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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The 2017 season brought about a storybook ending for the Needham High School girls varsity lacrosse team, as the Rockets defeated Longmeadow, 8-5, at BU to claim the Division I state championship.
This season, Needham enters the tournament looking to defend their title, but will do so with a completely revamped roster after graduating 14 members of the state championship team last June.
“We’re excited heading into the tournament,” said Needham head coach Paula Kelley. “We’ve played a lot of teams that are in the tournament and played a tough schedule. I think we are pretty battled-tested. We’ve had a lot of young kids playing all season that are ready to prove themselves in this tournament and make significant contributions. We’re starting to get healthy again as we’ve had injuries to some of our top players. Hopefully, they’ll be able to come back but some of the young kids have stepped up while kids have been injured, so we’re excited about the tournament and to see everybody come together in a competitive atmosphere.”
One of the injuries to which Kelley referred was that of junior captain and All-American midfielder Callie Hem, but Kelley says the Rockets are hopeful that the junior faceoff specialist and goal-scoring machine can come back and contribute during this playoff run.
“Callie has missed the last eight games; we’re hoping that she’s going to be able to come back,” said Kelley. “She’s had a boot on and she’s done everything she can to get back. She’s one of our top scorers and an All-American. Getting her back would be a huge boost to our team.”
With Hem out of the lineup during the latter portion of the regular season, Needham has seen several of its underclassmen pick up the slack on offense, including freshman Grace Kelley.
“Grace is a freshman and she leads our team in points with 50 goals and 52 assists (most in Bay State Conferece), and she’s definitely been able to step up,” said Kelley. “She feeds her teammates very well, and it’s tough to be the only freshman on a varsity team. In our biggest games she’s come through. She had a big game against Westwood with five goals and three assists, and had four goals and two assists against both Walpole and Cohasset. She has a long way to go, but has not shown any fear in the moment.”
Along with the emergence of the freshman Kelley, Needham has seen its leadership core make significant contributions while several other newcomers and underclassman have made their presences felt. All of this has provided the team with confidence heading into the dance.
“We have great leadership on our team,” said Kelley. “Maeve Barker leads the team in scoring, and she definitely has made it easier for some of the younger kids. Along with Chloe Newman, who’s probably our top defensive player, Maeve and Chloe have been two great role-models and have made it easier for the younger kids to have somebody to look up to. Sophomore Lilly Callahan and senior captain Lucy Campbell have been great for us in net.”
Two other players who have been huge in Needham’s ability to fight off the injury bug and qualify for the tournament, according to Kelley, are a pair of juniors in defensive midfielder Elizabeth Phalen and attacker Abby Dateo, who has netted 41 goals and dished 16 assists this season, as well as sophomore faceoff and defensive specialist Elena Oberle.
“We’ve seen lot of contributions from Elena in the defensive end and on draws, along with Maeve Barker. She’s been killing it,” said Kelley. “Abby Dateo is another player who has come up big with lots of goals, and Elizabeth Phalen has improved a lot in the defensive end - she’s definitely transferred those skills she has at hockey into lacrosse.”
As for expectations heading into the tournament, Kelley says that this team is going to have the ability to write their own narrative and not dwell on the memories that last season brought with the state championship.
“First and foremost, the team that won the state championship had 14 kids graduate. [We are a] totally different team,” said Kelley. “It’s their turn to make their own experience. All season long, we’ve had a bullseye on our back - everybody wants to put their best effort together against us. It’s also good that we’re making our own way despite only having two seniors on this team. We’re happy with how we’ve improved all season. That was our goal as we play these top-level schools, and that’s what we’ve been doing. We’re still relatively young.”
At the time of print, the No. 7-seeded Rockets get set to take on Hingham in the opening round on June 5. If victorious, they could face arch-rival Wellesley in the sectional quarterfinals later this week.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
