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04/21/2016 12:00 AMAnnie Hesse displays a selfless nature on the field and so it’s no shock that she puts her team’s goals before her solo stats by gravitating toward—and dominating at—a defensive position with the Tigers’ girls’ lacrosse squad.
Annie, a senior co-captain for Hand, lived in Wisconsin until 3rd grade before moving to Connecticut. With Wisconsin not exactly a big hotbed for lacrosse, Annie discovered the sport three years later and was soon suiting up for the Tigers. After playing on the attack in her sophomore season, Annie moved to defense last spring and grabbed First Team All-SCC and Second Team All-State honors, while helping Hand win the SCC Tournament and reach a state final. Now in the current campaign, Annie’s unselfishness is shining once again as she was slated to play the midfield, but graciously stepped back to defense to give that unit the spark of a seasoned veteran.
“I was the only returning defensive starter from last year, so Coach [Kevin] Siedlecki thought that the younger girls needed some guidance on defense. I just like the fast-paced feel of the sport where you are bound to have a lot of scoring in each game,” says Annie, who was also a captain and a four-year starter for Hand girls’ soccer. “With team defense, it really does take a team. There can’t be one star defender. You can almost tell if a team’s defense is united or not. Everyone has to be on board, but when you get that interception or force that turnover, it’s very exciting.”
Annie competed alongside some remarkable athletes with the Tigers last spring, so she was pleasantly surprised when learning about one of her postseason accolades in the All-State nod, especially since she was the only junior on the Tigers to earn that honor. Along the way, Annie learned some key components in terms of what it takes to excel on the defensive side of the field.
“Coach Siedlecki announced the All-State girls after a practice last year and I was so surprised to make it as we had some phenomenal players last year,” Annie says. “For defense, you need to physically have the footwork to get your feet to the ball first. You also have to have communication. Some of the best defenders are the loudest because you have to let the rest of the team know where both the ball and the help are.”
Siedlecki commends Annie not only for her willingness to do what’s best for her team, but also for her drive to take on the top offensive players in the SCC.
“Annie is a phenomenal leader. She leads with her words and her actions. She is intensely, yet calmly focused at all times, and that attitude is contagious. She is one of the best all-around lacrosse players on the team,” says Siedlecki. “She has been a shutdown defender for us for the past two seasons, keeping the top players on opposing teams under control game after game. Annie anchors the defense and the team. This year, she started as a midfielder, but after a week, we recognized that the defense really needed her and she selflessly went back to that side of the ball. There is no better example of a team-first attitude. Annie knows defense wins championships and that championships are more important than individual accolades.”
While balancing the ying and yang of emotions during the heat of a contest, Annie feels that it’s more about what she does on the field, as opposed to what she says.
“I feel I’m being competitive, but I make sure not to get upset about something like a referee’s call,” says Annie, who will play soccer and lacrosse at Kenyon College in Ohio. “I don’t have to be too fiery or anything like that because the actions will prove everything.”
Although Hand parted ways with several top-notch players following the 2015 campaign, Annie and her current cast of Tigers are looking to accentuate their strengths in their quest to repeat as conference champs with an eye toward possibly taking home a state crown.
“Things are going really well for us so far. Losing the teammates we had from last year was tough, but we’ve just been a jelled and holistic team,” says Annie, who thanks her parents, David and Deanna, along with everyone who’s coached her throughout her life. “We had five different goal scorers in our first game. Everyone here has their own talent and has the chance to step forward and show them this season.”