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04/09/2023 06:23 AMGrowing up, a lacrosse stick was as prevalent in Lydia Doraz’s home as a stack of dishes or a night lamp in any run-of-the-mill household. Now, she is providing an exemplary extension of that profound athletic pedigree in lax.
The senior midfielder had three older sisters who took part in lacrosse, plus a father who also played the sport and coached Lydia and her siblings. After beginning lacrosse around the age of 6, Lydia worked her way up through the ranks, which included being a member of the Nor’Easter Club Team.
Last spring, Lydia earned First Team All-SCC accolades after notching 30 goals, 22 assists, 37 ground balls, and 14 interceptions as the Tigers made the semifinals of the SCC Tournament and quarterfinals of the Class M State Tournament following a 10-6 regular season.
As she looks to lead Hand to potential SCC and state crowns in her send-off season, Lydia will keep her lacrosse life going, having committed to play at Division I school University of Vermont (UVM).
“My freshman year, COVID happened, so I could not play, and then my sophomore year, I played with a bunch of girls that I also grew up playing with,” says Lydia, who also earned First Team All-SCC Team honors as a sophomore. “I just kept looking at a goal I set for myself in playing Division I lacrosse in college, and I also have the goal of being the best player I can be on the field.”
Additionally manning the midfield for the Tigers on the soccer pitch in the fall season, Lydia explains that she is constantly churning, whether it is using her arms or legs to facilitate a ball to the offensive end of the turf.
“Being a midfielder for soccer and lacrosse, I feel all I know is running,” Lydia says. “Running is both a good and bad part of playing the midfield position. I also work hard preparing in the offseason, which also are the best and worst parts of it all.”
Yet with the laborious leg work, Lydia notes she has seen a step up with respect to her swiftness on the field. She adds that conversely, she has learned to slow her mind down and make it move more efficiently when the pressure is on and adversity is apparent.
“Speed is something I have been naturally born with, but I have worked on it a lot and am still trying to get faster,” says Lydia. “Mentally, I have gained a lot of confidence and composure, which I think has come naturally with age. I tell myself that it is just a game, I am in control of myself, and I just have to do the best I can.”
Hand girls’ lacrosse Head Coach Lindsey Carroll notes that Lydia possesses incredible intangibles when it comes to the sport that is infectious amongst her teammates, as Lydia looks to lead the Tigers to another successful spring season.
“Lydia is a fierce competitor with an incredible amount of natural athletic ability, great field understanding and presence, and passion and love for the game that is felt by all those around her,” says Carroll. “She sets the tone on the field and dictates the pace of the game as our leader in the midfield. I have enjoyed watching her grow as a player and young woman, and I am confident she will have a tremendous season ahead.”
Before looking ahead to her college career, Lydia knows there is a lot of unfinished business at hand with the Tigers’ team this spring. Lydia would love nothing more than to leave Madison by delivering dual parting shots in the form of conference and state championships, while knocking off a rival and reaching solo milestones along the path.
“I want us to win both SCCs and states this year,” Lydia says. “I want to try and reach 100 career goals after I reached 100 career points last season. We also want to beat Guilford.”
Even though she did not garner an official captain designation, Lydia displays her true class and commitment to the Tigers by acting as a veteran within the confines of the club while also growing friendships with her younger teammates away from the action.
“I am not a captain this year, but I am taking that into a positive route,” says Lydia. “I know I can still be a leader as a senior. I am also seeing the girls outside of school and trying to do things with them away from the field. I think the biggest goal for everyone on the team is to have confidence in themselves.”
Lydia looks to hit the ground running once she arrives on campus at UVM, namely towards the turf. Looking even further down the road, Lydia aims to follow in her father’s footsteps as a coach of the game before looking to form the next generation of Doraz lax lifers.
“At the University of Vermont next year, I would like to play a lot as a freshman, if not start,” says Lydia. “I would love to be a lacrosse coach in my future, either at Vermont, or even here at Hand, for a couple of years before I head out into my career path and have my own family where I can raise little lacrosse players.”