Printer Friendly Version - Mongillo Making Moves with the Indians

Kasey Mongillo earned All-SCC Second Team accolades after recording 67 points as a sophomore for the North Haven boys’ lacrosse squad this spring. Kasey will serve as a junior captain for the Indians next year. Photo courtesy of Kasey Mongillo

Kasey Mongillo recently completed a stellar sophomore season with North Haven boys’ lacrosse squad. Kasey earned All-SCC Second Team honors as a midfielder after scoring 46 goals and posting a team-best total of 67 points on the year. The Indians finished the season with a record of 11-7, including a couple of victories in the Class M State Tournament, and Kasey’s contributions were a huge part of their success.

One of Kasey’s proudest moments as an athlete came when Head Coach Eric Bailey informed him that he had garnered All-SCC distinction for his performance during the 2019 season.

“My coach told me at practice. He shook my hand, and I was extremely surprised by it,” Kasey says. “I felt pretty proud of it, because I was a just sophomore. Hopefully, I can achieve more my junior and senior years.”

Kasey proved a prolific scorer by netting 46 goals for North Haven this year. Kasey likes to find some space on the offensive end of the field and let the ball fly—and he typically puts it in the back of the opposition’s net.

“I would say most of the shots I get, I have to find room for an open shot. Other places, I’m just dodging and getting by the defense,” says Kasey, who also plays soccer for North Haven. “This year, we were a heavy midfield. We worked and we each had different plays. We all just tried to go downfield and make one good play.”

Kasey and his teammates got a taste of success in states this spring. The Indians opened up the Class M State Tournament by netting a 19-0 victory over Norwich Tech-Windham Tech in the qualifying round, after which they defeated a higher-seeded Berlin team by a 9-6 score in a first-round game. Kasey enjoyed the amped-up atmosphere of those exciting playoff matchups.

“We made states last year and this year, and I like playing those games,” Kasey says. “Even though it’s kind of the same teams, there are definitely better crowds. It’s a great feeling to be able to play in front of all those people watching us.”

Before North Haven suited up in states, Kasey went through the same routine that he does prior to every contest. Kasey likes to get ready for a game by listening to a specific song and then chowing down on some citrus.

“Usually, I will eat an orange before every game,” Kasey says. “I’ll listen to the same song every time. It’s a remix on SoundCloud by this DJ. It gets me ready to go. It’s a routine. I have to do that before every game. It gets me right.”

Kasey’s effort on the soccer pitch plays a part in his success on the lacrosse field. Most of all, playing soccer helps Kasey work on keeping his feet moving the right way when he’s playing lacrosse.

“I’ve found that soccer helps with my defense as a midfielder,” says Kasey. “Soccer is a really good way to work on your footwork on defense for lacrosse.”

Coach Bailey has seen Kasey work hard to up his game with the Indians throughout the past two seasons. Bailey believes that the sky is the limit for Kasey, and he looks forward to seeing what Kasey can bring to North Haven in his junior and senior campaigns.

“Kasey has worked tremendously hard in the offseason trying to get bigger, faster, and stronger. If he just stays on this track and continues to work hard at competing and taking his craft seriously, he has the ability to play college lacrosse easily,” Bailey says. “He probably put on 30 pounds of muscle through his freshman and sophomore years. He’s working out. He’s a coachable kid. He’s as fast as they come, and he really loves the game.”

Along with everything else that he’s accomplished during the first half of his high school career, Kasey was unanimously selected by his teammates to serve as one of North Haven’s captains next season. Kasey is looking forward to the opportunity to lead the team.

“I try to help everyone on the field, and I get along with everyone on the team when I can,” says Kasey. “I have to set a good example for the incoming freshman and just be a good leader. I think I’ll be serious at times like at team meetings, but also have fun with the team.”