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08/02/2018 12:00 AMIt takes a variety of skills to play the midfielder’s position in lacrosse and have to switch between offensive and defensive situations. Dory Howard stretched her skills to both ends of the field as a member of the Hand girls’ lacrosse squad and put together a decorated career for a premier program.
Dory, a Class of 2018 graduate, played lacrosse from 1st to 6th grade, before taking a two-year break. However, she returned to the turf for her 8th-grade year and then joined the Tigers when she started high school. In her final season this spring, Dory scored 42 goals to go with 10 assists for Hand, in addition to averaging more than three draw controls per game. Dory earned All-SCC and All-State First Team accolades for the Tigers, helping them win their fourth straight SCC Tournament championship and earn an appearance in the Class M State Tournament final.
“During 8th grade, I really got into the sport and developed a passion for it,” says Dory. “At the beginning of this year, I talked to [Head Coach Kevin Siedlecki] and said that All-SCC and All-State were some of my biggest goals. I also wanted to be more of a threat on offense and defense. I worked on my shooting and cutting in the offseason, which really helped me when the season started.”
Dory knows that it’s important to always stay on the go while serving as a link between the defense and the attackers. She loves those moments that materialize when the entire team pools its resources together.
“A big part of the midfield position is hustling. It’s important to be balanced on both offense and defense,” Dory says. “On defense, I love playing one-on-one and the team defense concept. I also enjoy running in transition and getting the ball to the attack.”
As a midfielder, Dory often had to decide whether she wanted to go for the goal or dish it off to a teammate. Dory says that it was all about picking the right spot to strike, while taking good care of the ball.
“With offense, I’m big on cutting, and I got into a rhythm of when to pass, so I worked on my shot placement a lot,” she says. “Knowing if you have the angle for a shot is big. We also worked on holding possession and not turning the ball over.”
Dory exemplified the Tigers’ no-quit mentality on her team’s final play of the 2018 season. With three seconds left in the Class M final, Hand was trailing Branford 11-8. The Hornets were looking to run out the clock, but Dory never stopped, and intercepted a pass attempt as the whistle blew.
“We called a timeout with 10 minutes left, and Coach Siedlecki told us that no matter the score, we can always come back,” Dory says. “We didn’t want to end our high-school season just giving up. I just sprinted after the ball, and I thought it was important for the whole team to give its all.”
That last play of Dory’s career really stands out in Coach Siedlecki’s mind. However, Dory’s effort came as little surprise to Siedlecki, because he’s seen firsthand the type of athlete that she is.
“Dory is an intense competitor who is always working to improve her game. She wants to get better every day, and she’s developed into an All-State player,” says Siedlecki. “Her work ethic is contagious, and she makes the whole team better by going hard every minute of practice. She understands the work it takes to get to the next level. My favorite memory of her will always be the last three seconds of the state final this year, where she sprinted after a pass from one side of the field to the other, trying to make one more play, even though we weren’t going to be able to come back.”
Dory says that she couldn’t have asked for a better senior sendoff at Daniel Hand, a place where she was surrounded by talented, like-minded teammates who kept striving for the ultimate prize. Dory feels extraordinarily thankful for all the friendships she’s formed over the course of the past four years.
“We had a great team this year and good chemistry. Our captains were great, and we were balanced at all positions,” Dory says. “Because we had played together for so long, we were able to develop so well. We all knew the common goal was a state title, but we just wanted to give our best effort. Hand lacrosse had a great impact on me. I met my best friends on this team.”