For North Andover’s Tommy Farrell, lacrosse is not defined — first and foremost — by speed or athleticism.
His greatest edge, since he first made a splash at the varsity level as a freshman, has been the mental game.
“I lean on being a smart player and playing with a high IQ,” he said. “I love the opportunity to use my field vision to make the pass that scores a goal, but won’t hesitate to shoot when I get the chance. I like to take smart and high quality shots. Nothing beats the feeling of scoring a big goal.”
Farrell has scored plenty of big goals, and set up many others, during his time as a three-year captain and four-year force as an attack/midfield for North Andover High. He scored two goals and had four assists in the Scarlet Knights’ season-opening 8-3 win over Lexington on Friday.
The Division 1 Fairfield University recruit and three-time All-MVC first team pick entered the spring with 136 goals and 108 assists for 244 career points — well on his way to the 300-point plateau for his career.
“I’m super excited that this season has started,” he said. “I put in a lot of work over the winter so I’m ready to put it out on the field this year. I think this team has the potential to do well in June. We have a small but tight group and we are ready for a great season.
Farrell fell in love with lacrosse while growing up in Colorado, before moving to North Andover in 2021.
“My dad played college lacrosse, so there were always lacrosse sticks around the house, he said. “I developed a passion for the sport at a young age and it has always been my favorite sport. I started playing organized lacrosse when I was 6-years-old. I moved to North Andover in the eighth grade, and the experience has been great.”
Farrell quickly made a splash a year after moving to North Andover, scoring 39 goals, six off the team high, and adding 31 assists, also second on the Knights, as a freshman.
He made his first appearance on our Eagle-Tribune All-Star team as a sophomore, after notching 45 goals with 37 assists. He repeated on our team last spring, after tallying 47 goals and 31 assists.
“They don’t get much more skilled, talented, and smarter than Tommy Farrell,” said head coach Steve Zella. “His versatility to feed and finish with both hands makes him one of the best attackmen in the conference.”
A two-sport standout who is was also an All-Conference receiver/defensive back in football, Farrell now hopes to close out his North Andover career with a deep postseason run.
“My main goal for this year is to lead and help the team improve to be our best by the time the state tourney starts,” he said. “It’s been a great 4 years at North Andover playing lacrosse and football. I’ve built a ton of relationships with teammates and coaches. I’m definitely going to miss high school, but I couldn’t be more excited to play college lacrosse at Fairfield.”
Guinee continues legacy
Andover will once again be led by one of the state’s top lacrosse talents, in returning Eagle-Tribune All-Star Dan Guinee. As a sophomore last spring, Guinee netted 50 goals and added 50 assists, leading the Golden Warriors to a 13-4 record and a trip to the Division 1 quarterfinals.
Guinee has already committed to play college lacrosse at Division 1 Army, alongside his former Golden Warrior superstar brother J.P. Guinee.
“He’ll run himself into the ground for his team, and still manage to find the poise when most players wouldn’t be able to walk,” said coach Bryan Brazill.
Andover returns 17 players from last year’s roster, including top defender and co-captain Andrew Vaccaro and three-sport standout Marcus DeJesus (Eagle-Tribune football All-Star/track/lacrosse), who ran the eighth fastest time in the area in the 55-meter dash (6.75) this winter. They also added more impressive speed in promising newcomer Charlie Gallaudet, who returns to the sport after running track last spring. This past winter, he ran the area’s seventh best time in the 1,000-meter (2:38.35).
Hillies look to reload
Haverhill was hit hard by graduation after last spring’s 10-6 campaign, losing Eagle-Tribune All-Stars Pat McGowan (50 goals as a senior) and Jake Staples (averages 50 goals final two seasons).
“We graduated our top two scorers,” said co-head coach Ben Delaware, “and because there isn’t a safety blanket of a player who rises above all the others offensively, our focus is on sharing the ball and creating opportunities for each other. Our players want to support each other and gain satisfaction from seeing a teammate’s success.”
The Hillies do return 10 players off last year’s roster, including standout goalie Max Boyer, a three-sport (golf/hockey/lacrosse) force, along with the likes of veteran attackman Connor Damske and midfielders Jack Kelly and Trevor Lindmark.
Moscardini paces Central
Sporting talent but plenty of youth, Central Catholic will count on veteran goalie and Assumption University recruit Maddox Moscardini as a stabilizing force.
“We have a strong leader in our goalie Maddox,” Raider coach Sean Parsons said of Moscardini, who is a member of the National Honor Society along with a student ambassador and is involving in Special Olympics. “He will be quarterbacking the young players that are on the defensive side of things.”
Central returns another leader in the midfield in Springfield College recruit Cal Schoenfeld, who was an All-MVC pick in football. Joe Buchanan is one of the top faceoff men in Massachusetts, while fellow senior Brennan Holt should also help hold down the midfield.
“Overall, we’re looking to play a gritty game, a possession type of game, and also run-and-gun when we need to,” said Parsons. “We had a great turnout for tryouts, the numbers are up, and the talent is here.”
Youth movement in Methuen
Methuen surged to a 12-6 record last spring, but lost nearly its entire roster to graduation and returns just three top contributors from last year’s lineup — senior attack Erik Delaney and juniors midfielder Sean Morris and defender Liam Wordon.
The Rangers will look for big play from their strong sophomore group, along with a pair of senior newcomers, Anthony DeMaio — a football standout who didn’t play last year — and hockey standout Cody Lambert.
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