This spring, Mary O’Connell fueled a record-setting offense for the Middlebury College women’s lacrosse team, which capped a 22-1 season with a 9-5 victory over NESCAC rival Trinity for the NCAA Division 3 title in Philadelphia. The 5-foot-5 sophomore attack from Norwell assisted on three of the five goals, raising her team-leading total to 43. She also netted 36 goals for a Panther squad that set a program-record with 312 tallies. O’Connell scored at least a goal or an assist in 20 of Middlebury’s 22 games. Lacrosse is a family affair within the O’Connell household. Rose, a 2008 Norwell grad, played two seasons at Bowdoin. Kara won a state title at Norwell in 2010 and played four seasons at Boston College. Jane graduated from Norwell High on Saturday and is a defender for the Clippers (16-3), who are the No. 1 seed in Division 2 South tourney. Mary led the Clippers to state titles in 2010 and 2013, when she was a team captain.
Q. Now that you’ve had some time to reflect, how does it feel to be a national champion?
A. It’s pretty surreal. Since we made it so far, by the time we got back to campus we needed to pack up and move out, so it was quite a whirlwind. But being able to say I won a national championship in my career is something not many student-athletes are able to say. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment and it’s just amazing to be able to share it with 30 of my closest friends.
Q. What was it like to avenge your lone loss to Trinity with a win in the title game?
A. It says a lot about the league we play in to call the game an all-NESCAC championship game. It was the third meeting between our teams this season and we were tied at 1-1. Previous to the NESCAC championship in early May, we had not beaten Trinity in 10 meetings, so it was an incredible feeling to come out in the series 2-1.
Q. You stepped up your assist totals dramatically this year. Did you have a new assignment on the field?
A. I think what it comes down to is that I have great chemistry on the field with most of the attack and midfield unit. I usually set up behind the cage looking for flashing cutters, and I’ve always enjoyed connecting with my teammates on the field and celebrating with each of them.
Q. The team set a record for scoring this season. How much fun was it to be part of this group and constantly scoring goals?
A. On any given game day we had upwards of six or seven different scorers. We had such a dynamic attack that I never knew who would score or what would happen. It really comes down to our defense working so hard and truly being the reason we were able to have the ball at the attacking side of the field for a great portion of the game.
Q. What do you like to do during your spare time? Any hobbies, charitable work?
A. I volunteer at an elementary school a few miles from campus. I have been paired with a young girl for the past three years and it’s the best part of my week being able to go out to recess and play with a bunch of kids.
Q. What is your favorite book, movie or TV series?
A. The Harry Potter series! I can pick up any book and open to a certain page and know exactly where I am because I’ve re-read them so many times!
Q. You’ve scored a lot of goals during high school and in college . . . does one stand out as the most memorable?
A. Every time I score I get a rush, but I can’t single out one moment in particular.
Q. Is lacrosse the dominant topic at family gatherings?
A. My family is crazy about lacrosse so it definitely comes up at the dinner table more than I’d like to admit. My three sisters and I share a love of the game that started a long time ago, but we will always be each other’s biggest fans.
Q. Do you have any pre-game rituals or routines that you follow?
A. I have one major pumpup song and a bunch of separate things to stay loose but amped, but I’ll keep the specifics private.
JOHN JOHNSON
Johnson can be reached at jjohnson49@comcast.net.
