Natick Girls’ Lacrosse Team Qualifies for Playoffs

The Natick High girls’ lacrosse team had three goals at the start of the season: improve daily, qualify for tournament play and advance as far as possible in the playoffs. So far, the Redhawks have achieved two of those objectives.
At Natick Local Town Pages deadline, the squad was 9-6, a record good enough to earn a berth in the tourney. New coach Tanner Guarino, who was a two-time state champion at Framingham High where she was a Bay State Conference all-star midfielder, likes her squad’s overall strengths.
“Our strengths are our work ethic, our athleticism and our team spirit,’’ said Guarino, who previously coached the Holliston girls for two seasons. “I like our aggressive and competitive style, our experience, depth and overall skills. We’ve worked daily to improve on the defensive end and on our transition game. We also have focused on handling different game situations.’’
The 24-year-old Guarino was optimistic early on about a post-season berth. “The girls qualified because they sharpened their skills, they worked very hard and they were driven,’’ she emphasized. Last year, the Redhawks were a tourney-bound team but they were eliminated by Newton North in the opening round.
The keys for Natick to stay alive in the playoffs are obvious—maintaining focus, especially on their immediate opponent, and playing with a sense of urgency. “For us to advance, our game has to be refined to the point where we’re at our best,’’ Guarino said. “And our best means our passing, our stick-work and being aggressive on the field.’’
Natick’s junior goaltender—Allie Collins—is a good starting point when assessing the Redhawks’ nucleus. She’s got a goals-against an average of 8.8 and a save percentage of 57.9.
“Allie is aggressive and confident,’’ Guarino said. “She’s got quick hands, her skills are good and her body positioning is a plus. She clears the ball effectively and she communicates well with her defense. Her confidence allows her to come out of the goal and create turnovers and get ground balls.’’
Two top-notch defenders are senior captains Fiona O’Dea and Kayleigh May, who also plays in midfield. Guarino likes their leadership ability and their approach. “Fiona has a great presence,’’ Guarino noted. “She’s tall, a good communicator and her field awareness is excellent. Kayleigh always puts her team first. She’s a hard-worker, she’s intense, she’s fast and her stick-work is solid.’’
Caroline O’Connell and Steph McAuliffe are freshmen defenders, who’ve impressed their coach. “Caroline is coachable, adjusts quickly, and is always ready to slide,’’ Guarino said. “Steph has good, low-body positioning, is a strong, aggressive on-ball defender, she’s quick on her feet and her stick-work is a plus.’’
Senior captain Sarah Strand leads a midfield corps that includes three underclassmen—freshman Victoria Norchi, junior Emily Hawley and sophomore Molly Burnes. Norchi was third in points (30 goals, 10 assists) through 15 games.
“Sarah’s transition game is excellent,’’ Guarino said. “She’s a leader on defense with or without the ball. Her stick-work is an asset and her passing is very good. Victoria is fast, competitive and confident with the ball. Emily gets a lot of 50-50 balls. She’s solid in transition, aggressive, quick, fast and moves laterally very effectively. Molly fulfills her role adeptly, getting her share of knockdowns, making hustle plays and protecting the ball.’’
Senior captain Annika Streeter is a high-profile player on attack. Through 15 games, she had scored 30 goals and had a team-high 41 assists. “Annika has a hard shot, passes well to the cutters, and has good field awareness,’’ Guarino said. “She’s quick, finds the open player and dodges well.’’
Junior Meghan Rodino, freshman Tyler Jackowitz and senior Sarah Morey complement Streeter effectively. Rodino was the team leader in goals (48) through 15 games and she scored her career 100th against Braintree.
“Meghan comes up with the ball on draws, she’s a consistent offensive threat and finds space on the attack,’’ Guarino said. “Her field awareness is good and she’s got a lot of desire. Tyler has a great attitude, can get to the goal, and has good stick-work. She’s aggressive and eager to learn. Sarah knows when to cut, reads defenses nicely, possesses good stick-work and finishes well.’’
Relying on a philosophy of competing hard to win, reaching one’s potential and enjoying athletics, Guarino, who plays professional lacrosse for the Boston Storm of the Women’s Professional League, has been successful at Natick in her rookie year of coaching in the Bay State Conference because she knows what ingredients are needed to be successful in lacrosse.
“The key attribute I want when I’m assembling a team is mental toughness,’’ said Guarino, who was a key contributor in helping the University of Massachusetts to three Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. “Other prime assets would include work ethic, conditioning, leadership, being coachable and also passionate about the sport and having capable skills and technique.’’
It’s obvious Natick has a good blend of those characteristics, and it’s why the Redhawks are gearing up for what could be a successful run in the tourney.