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Odell Makes the Most of His Time with His Hometown High School

Connor Odell recently capped off a great two-season tenure with the North Branford boys’ lacrosse squad after transferring from Xavier during his junior year. Connor went to Xavier to follow in his brother’s footsteps, but later decided that he wanted to attend his hometown high school, and then signed up to compete for the T-Birds.

“I wanted a change of atmosphere. All my friends were back in my hometown, so I decided to come back,” Connor says. “The kids I grew up with were here, so when I came back, I was more comfortable with everybody. If I didn’t come back, I wouldn’t get to play hockey, so that was a plus to coming back, too.”

Connor has been playing hockey longer than lacrosse, although he took two years off from the ice while he was at Xavier. When he came to North Branford, Connor didn’t play top minutes in his junior season, but still saw time on defense as the T-Birds reached the Division II State Tournament final.

“It was a little rough, but I pushed through. It was an unbelievable experience. It was incredible to play in front of all the fans at [Ingalls Rink],” says Connor. “It was like a family, and I got close to all my teammates, which really helped for lacrosse, as a lot of the guys on the hockey team played lacrosse, as well.”

The toughest part about the transfer for Connor was that he had to sit out the first eight games of his junior lacrosse season, per CIAC rules. While Connor was upset that he missed the first half of the campaign, he certainly made up for lost time when he hit the field as an attacker.

“It was good that I could practice with the team, but game time was frustrating. Once the eight games were over and I was able to play, it was awesome,” Connor says. “All the support I had was a great confidence booster. In the first game, I really wanted to show what I was made of, so I went all out, and I think I had seven goals.”

Scoring became the norm for Connor at North Branford. In his 11 games as a junior, he scored 40 times, while helping the T-Birds win 13 games and reach the postseason. Then in his recent senior season, Connor netted 50 goals in 16 contests.

“I’m bigger than most attackmen, which causes problems for a lot of defensemen,” says Connor. “I can protect the stick well and push the defenders out of my way when I run to the net.”

Dave Carpenter says that Connor is one of the best offensive players he’s had the pleasure to work with throughout his tenure as head coach of North Branford boys’ lacrosse.

“He’s just a great guy to have around the crease. He can catch and finish better than anyone that I’ve coached at North Branford,” Carpenter says. “He really understands lacrosse and has a high IQ. He’s always thinking two or three passes ahead and puts himself in a position to cut toward the ball. He can catch anything inside and finish really well.”

Coach Carpenter also applauds Connor’s work ethic, saying he remembers how Connor would often spend extra time on the field, ripping shots at the net. Connor knew that was what he needed to do to realize his potential as a lacrosse player.

“I would always go out right after school and shoot. In the beginning, it was just me, but I influenced some of my teammates to come out with me, so it made me feel like I was doing something for the team,” he says. “The first time I went out after school to shoot, my third shot broke the post and dented the scoreboard. I always go all out, because I can practice lacrosse for hours. I don’t go lightly. If I don’t break a sweat, I won’t go. If I rip a net, I know I’m trying and not fooling around.”

This type of extra effort played a heavy hand in Connor getting selected as a captain this spring, even though he had only played 11 games with the team prior to his senior season.

“It meant a lot. I didn’t think I’d be a captain, because I only played 11 games,” says Connor. “I’m glad they noticed my hard work and looked up to me.”

Although Connor isn’t expecting to play varsity lacrosse at the next level, he is by no means closing the door to the sport. Later this year, Connor will attend Quinnipiac University, where he’d like to either try out for varsity or join the club team. Connor loves lacrosse, and so he wants to stay involved with it one way or the other.

“I’m not sure now, but the club team seems nice. If that doesn’t work out, I want to join a men’s league,” Connor says. “It’s good exercise and I never want to give up on it. I’ll find something to keep me going in the sport.”