Latest news with #Connerty
Boston Globe
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Notre Dame (Hingham) turns top-two girls' lacrosse battle with Wellesley into an emphatic rout
Fueled by five goals from the North Carolina-bound Connerty, the No. 1 Cougars (3-0) blitzed the No. 2 Raiders (1-1) and never relented. The Haggerty sisters, senior Caroline and eighth-grader Anna, added three goals apiece, and the Orlando sisters, senior Ava and junior Elle, spearheaded a stellar defensive effort. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up NDA led, 4-2, through one quarter, 10-3 at halftime, and 15-3 through three, then entered cruise control in the fourth. Junior Taylor Watts helped the Cougars dominate the draw, ground balls, and possession the entire way. Advertisement 'We know how powerful Wellesley is,' McGinnis said. 'Their offense is excellent. Their ball-handlers are excellent. They can score goals in batches. We knew that when we had the ball, we needed to make sure we finished. Otherwise, it was coming right back down our throats.' Sadie Lopez, Ani Woodard, Grace Rooney, and goalie Adair Routh were also catalysts for the Cougars, who provided a steady dose of physicality and toughness in the rain. Advertisement Junior Tara Battaglino paced Wellesley with three goals, Olivia Comella added one, and Kaitlyn Uller, Alexa Heller, and Abby Beggans also contributed. Wellesley hung around early, but NDA simply had too much firepower. 'We knew it was going to be tough,' Wellesley coach Steve Balter said. 'That is definitely not the way we expected or wanted to play. What we just talked about is, 'What can we take from that?' ' The Cougars, who have captured three straight Division 2 state titles, have now won a whopping 52 consecutive in-state games. Their last loss to a Bay State foe came vs. Franklin on May 18, 2022. Connerty remembers it very clearly, as she had a disappointing 15th birthday. There's no secret sauce. It's simply hard work, discipline, and execution, game after game. 'It's really cool,' Connerty said with a smile, 'but we're just looking to practice tomorrow and looking to Medfield on Wednesday.' Trevor Hass can be reached at
Boston Globe
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
From a Clipper to a Skipper, Kara Connerty has new view of Cohasset/Norwell girls' lacrosse rivalry
'It's a rivalry that will always be there,' Norwell senior captain Holly Panttila said. 'It's just so much fun to play in that game. It brings out a lot of people and is a big community event.' Now, as Cohasset tries to repeat in Division 4 and Norwell looks to dethrone the Skippers, each will have a new coach: Kara Connerty for Cohasset, ranked No. 9 in the Globe's preseason Top 20, and Laura Callahan for No. 12 Norwell. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Yes, that's the same Kara Connerty who coached Norwell from 2010-24. After resigning at Norwell in August, with no plans to retire, Connerty jumped on the opportunity when the Cohasset job opened in January. Advertisement Connerty, a Norwell graduate and resident, still speaks regularly with many Norwell players and is even more proud of the program's off-the-field triumphs. 'To have that opportunity to coach there was definitely a lifelong dream,' Connerty said. Connerty started her career in Cohasset, as the junior varsity soccer coach and gymnastics coach, so this feels like a full-circle journey in a sense. She said the support so far has been 'overwhelming.' She said she hopes to continue the tradition of success, noting that she's already seen great enthusiasm from the players and community. 'We know how well she coached the Norwell team,' Cohasset senior captain Reese Hansen said. 'I think her coming over here is just going to help us.' Cohasset and Norwell clashed in the Division 4 semifinals last June. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Hansen, Libby Schiffmann , Kylie Newman , Kate Greer , Avery Regan , Aine Norton , Addy Andrews , and goalie Janet O'Carroll anchor a deep and talented Skippers team that has a strong chance to repeat. This will be four coaches in four years for the seniors, who learned from Kully Reardon in 2022, Billy Bitter in 2023, and Joe Fitzgerald in 2024. Hansen, who has played for Connerty at the club level with Mass Elite for several years, said the Skippers are grateful for each leader and excited about Connerty's arrival. Advertisement 'Coming into your senior season not knowing who your coach is was definitely stressful,' Hansen said. 