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12/08/2016 11:00 PMMacKenzie Kaiser started playing lacrosse in the 5th grade and has been playing field hockey since she was in the 6th grade. Now a senior at North Branford High School, MacKenzie has become a key member for each of those T-Birds’ squads and says that she enjoys field hockey and lacrosse equally.
“I thought both sports would be a great fit for me. I’ve watched them on TV and thought it’d be something I’d be interested in,” MacKenzie says. “Both are equally important to me. I’ve grown up around them, played both for a while, and, when I’m at practice, I just love being there. Both coaches push me to do my best and all my teammates support me, so I can’t pick a favorite.”
MacKenzie plays defense in lacrosse and was the goalie for North Branford’s field hockey squad. MacKenzie had an interesting introduction to playing the goalkeeper’s position during her middle school days.
“I actually started in 7th grade because I was cold at practice and I didn’t want to be in the cold anymore,” says MacKenzie, who notes that it’s warmer when wearing the goalie padding. “It was definitely a difference because I went from stopping as much as I could and then letting the goalie do the rest of work to—I’m the last person and, if I don’t stop it, it looks bad on me. I’ve had to keep my emotions in check and learn to be aggressive while not being afraid of the ball flying at me.”
MacKenzie has overcome any fears in the cage with the help of her teammates through the years. The Thunderbirds typically feature one of the better offenses in the Shoreline Conference and so going up against her club’s offensive threats in practice helped make MacKenzie that much more effective in games.
“My teammates do a great job of firing them at me at practice. They’ve definitely helped me a lot. They challenge me at every practice and scrimmage. They don’t go light on me and, as a result, we work off each other,” MacKenzie says. “My teammates all have phenomenal shooting skills and they do their best to score on me. It’s great to have the top scorers on our team because I see their shots every day in practice, so I know can take on anyone else’s shots.”
All that work led to an excellent senior season for MacKenzie in which she garnered All-Shoreline Conference First Team and All-State Second Team honors. Head Coach Babby Nuhn was quick to praise MacKenzie for these achievements, as well as the way she led the T-Birds this year.
“She was recognized First-Team All-League and Second-Team All-State,” says Nuhn. “She’s a great captain and leader and is the overall heart and soul for her teammates. There was such a positive vibe with all of this year’s seniors.”
MacKenzie was one of the captains for North Branford field hockey this fall. In the springtime, she will lead the T-Birds’ girls’ lacrosse squad as a captain, just like she did in her junior year.
“I’ve had the experience of being a captain coming into field hockey this year, so I knew the strings to be attached. Being a captain is not as easy as everyone thinks,” says MacKenzie. “A captain is not like a mother figure. We have coaches for a reason. [Captains are] there to pump the team up and to be positive towards the team. Coming from a junior captain, my three captains balanced each other to keep it positive.”
One of the moments that MacKenzie is most proud of from her Thunderbirds’ tenure was when the field hockey team won the first Shoreline Conference Tournament in her sophomore year. North Branford topped Westbrook to take home the crown.
“It was an unreal moment, being able to celebrate at the end. Being able to hug as a team, knowing what we did in practice paid off, and taking home a trophy was amazing,” MacKenzie says. “Doing it as a team created a special bond. Having that feeling was completely incredible.”
Even though she loves playing both sports, MacKenzie says that lacrosse is the one she’s looking to play beyond her days at North Branford.
“I’m definitely looking to play lacrosse in college. There’s no particular reason, but I’ve had a bigger commitment to lacrosse with my indoor leagues, and I’ve been playing a year extra,” she says. “It’s something that I’d love to continue.”