For the past three years, the Ipswich Tigers Boys Varsity Lacrosse team has earned the title of North Champions. Last year they even won the State Championship defeating a tough Grafton team who defeated Dover- Sherborn earlier in the playoffs. Dover- Sherborn has been Ipswich’s playoff rivals for years now.

Going into this year, the Tigers were aware their team would be impacted significantly. They lost four valuable players going into this season.  However, this has only motivated captains Kevin Swenson, Patrick Gillis, and goalie Aidan Mcadams. All three captains have been playing on varsity since sophomore year. To start off the 2018 season, head coach Glenn Foster wanted to rematch the State Champion runner-up Grafton. The Tigers were determined, but couldn’t outlast Grafton and took an 11-10 loss in overtime. If the Tigers had won, they would have gained confidence. Now with an overall record of 7-5 the Tigers only need one more win to earn a spot in the playoffs. 

“Our team is capable of big things as long as we keep our work ethic and confidence up”, says senior captain Patrick Gillis. The huge loss in players only means that others need to step up. New help is coming from two defensive freshman Cade Mcadams and Jaden Halecki. “A lot of pride comes from winning a State Championship,” says Gillis, who has been able to handle the pressure by practicing with older brother Charlie. These two have been motivated by their father John to be the best at what they do.

Another key factor in the Tgers success is their coaches. Head coach Glenn Foster makes a large impact on the team with his ability to keep them fundamentally sound and not letting anyone get away with being lazy. Assistant coach, Peter Ginolfi, is also a key component to the program because he knows so much about the sport and how to make everyone better. In their state championship run, Peter Ginolfi was named coach of the year for the Cape Ann League.

After a rocky start for the Tigers, the past fews games have been smooth going. They defeated the Georgetown Royals and Triton Vikings by a large margin. It’s clear at this point that the Tigers are regaining their name and proving all the haters wrong. When it comes to completing the 4 – peat, that will be a challenge. Gillis believes “If we can make fewer mistakes and continue to work hard, then our team is capable of great success. The key factor of this years senior class is our work ethic and toughness which in the end of the season is the most important component to winning games.” If they are able to keep up the momentum then a 4 – peat is possible.