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04/20/2022 12:00 AMWhen Lauren Bogaert was in 6th grade, girls’ lacrosse was a growing sport in North Haven, and she decided to give it a shot. As her passion for lacrosse grew, so did Lauren’s talent for the game, helping her become a solid defender with the North Haven girls’ lacrosse team.
Lauren is in the midst of her senior season as a starter for the Nighthawks this spring. After she graduates from North Haven, Lauren will continue her lacrosse career at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford.
“Lacrosse was a new and upcoming sport when I was in 6th grade. I thought I might as well try it,” says Lauren. “I fell in love with the sport. My coaches were really great. I just kept playing through senior year, and I’m going to play in college.”
Lauren started off by playing lacrosse at the rec level from 6th to 8th grade. Lauren was a defender at first, but moved up to the midfield and the attack over the next two years. In her freshman year, Lauren decided that she wanted to go back to defense. Lauren has been playing that position ever since and loves being a member of North Haven’s defensive corps.
“I went back to defense, because I loved playing it so much. It’s a rush of adrenaline seeing all the girls come back,” Lauren says. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without my team. The team is very helpful. I just like being a part of this team and playing with the girls.”
Lauren played for North Haven’s freshman team during her first season with the program. The experience was certainly different than what she had come to expect in the rec league, but Lauren welcomed the challenge and found that competing at the high school level allowed her to become a much-stronger and more well-rounded lacrosse player.
Lauren’s sophomore season was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lauren returned as a junior and was cross-rostered between North Haven’s JV and varsity teams. Now a senior, Lauren is a starter on defense for the Nighthawks’ varsity squad.
During the summer before her freshman year, Lauren spent a season playing for the Nor’easter Lacrosse program. She’s also attended clinics in the winter and fall through the years. Lauren dedicated herself to doing everything that she could to help North Haven succeed. Once she earned a starting spot as a senior, Lauren used all the skills that she had gained throughout her career to become the best version of herself on the turf.
“My freshman year, I didn’t have a lot of the skills that I have now. Through my years of playing and being at practice, I’ve learned a lot more about what to do on defense,” Lauren says. “It has helped me a lot. My skill level has greatly increased.”
After missing her sophomore season, Lauren feels grateful to be competing alongside her teammates in her senior year. Lauren has also become one of North Haven’s leaders on defense this season. Lauren and fellow senior Jenna Pine are team’s most-experienced defenders and will be key factors for the Nighthawks. Lauren feels proud to serve as a defensive leader and teach the club’s younger players how to succeed on that end of the field.
“It’s really great. I get to talk to the younger girls and give them advice on what to do,” says Lauren. “It’s nice knowing that the younger girls look up to me and ask me for advice on what to do.”
Even if Lauren’s name isn’t always in the box score, Head Coach Bernie Pellegrino says that the senior has become an integral member of the North Haven girls’ lacrosse team. Pellegrino adds that Lauren is strong leader who’s respected by all of her teammates.
“Lauren, or ‘Bo’ to her teammates and I, has been a senior defender on this team for four years,” Pellegrino says. “She is an unsung player that has developed into a strong back line defender for us.”
Lauren is looking forward to playing lacrosse at the University of St. Joseph after high school. Lauren will pursue a degree in pre-nursing at St. Joseph.
When she first started playing lacrosse, Lauren never expected to become the player that she is today and go on to compete at the collegiate level. However, the sport has given Lauren everything that she ever could have wanted. As she finishes out her time at North Haven, Lauren wants to help the Nighthawks notch as many victories as possible, while enjoying the sport with a group of teammates she holds close.
“It’s very important to me. I love playing with my teammates and for my coaches,” says Lauren. “I want us to win as much as possible, but even if we lose, as long as I have that connection with my teammates and we still have a fun time, it would be even better than winning the rest of our games.”