Athletes of the Week: Michaella McCarthy & Molly Seibel

Senior Molly Seibel deftly intercepts the ball and flies down the field. She makes a cutting pass to senior Michaella “Kale” McCarthy, who dashes up to the goal, weaving through three defenders before making the game-winning shot in double overtime. The crowd erupts into excited shouts, and Seibel and McCarthy high five each other as their teammates cheer for them.

Seibel and McCarthy are two of the four co-captains of the girls’ varsity lacrosse team alongside seniors Anna Reaman and Lauren Arkell. They hope to continue the team’s long-standing tradition of success as they enter this season, ready to gain momentum with a new lineup.

“Molly and Michaella have handled it really well because we have a lot of new players like me who didn’t play at all last year but are playing now. It’s hard to have a season with basically a whole new roster,” Rolle explained.

For the two co-captains, lacrosse is an interest rooted in their childhoods. Seibel, who picked up the sport in fifth grade, was inspired by her father and older sister who both played lacrosse, while McCarthy started playing for her local town team in third grade. Since then, lacrosse has grown into a passion that has led them both to become talented players and captains.

This season, Seibel and McCarthy plan to focus on integrating the new players on the team. “The underclassmen have a very crucial role in our team’s success this year, and I hope that I can encourage them to understand that,” Seibel said.

Lower Dennesha Rolle agreed on the importance of bringing the underclassman closer to the team, emphasizing that this season will be the team’s “rebuilding” year. Compared to the stellar record of just two combined losses from the past two seasons, Big Red lacrosse is off to a slow start this season with four wins out of eight games.

“Molly and Michaella have handled it really well because we have a lot of new players like me who didn’t play at all last year but are playing now. It’s hard to have a season with basically a whole new roster,” Rolle explained.

However the transition has been made easier because of Seibel and McCarthy’s leadership as they encourage cohesiveness and teamwork. “They make sure we understand we know what we’re doing; they don’t just throw us out there with no backup. We know that if we make a mistake they’ll have our backs,” Rolle said.

Lower Keaghan Tierney recognized their efforts toward the transition, specifically the new plays the captains have taught the underclassmen. “They  both encourage the lower classmen to work harder, try things they’ve never done before and take risks so they can one day be able to do them in the game,” Tierney said.

The captains also work hard off the field to promote team bonding. “Molly and Michaella have organized team dinners, and they always make sure to reach out to younger players to make them feel a part of the team,” upper Chandler Jean-Jacques said.

McCarthy hopes to be not just a leader, but also a friend and “mentor” for underclassmen, which she described as “someone they feel comfortable going to with a new shot that they want to practice or trouble that they’re having in the math classroom.”

For new lower Jenna Brooks, McCarthy fulfilled this role and more. “Being a new player, I enjoyed how Kale [Michaella] was so inviting and made it a goal to really get to know me and take interest in the new players,” Brooks said. “It started in the fall and winter during captains’ practices when she would stay after and work on things with me to help me prepare for the season. She was always super straight up with me telling me what I need to work on and what I was doing well.”

Seibel is known to be one of the most hardworking members of the team. “One day at 6 a.m., I’m walking into the gym to swim. I turn the corner to go to the locker room, and I run into Molly. She’s the only other person in the gym, and she’s going to the gym to lift and work out and get stronger,” Reaman said. “She’s super super dedicated and passionate for doing that. Her dedication for the sport allows her to wake up really early in the morning and put the sport before her sleep.”

The captains’ hard work pays off, allowing them to serve as crucial members of the team. “When the games are close or we’re losing, they always score really big goals to bring up team energy and put us back on the board and keep us in the game,” Tierney said.

Wright commented on McCarthy’s ferocity on the field. “Anyone who’s watched [Michaella] go to the goal has seen how even though she might have three players on her, she will attack multiple times until she gets her shot or the call she wanted,” Wright said.

In fact, according to Reaman, McCarthy has always been an influential player on the field. “Last year was a really tough game with Milton,” Reaman said. “We won in double overtime, and she scored the winning goal. That just shows how much of an important player she is. She also comes back every game and scores three or four goals a game, and she’s just an important person to have out on the field. We really need her.”

Reaman continued to commend Seibel’s agility. “Molly’s so reliable; she can go up and down the field with no hesitation. She’s really strong when she’s down on the attack and looking for people and passing to cutters. She’s always able to be a leader on the field,” Reaman said.

Both Seibel and McCarthy plan to continue lacrosse in college. Seibel is committed to Tufts University and McCarthy to Brown University.

“I’m so glad I had the privilege to play with such an amazing person as Michaella is before she goes off to play at Brown, and I’m so glad I’ve gotten to gain a friend out of Molly. I wish her the best of luck at Tufts next year and know she will kill it,” Brooks said.

For the impending future, the captains hope to defeat Andover at E/a. “I really look forward to beating Andover and proving to teams that may think that we are not strong as we were [that we’re] just as fierce of a team and that we are just as ready to compete,” said McCarthy.