NORTH ANDOVER – Sean Daley had a different approach than most dads when it came to teaching his three daughters how to catch a lacrosse ball in their backyard.
“If you dropped the ball, it was the worst part of the day and the entire competition,” said Meghan. “My dad (Sean) would put us in ‘Loserville’ for the day. That’s what he called it.”
Now years later, the sisters Meghan, a senior, and Niki, a sophomore, define winning.
The North Andover High three-sport athletes are two of the bigger reasons why the girls’ lacrosse team is the No. 3 ranked team in the state with a 14-3 record.
“Going into ‘Loserville’ really helped us,” said Meghan, noting that youngest sister Sarah spends most of the time there. “When we were thrown into ‘Loserville’ we had to face challenges, and we had to adapt to things. We didn’t shut down. It helped us become closer as sisters, but the biggest thing is our parents taught us about mental toughness, and coach ability.”
Their parents, Sean and Debra (D’Alessandro) were not only tremendous NAHS athletes back in the mid 1990’s but are well-known figures in town.
Sean played a year of football at Bentley University before transferring to UMass Lowell to study criminal justice. Today he is a lieutenant in the North Andover Police Department.
Deb went on to play four years of soccer at Div. 1 Boston College. She since returned to NAHS and is employed as a math teacher and 13-year assistant girls’ soccer coach.
She coached both of her daughters this past fall including Meghan, an elite defender, who was named to the MVC All-Conference and Eagle-Tribune All-Star teams.
But it’s on the lacrosse field where Meghan – and Niki – really shine. Meghan has 23 goals and 14 assists, while Niki has 14 goals and three assists.
Meghan has the upper hand in groundballs, leading the Eagle-Tribune area with 24.
Her younger sister is right behind her, second on that list, with 23.
Which, of course, is a competition of its own.
“I’m definitely not going to let (Niki) pass me,” stated Meghan.
She said her father also played a big part in their ability to fight off competitors and scoop up groundballs.
“He would roll the ball out and we would have to go fight for it. But I think it’s also our competitive nature from each other. If it’s some random person next to us in a game, we want that groundball.”
That fiery competitive nature has apparently rubbed off on their teammates.
“Meghan offers natural leadership qualities and sets the tone on and off the field, but Niki matches her every step of the way with grit and determination,” said head coach Jenn Pino. “Their drive to outwork each other in practice has created a standard for everyone.
“They truly have become an example of what it means to lead,” Coach added, “with heart and hustle.”
The sisters have a month or so left to push each other as teammates before Meghan heads off to play lacrosse at Bentley and Niki plays six more varsity seasons without her sidekick.
“I’ll be fine without her,” joked Niki. “I’ll have my driver’s license in September, so I won’t need her to drive me around or boss me around anymore.”