'When I found out the news that Kara was coming in, I was thrilled.' Ten miles away, the Clippers will start fresh under Callahan, who taught 11 Norwell players in middle school Spanish back in the day. They don't have any set plays in Spanish yet, but Callahan didn't rule it out. Panttila said Callahan always ensured they turned in their assignments on time and brought out the best in them as students, and she expects that mentality to translate to lacrosse. The Hingham native, Thayer Academy graduate, and two-time national champion at Northwestern previously coached with former collegiate teammate Meredith Frank McGinnis at Notre Dame (Hingham). She values the lessons she learned from McGinnis, and is immensely grateful for that experience as she begins her new post. 'In August, one day they posted it, and I just kept getting all these texts from all my co-workers, being like, 'You've gotta go for it!' ' Callahan said. 'I applied, and I'm excited to be there.' The Clippers will lean on Panttila, Charlise Cox , Natasha Mikus , goalie Charlotte Pithie , and more as they try to build on last year's semifinal run and capture their first state title since 2018. Callahan and Connerty know many of the same people and know each other peripherally. Connerty works with McGinnis at Mass Elite, but Callahan and Connerty haven't crossed paths as much as one might think. Advertisement They both wish the other best in their new endeavor. Callahan noticed on Day 1 how Norwell players arrived and immediately started warming up without needing a nudge — a subtle sign of a strong culture. 'I learned so much from her not only on the field, but also off the field, too,' Panttila said of Connerty. 'She definitely created a great community for us.' If recent history is any indication, the matchup between the two on May 19 will be yet another instant classic. While the added intensity is noticeable when the teams meet, there's no animosity between the two programs. Some play on the same club teams and are close friends outside of the sport. There's a mutual respect, as both regularly topple much larger schools despite their small size. At the same time, there are certainly bragging rights involved, and it means extra when they see the adjacent town across from them on the field. 'It's a healthy, competitive rivalry,' Callahan said. 'It's always great to look forward to games like that and get psyched up.' Kara Connerty has taken note of the great enthusiasm from the players and community in Cohasset. On her time at Norwell, her alma mater, "To have that opportunity to coach there was definitely a lifelong dream." Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Quick sticks ▪ In other coaching news, Isabella Tersoni is in charge at Lincoln-Sudbury after former coach Kaillie Kelly took a job at her alma mater, Hamilton College. Tersoni, who graduated from Framingham High in 2017 and Merrimack College in 2021, captained the Warriors as a senior before moving home and interning with the Framingham athletic department. She's in her third year as an assistant athletic director at Natick High, and was previously a coach with the Redhawks and Laxachusetts. Tersoni is thrilled for the opportunity to lead the Warriors, a program she's admired from afar for years. Advertisement 'My gut was telling me I needed to rise to the occasion and take the leap,' Tersoni said. 'I'm a competitor. I want to win, and I want to provide a positive experience for our athletes. From the moment I finished my interview, I really knew it was going to be a good fit.' ▪ Sandwich is another team to keep an eye on in a Division 4 that's arguably stronger than ever. This is the first time in Kelsy Beaton's 20 years in which her entire squad is returning. The Blue Knights finished last year 20-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Ipswich. Senior midfielder/attacker Avery Cobban (46 goals last year), junior midfielder Kyla Darmon (57 goals), freshman midfielder/attack Quinn Anderson (65 goals), and freshman goalie Ashlynn Krueger anchor a balanced squad. 'We also have a lot of depth, with 22 members returning this season on the squad,' Beaton said. 'I fully expect great things from this group.' Games to watch Friday, No. 18 Weymouth at No. 11 Duxbury, 4 p.m . — The visiting Wildcats and Dragons both lost talent but return plenty of key pieces and should be in the hunt once again in their respective divisions. Friday, No. 19 Andover at Belmont, 7 p.m. — Andover (7-seed in D1 last year) will travel to Belmont (13-seed in D1 last year) in a battle between two formidable teams. Saturday, Needham at Wayland, 10 a.m . — Both are close to cracking the Top 20, and a win plus some help could do the trick. Saturday, No. 5 Walpole at East Longmeadow, 4 p.m. — The talented Timberwolves get an early-season test in a rematch of last year's Division 2 semifinal. Advertisement Monday, No. 3 Central Catholic at No. 8 Lincoln-Sudbury, 4:30 p.m. — Each side is fully capable of winning it all in Division 1, and this late-March battle will help with power rankings for the winner long term. Trevor Hass can be reached at
