'We made history': Hanover girls lacrosse bows out of Div. 3 playoffs with heads held high

BURLINGTON – Whoever wins the Division 3 state championship in girls lacrosse justifiably will be proud of their accomplishment. But no prouder than Hanover was of its best season ever.

The Hawks made their deepest dive into the MIAA tournament this spring, procuring a first-ever spot in the state semifinals with Saturday's home victory over Ashland. They could go no further, though, as defending champ Newburyport pulled away for a 19-5 victory Monday.

The third-seeded Hawks (15-5) kept it close for the first 12 minutes – the game was tied 2-2 heading into the second quarter – but the second-seeded Clippers (20-2) dominated possession the rest of the way and rode a seven-goal outburst from Lilly Pons to a second straight appearance in the title game.

Hanover ultimately couldn't keep pace, but what a ride it was.

"This was an unforgettable season," Hanover junior Hannah Geary said. "We made history."

"This was the best season I’ve ever played in, in any of my sports," said senior Eva Kelliher, who had a pair of goals in her final game, pushing her season total to 62. "These are my favorite people. It was awesome to come to practice and to games and compete with people that I love the most. I'll never forget it."

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Hanover was 12-7 a year ago, losing to Medfield in the Division 3 quarterfinals. The Hawks were 10-8 in 2022, losing in the Round of 16, and finished 10-6 in 2021, falling to local rival Cohasset in the Division 2 South semifinals under the old playoff system.

This was a big step up and should serve the program well going forward.

"It sets us up for success in years to come," third-year coach Marissa Nimeskern said. "We have that top goal now (to shoot for). We checked off (getting to) the Final Four and now teams in years to come will keep trying to reach that goal (of winning it all)."

Graduation will hit hard as Hanover says goodbye to 10 seniors, eight of whom started against Newburyport.

"These seniors, honestly, mean everything to me," Nimeskern said. "I could get emotional talking about it now. I've coached them since they were freshmen and we have a really strong connection. I'm just so proud of the jump that they've made from freshman year to now. The success that they've had has been truly amazing."

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Senior Ayla McDermod and Kelliher each scored twice in the loss, and classmate Anna Canniff added a goal. McDermod went off in the playoffs, scoring 21 goals over four games to push her season total to 66.

"Ayla had a tremendous postseason," Nimeskern said. "She really turned it on. We saw bits and pieces of it in each game (of the regular season), but nothing quite like how she performed in the playoffs. It's been fun to watch."

"Ayla's one of my best friends," Geary said. "She brings everyone together. She works really hard. She doesn't do it for herself but for her teammates. She's really a leader. She pushes me to do my best. Eva's the same. No one's selfish on this team. That's what drives this whole team."

Newburyport is a good example of how you can overcome heavy graduation losses. The Clippers, who beat Norwell, 13-10, in last year's final, will face No. 1 Medfield (21-3) in Thursday's title game.

"We lost an amazing attacker, an amazing defender and amazing middies," Newburyport coach Catherine Batchelder said. "The other girls have really stepped up this year to fill the void and get us back to this point. They've really come together and found their own identity this year."

Hanover's cupboard won't be bare for 2025. Goalie Charlotte Wheeler will be back, and the offense has two strong building blocks in juniors Sophie Schiller (25 goals) and Geary (24 goals).

"Sophie has been one of our leaders on offense," Nimeskern said. "She calls our plays, she sets us up, she gets us organized. And Hannah knows how to drive the net. They both are very spirited players, so we're excited to have them for next year."

Geary said the Class of 2024's influence will be felt next spring as well.

"This team just means everything to me," she said. "We work so well together. The chemistry we have is really unlike any other team. I can't say thank-you enough to the seniors who have taught me how to lead. They've really brought the team up together."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hanover High girls lacrosse falls to Newburyport in Division 3 semis