MARBLEHEAD — It was another season to remember for the Marblehead girls lacrosse team in 2019. The Magicians won the Northeastern Conference North, went undefeated in NEC play, finished the regular season 13-5 and reached the Division 1 North final.
Wednesday night (5:30) at Manning Field, four of Marblehead’s leaders will take the field one last time when they suit up for the 8th annual Agganis All-Star girls lacrosse game. Grace Arthur, Lydia Bongiorno, Sara Campbell and Amanda Schillinger will play for the South all-star team for Magicians coach Annie Madden.
“I’m very excited to coach the seniors one last time,” Madden said. “They have given so much to our program. I think the Agganis game is a great way to celebrate their success and have a little fun with all the talent that’s coming from around the North Shore.
“These four girls are best friends,” Madden said. “I think it’s a great way for them to close out their high school careers and celebrate one last game together.”
All four seniors were co-captains for a Magicians team that made plenty of noise in 2019. Although they’ve graduated from the program, they left a solid foundation for the underclassmen to carry on.
“Our four seniors were our four captains,” Madden said. “They were leaders from the very beginning of the season, all the way to the very last whistle. They’re great mentors to our underclassmen and our youth league. We couldn’t have gone this far without them.”
Arthur and Bongiorno will continue their lacrosse careers at Division I college programs. Arthur, the 2019 NEC North Player of the Year, will play at Boston College and Bongiorno will take her talents to Brown. Both were 4-year varsity players.
“Grace is an incredible athlete who has always been a leader for us offensively,” Madden said. “She has an incredible shot on net. She’s intense. Without her skill we wouldn’t have been the team we’ve been over the past four years.
“Lydia is one of the most competitive athletes that we’ve ever had in our program,” Madden said. “She brought the intensity every day, every game and every practice. She led by example, whether it’s going after a ground ball or finishing a shot. She’s been a 4-year starter and we wouldn’t have been the same team without her.”
Alongside midfielders Arthur and Bongiorno, Campbell, an attacker, helped solidify one of the more feared offenses in the NEC. With seasoned veterans leading the way, Marblehead’s offense was a smooth-running machine.
“Sara has been a great leader for us offensively,” Madden said. “She leads by example and is always coming in shape, always doing the right thing and making sure our underclassmen are following her lead and really showing what it takes to play at the next level.”
The Magicians were sharp defensively too. Schillinger helped make sure of that.
“Amanda’s an outstanding person all-around,” Madden said. “She had a great attitude and a great work ethic. She took over our defense and really helped us this season in leading by example and showing what it takes to play.”
Campbell will attend Villanova University in the fall and Schillinger will continue her education at Bucknell. Madden’s confident that her four co-captains are well suited to excel in their next chapters.
“These four girls are going to four outstanding institutions,” Madden said. “It’s so important for them to carry on their careers and what they’ve learned through athletics at the next stage of life. Whether they’re on the lacrosse field or in the classroom, success is in their futures.”