Greenwich Academy Varsity A team uses strong defensive effort to defeat FAA lacrosse foe Greens Farms Academy for fourth straight victory

By David Fierro on April 16, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

**Photo by David Fierro:** Members of the Greenwich Academy Varsity A lacrosse team gather during a timeout in their home game against Greens Farms Academy. The Gators posted a 10-3 victory.

To say that the Greenwich Academy Varsity A lacrosse team has played a busy schedule for the past week is an understatement.

The Gators’ home game against Greens Farms Academy on April 15 marked their fifth game in six days. Yet as busy as the beginning of the season has been for GA, that’s how successful it’s been thus far.

Ahead from the opening minutes of action, Greenwich Academy improved its record to 5-1, registering a solid 10-3 victory over Greens Farms Academy in an FAA game at Tammaro Field. The win also raised GA’s FAA record to 4-0. The Gators have also defeated FAA foes Greenwich Country Day School, School of the Holy Child and Hamden Hall Country Day School.

“They were a tough team, they fought hard, I think we were all playing a little tired after our fifth game, but I’m proud of how we fought and stuck it out to the end,” Greenwich Academy senior Katie Barr said following the team’s triumph over visiting Greens Farms Academy.

**Photo by David Fierro**: Greenwich Academy’s Varsity A lacrosse team hosted Greens Farms Academy in an FAA matchup.

Barr recorded a hat trick, while junior midfielder Leighton Collier and senior attack Chloe Cook scored two goals apiece to power the Gators’ offense.

“I thought the offense was good, we ran a couple of new plays in there that we threw in at halftime and I think everyone adapted really well,” Barr noted.

Against the Dragons, GA held a 6-2 lead after the first quarter. A tally by Barr made it 7-2 in favor of the Gators. Greens Farms, which has a record of 1-1 in the FAA, closed to within 7-3 with a goal at the 6:32 mark of the second quarter. Yet Greenwich Academy notched a goal with 31 seconds remaining in the second period to enter halftime with an 8-3 advantage.

Photo by David Fierro: Eliza Babyak of Greenwich Academy makes a move while controlling the ball against Greens Farms Academy in an FAA lacrosse game at Greenwich Academy’s Tammaro Field on April 15, 2025.

GA held GFA scoreless in the second half, while tallying the game’s only two second half goals. Freshman attack/midfielder Cordelia Blanc scored with 1:53 to go in the third quarter and senior attack Eliza Babyak tallied with 53 seconds left to play in the fourth quarter to cap the Gators’ scoring.

Sophomore Abby Iles also had a goal for the hosts, who received six saves from freshman goalie Lauren Connell. Connell received the start in goal, as senior goalie Persia Shipman took a game off to rest after sustaining a hit to the head during a recent game against Westminster School.

Senior captain Lila Volpe and senior Lila Cabot helped lead Greenwich Academy’s impressive group of defenders.

Greenwich Academy senior midfielder Ruby Montanez looks to pass the ball during a home victory vs. Greens Farms.

“I think it was really good, we held them and we are definitely communicating more, especially after five games,” Volpe said of GA’s defensive play. “The slides are good. We worked well with each other. It got rough for a little bit, but we were here for each other.”

Freshman midfielder Maddie Lane had three draw controls, as did sophomore midfielder Niamh Cooney for Greenwich Academy. Collier posted two draw controls, while Barr and Iles each had one in the winning effort.

“I thought it was amazing, I think when you’re tired it’s really hard to lock in and we ask a lot of them,” Greenwich Academy senior captain/midfielder Ruby Montanez said. “I think they pulled through.”

Maddie Lane of Greenwich Academy, left, in action versus visiting Greens Farms Academy. GA won the game, 10-3.

Greenwich Academy’s busy start to the season started with a loss on the road against Ridgefield High School on April 10. The Gators then defeated Greenwich Country Day School on April 11 and topped School of the Holy Child on April 12, before beating Westminster on the road, 14-2, on April 14. The win versus GFA capped a rewarding stretch of games for GA.

“Five games in a row, I’ve never done that before – five games in six days, so that was a lot – and I think our girls did a really nice job of adapting on the fly, that’s not easy to do,” Greenwich Academy first-year head coach Tee Ladouceur said. “To be able to build chemistry on the fly is impressive.”

“We’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores out there playing varsity for the first time, so to see them grow so quickly over this stretch was cool to see too,” Ladouceur continued.

Greenwich Academy Varsity A lacrosse coach Tee Ladouceur, left, talks to captain Katie Barr during the Gators’ home game against Greens Farms Academy on April 25, 2025. Greenwich Academy won the game, 10-3.

Greenwich Academy finishes a busy week Thursday (April 17) with a home game against Simsbury High School at 5 p.m.

“I think every game we’ve built on the last one and have just gotten better at the little things, so it feels better to have this stretch done,” Barr said. “We’ve definitely gotten closer, we’ve had some good locker room time, good bonding time, so we’re ready for the rest of the season.”