Time injured, away from sport pushed this athlete to be our Girls Lacrosse Player of Year
Grace Haskell wouldn’t be the lacrosse player she is today if she hadn’t torn her meniscus in December of 2021.
Even though it was a grueling recovery that stretched into the summer of 2022, it made Haskell hungry.
“It’s made me play every game like it’s my last,” said the Dartmouth High junior. “It changes you and it helps you be better.”
With that mindset, Haskell powered Dartmouth to its third straight Southeast Conference championship this spring and was named conference MVP.
“That feeling that you’ve gotten to where you want to be, I can't put into words,” she said. “It’s the best feeling. To do it three years in a row, it’s amazing.”
Haskell finished the year with a SouthCoast-leading 90 goals, earning 2023 Standard-Times Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year honors.
“She’s always working on stick skills,” said Dartmouth head coach Nicole Simas. “She loves it and wants it.”
With the graduation of 13 seniors, Haskell knew she needed to have a much bigger role for Dartmouth and focused on leading the team on and off the field.
“I did feel like I needed to step up, but I feel like we stepped up like a team,” a humble Haskell said. “The whole team worked hard. We couldn’t have done what we’ve done without everyone. I was just focused on helping my teammates want to be better.”
Simas agreed, “She’s the best leader because she knows the game so well. Her lacrosse IQ is so high. They look up to her. She makes everyone else so good. Being a part of the team is huge for her. She’s always talking about how important it is to be a part of the team. She loves competing with her teammates. She’s always pushing everyone to be the best they can be.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL Bay State Elite becoming a feeder program on the SouthCoast
In many games, Haskell would face double teams or be face guarded by the opposition’s top defensive player, but she continued to have an impact.
“There were games where she got face guarded, she wouldn’t take herself out of the game,” Simas said. “She’d look for her teammates to get them involved. That made her someone that was hard to defend.”
Haskell said that being sidelined with her knee injury allowed her to gain more knowledge of lacrosse.
“It’s not easy to watch people around you play the sport you love, but I learned a lot,” she said. “You get a different perspective of the game and see things differently. That helped me tremendously.”
MILESTONE Legendary Fairhaven football coach made the rounds, playing golf in all 50 states
With Haskell setting the tone, Dartmouth won 13 of its first 14 games and finished the regular season with a record of 14-3.
A highlight of the season was coming back to beat rival Old Rochester in their first matchup.
“Winning moments and seizing opportunities, I just love that about lacrosse,” the 17-year-old Haskell said.
Haskell grew up playing softball and gave lacrosse a try in the fourth grade.
“Ever since then, I’ve fallen in love,” she said. “It’s a lot like field hockey. It’s a great team atmosphere.”
ALL ABOUT GRACE HASKELL
WHY SHE WAS SELECTED: In addition to leading the area in scoring, Haskell also made her teammates better to help Dartmouth capture its third straight Southeast Conference championship.
KEY STATS: Haskell scored 90 goals and dished out 12 assists this year. She has 128 goals and 35 assists for her career entering her senior year.
MVP MOMENT: In a thrilling 14-13 win over Apponequet, Haskell scored five goals, including the 100th of her career.
NEW BEDFORD COACH ERIN REZENDES: “We did our best to try to take her away, but couldn’t.”
NOTES: Haskell was a Standard-Times Super Teamer for field hockey in the fall. … Haskell has an older sister, Gillian, a younger sister, Leah, and a younger brother, Owen. … Haskell said her mother, Elizabeth, inspires her. “My mom is my rock,” Haskell said. “I don't know where I’d be without her. She’s my motivator. She drives me to be better.” … This summer, Haskell is going to be a part of the Underclass All America New England Team and will compete in the last week of July in Baltimore against other regional All America teams. … Haskell credited Nicole Simas and Amelia McHugh as well as her team for her improvement. “They’ve pushed me to be better,” she said. “I also want to thank my team. I would not be here without them.” … Haskell has verbally committed to playing lacrosse at Merrimack College.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Dartmouth's Grace Haskell is 2023 Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year
