. “Last year, 2022, it wasn’t easy, and in the first part of this season, we will have to find our new identity. We have a lot of holes to fill. Hopefully the girls learned that lesson last year. Our April 4th team is not going to be the same as our, hopefully, June 20th team.”
No matter how the 2023 campaign evolves, it will be the last dance for a talented core of seniors who have already crafted a legacy overflowing with accomplishment.
“We try not to let emotions get too involved when we’re playing, but it’s definitely going to be different knowing it’s our last year,” said Hancock. “Thankfully, some of us are going to college to play lacrosse, so we’ll be excited for that, but it’s just different playing for your hometown with your best friends, at your hometown field, in front of family.”
“It makes me sad. I’m very sad to leave,” said Williams. “I’ve accomplished so much with my teammates and I feel proud of the legacy we are leaving on this town and this community. I’m excited for college and what that chapter might bring. I’ll always be excited to come back and watch other kids play here at Westwood.”
From one generation to the next, excellence bleeds through. Chances are high the girls wearing uniforms this year will return in street clothes to cheer on those who take their place in the seemingly annual high-pressure postseason games. That’s just how it works with Westwood lacrosse.
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