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The atmosphere at the boys lacrosse game against The Albany Academies on April 1 was intense. From start to finish, the intensity didn’t let up. There was the metallic thwack of stick contact; there was the ding of the ball hitting the goalposts; there was the yelling. In fact, every time 91����’s goalie, Owen Converse ’26, was in possession of the ball, Albany screamed until he passed it up the field, a gesture of intimidation that ultimately didn’t pay off, as 91���� ended up winning 18 to 12.

It was the fourth win in a row for the Wildcats, who, led by Head Coach Joe Hawley and assistants Chris Dietrich, Andrew Syfu, and Dean Pesce, beat Rivers 11-10 in their home opener on Feb. 25. They then beat NMH, 18-9, on Feb. 27, and Cheshire Academy, 15-3, on Feb. 28. Since then, they’ve added one more, an April 4, 17-8 rout against The Frederick Gunn School on their home turf.  All of this has led to a powerful start for a team looking to defend last year’s NEPSAC Northwest D2 Championship title.

As Hayden Hutner ’26 made a strong defensive stop with just over two minutes remaining in the second quarter against Albany, Jade Morris, 91����’s Athletic Director, noted the “very strategic” nature inherent in lacrosse, which, despite the level of noise and relentless pace, is what keeps teams like 91����’s winning. In that way it parallels chess, though with more physical force, more speed, more noise.

The day after win No. 5 I caught up with Hutner, who credited the team’s depth off the bench, in addition to a remarkable starting line, that’s made the team’s start so solid.
“We have subs who can actually go in and make a big impact,” Hutner said. As a second line midfielder himself, Hutner is one of those trusted players who can step in and keep the momentum going, as are, among many others, sophomore Beckett Dunham and junior Brett Gagne.

As for the Albany players and their incessant yelling? It didn’t phase Hutner at all.

“You just kind of ignore it and do whatever you have to win,” he said.

Senior defenseman Nick Guay agreed with Hutner. “You keep yourself together and stay calm instead of losing your composure.”

These are skills taught and reinforced by Coach Hawley every day, according to Guay and Hutner, along with offensive midfielder Sawyer Padelford ’28 and senior Alain Iglesias, who stressed how good the team is at “controlling the controllables.”

Hutner praised Hawley’s consistency and preparation, both have which contributed to the team’s early success.

“Whether we’re up or down, he always just brings the same attention to detail and pushes us in practice,” he said.

Hutner, Guay, and Padelford all elaborated on exactly how Hawley preps his players for their opponents, noting that Hawley tailors practices for the team they’re going to play that week, crafting offensive schemes and pressure testing them on the field that week.

“Before we even start playing, we know who we’re going to guard,” said Guay, adding that he and his teammates watch film all week to prep for their specific matchups.

The “full scouting report,” as Padelford called it, primes the Wildcats both physically and mentally to take the field with confidence. The bond the team formed in preseason has contributed to their wins as well. They all returned early from Spring Break, moving into Conant and becoming a tight unit both on the field and in the dorm as well, with movies and bowling nights helping speed up the process.

“I honestly think the bond we’ve created,” is what’s fueled the team, Guay explained. “We’re all friends inside and outside lacrosse.”

Their success goes beyond mere friendship, believes Coach Dietrich. It’s a product of a veteran defense squad, notable scorers like senior attackman Ethen Fines, who he said is “really hard to cover,” a tenacious faceoff specialist in junior Harrison Consedine, and how these respective pieces all intertwine. The team’s power, Dietrich noted, comes from their unselfishness in all aspects of the game.

“A really cool part of the team is nobody is attention-seeking,” he explained. “They all buy in to playing with and for each other.”