Back up to speed: Hingham girls lacrosse star has rebounded from lost sophomore season

HINGHAM -- Lacrosse wasn't supposed to be a spectator sport for Grace Maroney last spring. But then she jumped up to reach for a loose ball early in her sophomore season and came down wrong. That's when her ankle basically said, "We're out."

Torn ligaments sidelined Maroney for most of the 2023 campaign. She got back in time for a couple of playoff games -- Hingham made it to the Division 1 Round of 16 -- but wasn't quite herself.

This spring has been a very different story.

Fully healthy, the University of Notre Dame commit has been finding the net at a startling rate for the Harborwomen. Maroney entered Wednesday's showdown with fellow Patriot League power Hanover on 62 goals and proceeded to score five times in a 19-9 victory that pushed Hingham's winning streak to 10 games.

"I think I'm exceeding what I thought I could do," Maroney, a 5-4 junior midfielder, said, "but I definitely came into this season with a new mentality. I thought, every time I step on the field I'm going to give everything that I have because last year really made me realize that you never know when it could be your last game."

Maroney's return has boosted an already talented Hingham team that has dropped down to Div. 2 this season and entered the game No. 4 in the latest MIAA power rankings.

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"If we believe in ourselves," Maroney said, "we can definitely make it far (in the playoffs)."

Having Maroney's scoring prowess certainly will help the cause. Coach Carla Farkes calls her a "natural goal-scorer" and raves about her open-field speed. But Maroney's impact on the Harborwomen (11-2) goes deeper than that. "She just has a really big competitive spirit," Farkes said. "She loves to play, and she's aggressive. And I think kids feed off that. It's contagious."

"It's tremendous the way she changes the team chemistry for us," agreed senior captain Madeline Packard, who has 22 goals on the season. "Her presence on the field just automatically makes everyone want to be out there more with the effort and energy she brings to the team. She adds a whole other drive."

Maroney's game is hardly one-dimensional. In the second quarter against Hanover she lost the ball in traffic in front of the Hanover net. As the Hawks started a counterattack, Maroney chased down an opposing player, got the ball out of her stick, and started a new Hingham possession. Fittingly, it ended with her one-timing a feed in the slot for a 9-2 lead with 9:06 remaining in the half.

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"Grace competes," Farkes said. "If I put her at low D she'd compete just as hard as if I put her at attack. She's not out there just looking for points. She values the (defensive) ride. ... There's a level of pride in her game, so if she does lose the ball she's going to do everything in her power to get it back."

"I expect nothing less from her," Packard agreed. "She never slacks off; she never gives up."

Maroney (5 goals, 3 assists) had plenty of scoring help in this one as classmates Caroline Connolly (6 goals, 3 assists) and Neely Sgobbo (4 goals, 4 assists) also filled up the scoresheet. Sgobbo's final goal gave her 100 career points -- a milestone that Connolly (up to 36 goals on the season) and Maroney had reached earlier this season. Packard reached triple digits, too, scoring her 100th career goal against Plymouth North on April 22.

Stella Brazis (2 goals, 2 assists), Ryan Hallisey (goal) and Maeve Maroney (goal) also contributed as Hingham hit double-figures in goals for the 10th straight game.

"I have the best teammates," Grace Maroney said. "I can look to any of them and any of them can step up in big moments."

Hingham's multi-faceted offense came in handy against Hanover (9-3), which got its usual big game from senior Eva Kelliher (5 goals). "Eva's someone who always comes out strong," said Hawks coach Marissa Nimeskern. "Whether it's on the draw or on attack, she can always find (a way to impact the game)."

Hanover came into this one ranked No. 2 in Div. 3. Hingham now has beaten six different teams that currently are ranked in the top seven of one of the MIAA's four divisions. The Harborwomen also have wins over Medfield (No. 1 in Div. 3), Longmeadow (No. 6 in Div. 2), Norwell (No. 7 in Div. 4), Duxbury (No. 7 in Div. 2) and Cohasset (No. 3 in Div. 4). Their only losses have come against fellow Div. 2 heavyweights Notre Dame Academy (No. 1) and Westwood (No. 3).

"I always try to play a competitive schedule because that's where you get to test yourselves," Farkes said. "That's how you learn as a team, when you play top-ranked opponents. I hope it pushes the kids."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hingham girls lacrosse player, Notre Dame commit Maroney starring