NORTH ANDOVER – Led by a team of known soon-to-be star juniors, Homegrown Lacrosse recently capped its season slate with an undefeated record of 13-0-1. And its cast was driven to succeed battling in front of some of the top college scouts in America.

“It was absolutely wonderful as a coach to watch these players grow individually, grow as a team, and just work together as a team,” said Homegrown Lacrosse coach Jessica Upton. “A lot of times in club sports, you don’t see a family camaraderie, a true team. It’s more individualized. Here at HGR, we are such a family, and these girls really showed that on the field from Game 1 at practice, all the way to our last tournament this weekend.”

The group was composed primarily of players from the Merrimack Valley Conference and the Middlesex League. The roster featured mostly players who have already burst onto the MIAA’s girls lacrosse scene, such as Central Catholic stalwart Brooke Chaput and Wakefield star Emma Ickes, to name a few.

After serving as a coach in the Cape Ann League with Georgetown, Upton managed things on the sideline, with Lindenwood College product Ryleigh Cavanaugh also joining the staff.

Despite coming from all over Northeastern Massachusetts, and some even traveling from New Hampshire consistently, the group developed chemistry almost instantaneously.

“It was honestly so surreal,” said Ickes. “It was a great experience, because working with girls you are only seeing once a year, sometimes see around town, it’s really exciting for us to all work together. It prepares us for the next level, because at these showcases, and all these different tournaments we’re going to get recruited at, we’re going to see competition we don’t know. Just to know that we can fall back, and have each other is definitely really helpful. It has been a fun experience.”

Ickes’ father Ross is an avid supporter of HGR and its message. Also a wrestling coach at Wakefield, he firmly believes that club lacrosse programs can provide collegiate opportunities.

“They just hit the ground running,” Ickes said. “This team is just a really good group of talented girls. We know the powerhouses of lacrosse are like the Medfields, and others. But there’s some good girls up here too.”

Homegrown Lacrosse opened its summer by sweeping its competition at the New England Cup with four wins at UMass (Amherst). The team followed suit with a clean 6-0 record to claim the 2024 APEX Grind Tournament championship in West Chester, PA. Most recently, they concluded with a 3-0-1 campaign at the acclaimed Capital Cup in Delaware.

“I would say that all of those players who stepped on the field are looking at the collegiate level,” said Upton. “I see nothing but improvement. We have a fall-summer season, and it’s very short. We only have two practices a week, and the amount that they improved from the first time we saw them was tremendous. So I see nothing but growth, and improvement off the field. (They’re) just overall, being wonderful players.”