How last year’s struggles became this season’s strength for Minnechaug boys lacrosse

Nobody was sure what to expect from Minnechaug’s boys’ lacrosse team this spring.

The Falcons had graduated their All-American scorer, Jackson Derosia, their defensive cornerstone, Sean Murphy, and much of the core that delivered their first Western Massachusetts title in 12 years a season ago.

But through 12 games, they’ve answered every question and silenced every doubt.

Now sitting undefeated at 12–0, it’s been nearly 10 years since Minnechaug has come this deep into a season without a loss.

Powered by senior leadership, rising young talent and a team-first mindset, the Falcons are using last year’s losses to light this year’s fire with hopes of making an even greater run in 2025.

From underdogs to undefeated

Last season was anything but smooth for Minnechaug.

Yes, the Falcons capped it off with a thrilling win over Westfield in the Western Mass. Class A final — their first regional title in over a decade — but the road to that moment was grueling.

Coach Mike Delia called it a “rollercoaster,” and the record backed him up. Minnechaug finished 10–9, enduring two separate four-game losing streaks along the way. Injuries and illness hit hard, forcing the Falcons to field a lineup missing eight starters at one point, with freshmen and underclassmen thrown into the fire.

Still, they clawed their way into the Division II State Tournament as the No. 18 seed, earned a bye, and battled until their season ended in an 8–4 loss to Hopkinton in the Round of 32. It was a tough ending to a season full of adversity — but it planted the seeds for something bigger.

As doubts began to swirl heading into 2025, Minnechaug quietly got back to work.

“It was obviously tough last year,” Delia said, “but now it’s paying dividends.”

Veteran firepower and next generation stepping up

The same underclassmen who were thrown into the fire last season are now the ones lighting it. What’s changed? Simple — experience.

“They’re all now a year older, and with the playing time that they had before, they’re all just experienced enough to know kind of how we have our culture and our rules of our offense and defense and how we run our stuff,” Delia said. “So, it’s been that year of experience that really helped.”

That unexpected playing time last season, born out of necessity, has become the foundation of this year’s unbeaten run. And it’s not just one or two players making big contributions — it’s the whole roster.

Minnechaug’s offense has been a true group effort, with goals and assists spread across the lineup. Still, three veteran voices have emerged as standouts: seniors Matt Noonan, Matt Beaudin and Tom O’Toole.

Noonan was second only to Derosia in scoring last year. Beaudin, his longtime teammate, has been part of the program since freshman year and has grown into a natural leader.

“Since my freshman year, I’ve been led by upperclassmen, and growing through the years, I just knew I had to step into one of those roles,” Beaudin said. “And as the time came, I got ready for it.”

With so much attention on the seniors, it’s easy to overlook just how crucial the underclassmen have been to Minnechaug’s success.

Sophomore attackman Jake Hisgen is a prime example.

Emerging as one of the team’s top playmakers, Hisgen has tallied 33 points (19 goals, 13 assists) so far and has quickly become a key piece of the Falcons’ attack. He credits the team’s veteran leadership for helping him grow into that role.

“They’ve all just been role models for me, and I trust them with my heart,” Hisgen said. “I love these guys, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world to play with anyone else. They’ve always been pushing me to be better.”

The sophomore is already thinking ahead — and thinking big.

“Next year, I just want to be a leader for this offense,” Hisgen said. “I know people are gonna be 100 percent doubting us next year. So, I know next year I’ve got to be a big contributor as a leader myself.”

No Longmeadow, no limits?

For years, Minnechaug had to go through lacrosse powerhouse Longmeadow in the postseason.

The Lancers had defeated the Falcons in three straight Class A championship games prior to going independent in 2024 — changing the Class A landscape significantly.

With Longmeadow out of the picture in the Western Mass. tournament, the path is clearer but no less competitive.

For Delia, the focus isn’t on who’s missing from the bracket, it’s on how his team shows up, game after game.

“Honestly, year after year, you’ve got to turn the page and get ready for the next season, regardless of who’s in the conference, who’s not in the conference, what’s changing, what’s not changing,” Delia said. “You just got to play every game as its own each and every day.”

And Minnechaug has met that challenge head-on.

The Falcons have already logged several statement wins this season, including a pair of victories over Valley Wheel rival East Longmeadow and signature road wins against top Eastern Mass. programs: Saint John’s (ranked No. 14 in MIAA Division I), Shrewsbury (No. 23, Div. I), and Hopkinton (No. 29, Div. II) — the same team that knocked Minnechaug out of the playoffs last year.

Their matchups with Saint John’s and Hopkinton were their biggest tests to date — both games decided by just two goals — but the Falcons stayed composed and closed out both games with poise.

“I think those are two Eastern Mass. teams that we look forward to every year,” Beaudin said. “We know they’re going to be good competition. And just by playing them out there, both at their fields, it was important.”

In many ways, the Falcons are rewriting the narrative by knocking off the very teams that once stood in their way a season ago.

Ready to finish what they started

As of May 5, Minnechaug sits at No. 12 in the latest MIAA Division II rankings, with five games left in the regular season — including a highly anticipated matchup with Longmeadow on May 6, a team they haven’t defeated in regular-season play since 2023.

That same year marked their deepest playoff run in recent memory, which ended in the state quarterfinals against Duxbury.

But this season has a different energy.

With a more seasoned roster, resilient senior leadership, and plenty to prove, the Falcons appear poised to turn heads and make a serious push once the postseason begins.

“I know we won [Western Mass.] last year, and it was a great game,” Hisgen said. “But I want to go back-to-back, and honestly just have a run for states. I know if we didn’t have all those injuries [last year], we could have had a better placement in the seedings. I hope we can just go for a run, honestly, that’s the dream.”

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