Algonquin Girls Lacrosse Prepares for First State Championship Game
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Junior Midfielder Hannah Lindgren
The Tomahawks (19-1) will not have to travel far, as the game will be played in Worcester, but coach John Healy says his team has come a long way in just the past couple of weeks. In fact, the Tomahawks have come so far this season, they have had to adjust some of their goals.
"It's unimaginable. You start practice on March 19th, and the goal is to have a good team," Healy said. "At the beginning of the season, I asked the girls to write down what their goals for the season were... To a girl, ever one of them said 'Win Central Mass." Then, when we won Central Mass, I asked them what's our next goal, and they said 'Two more games.' So now we have to readjust to one more game."
Algonquin is now only one win away from its ultimate goal following a come-from behind 10-9 win over Longmeadow Tuesday night at East Longmeadow High. Carly O'Connell, Central Mass' only female lacrosse All American, led the T-Hawks with five goals, but Healy was equally impressed with the toughness of junior Hannah Lindgren. The versatile attacker/midfielder was the team's best distributor Tuesday, dishing out five assists, including key passes on the game-tying and game-winning goals.
"She was huge," Healy said. "She's nursing a head cold, she got hit in the neck. She's a warrior. She's a little kid but she's like a Timex watch. She takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin.'"
The entire Algonquin team has been resilient this season. To get where they are, the T-Hawks have had to buck some recent trends. They began by knocking off four-time defending Central Mass champion Westborough last Saturday, and continued their magical run by knocking off a Longmeadow team that had appeared in the past five state championship games.
If the Tomahawks are to bring home their first state championship, they will have to end another streak. Westwood (23-2) comes in as the five-time defending state champion. Despite a daunting challenge, Healy is still confident that his team's ability to work together gives them a good chance.
"They just always believe in each other, and everybody as a team working together," Healy said. "They know that the sum of the parts is greater than any one person."
The Tomahawks get their chance to make history tomorrow at Worcester's Foley Stadium. Start time is scheduled for 5 pm.
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