March 3, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Johnson eyes big finish at Thayer

by Mike Zhe/

Kelsey Johnson has Thayer Academy geared up for a run at the ISL title.

Kelsey Johnson has Thayer Academy geared up for a run at the ISL title.

The future is stretching out wide and wonderful for midfielder Kelsey Johnson of Thayer Academy in Braintree, Mass.

She’s off to Dartmouth College in the fall to play for one of Division 1’s top programs. Before that, she’ll try to help a talented Thayer team unseat Noble and Greenough for the top spot in the Independent School League this spring.

So what’s on her mind these days? Conditioning? Stick work?

Basketball.

If it were fall, it would be field hockey. Lacrosse may be the sport that opened the college doors for Johnson, but her real talent may be staying in the moment. Or, in this case, the season.

“My dad keeps saying, ‘There’s six games left in your basketball career,’ or, ‘There’s five games left,’ ” she said. “I want to make the best of it because I’ll probably never play field hockey or basketball again.”

The 5-foot-7 Johnson, a resident of Hingham, Mass., has been starting on the lacrosse field for Thayer since just a few games into her freshman year. She’s also played on highly regarded Revolution offseason developmental teams.

Like the best center midfielders, her assets go beyond goal-scoring. She can beat defenders to get in close on goal, but also set up other players to score and chase down opposing ball carriers.

“I don’t know if there’s anyone who can stop her 1-on-1,” Thayer coach Erin Carroll said. “It’s very, very difficult to stop her. You have to put at least two people on her to slow her down.”

Said Dartmouth coach Amy Patton: “Kelsey is relentless in the midfield, and her athleticism makes her dominant between the 30s.”

Those talents were showcased at the National Draw tournament last spring. Playing for Lower New England Team 1, she was one of three players nominated at the end for tournament MVP.

She made her college decision that summer, after narrowing her choices down and visiting Dartmouth, Northwestern and North Carolina — the Big Green getting points for a close-knit team atmosphere.

Johnson’s love for lacrosse stems from a love of any type of competition, dating back to her early years. It wasn’t until recently that lax became her clear favorite.

“I grew up playing every sport I could,” she said. “Field hockey, soccer, basketball, lacrosse ... and other ones from time to time. I love any kind of competitive sport.

“At Thayer, I was the only freshman who made varsity. I kind of got attention, people saying, ‘She’s good.’ Then sophomore year it just exploded.”

She has given the sport the proper attention, but is also lamenting that a rapidly diminishing basketball season was likely going to end outside of the playoffs. She has been named to all-ISL teams in all three sports.

“She’s a three-sport athlete who is far beyond the single-mindedness you think of from a player who’s that good,” Carroll said.

The next step promises to be a challenging one. Dartmouth is a perennially nationally ranked program, and just three years ago the Big Green advanced to the NCAA championship game, losing to Northwestern.

Johnson won’t be alone taking this step. Her Thayer teammate, midfielder Ellie Clayton, is also part of the recruiting class, and a former Revolution teammate, Julie Wadland, is a junior goalie at Dartmouth.

“You get a packet over the summer, workouts and reminders,” Johnson said. “The players I talked to said just do all that and you’ll be fine.

“Obviously, we’re all kind of nervous getting ready to go up there and being thrown into this thing, college lacrosse.”

If she feels a bit nervous, she also knows it won’t last. There’s too much else to focus on in the present for the future to take up too much time.

Independent School League

Everyone’s out to unseat Nobles, which has cruised through league play unbeaten in each of the past two years and has plenty of top players back.

Attacker Casey Griffin earned All-America honors after piling up a team-high 51 goals and 89 points, and she again will be a focal point of the offense. Seniors Brett Hayes and Lauren Martin and sophomore Chelsea Landon are three others to watch.

It shouldn’t take long to see if anyone can run with Nobles, after only Thayer Academy, Brooks and Governor’s stayed within three goals a year ago. Thayer and Brooks, plus Middlesex and Phillips Andover, loom early on the schedule.

“Though all of our games are important for the league title, the beginning of our season is usually the most difficult,” said Nobles coach Meghan Cleary-Hamilton.

Brooks returns a solid core from a 15-1 team, led by All-America midfielder Christie Donovan, Olivia King and goalie Carly Churchill. In ISL play, the team won 11 of 12 games, falling only to Nobles.

Since last winning an ISL title in 2001, Thayer (12-3) has never dipped below fourth in the standings, and that won’t change this year. Kelsey Johnson and Ellie Clayton are joined by fellow returnees Danielle DeMarco, Danielle O’Dwyer, Cam Flaherty and Emily Hines.

All-America goalie MaryLeah DiNisco is a net asset for Governor’s, which took Nobles into overtime during an 11-4 campaign. Danielle DeMartini, Jamie Hansen, Lisa Hoopes, Becca Block and Linley Block are other players to watch.

Western New England

Loomis Chaffee (13-1) absorbed some heavy losses to graduation, most notably midfielder Kim Fisher (Loyola) and goalie Britt Giacco (North Carolina), but is still the team to beat in the Founders League until someone proves otherwise.

Loomis has won or shared the title in seven of the last 10 years, and with offensive threats like Kate McCarthy, the team has eyes on another.

Hotchkiss figures to be one of the challengers after going 11-3 last season.

Choate senior Kelly Walsh, an honorable mention All-American last year, should be one of the most feared attackers in the Founders League, and coach Amanda Belichick (daughter of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick) has a team that could turn some heads.

Suffield Academy is a team that could be on the move after going 12-4 last spring, the second straight year it upped its win total by at least three. The Tigers return seven starters and 13 letterwinners, including honorable mention All-America midfielder Kate Pistel.

Midfielder Mary Mitchell and goalie Alyssa Palomba (7.8 goals-against average, .504 save percentage) are two other players to watch.

Williston Northampton (12-0) returns its top two scorers in Katie Pettengill and Katie Palasz, but has some work to do rebuilding a defense that was hit hard by graduation.

Hopes are high at Berkshire School, which has made strides in recent years and last year plucked wins from Choate and Suffield. The Bears (8-6) return two of their top offensive players in Kelsey Markiewicz and Shannon Kerr.

Others

All-America goalie Kaitlin Gaiss gives Phillips Andover a terrific last line of defense. A three-sport star for the Blue, Gaiss will take her considerable talents to Duke for lacrosse in the fall.

Andover closed its season by winning an instant classic against its chief rival, Phillips Exeter, and Exeter (8-4) should be back in the mix despite graduating 100-point player Meredith Roy, this year turning to players such as senior Allie Arnal and sophomore Hannah Najar.

Greenwich Academy (21-3) has been the class of the Fairchester Athletic Association for years, and should again be behind players such as All-America midfielder Jackie Klauberg.

Pingree (15-5) will again be the team to beat in the Eastern Independent League, despite losing players such as Samantha Taylor (Boston College) to graduation.

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