Senior Ben Connelly is not just a star lacrosse player and captain. The Tufts commit is also an excellent student, and a great contributor to the community.
Following in his father and brother’s footsteps, much of Ben’s life has been devoted to lacrosse, starting at the ripe age of six.
“My dad is from Upstate New York, and they play a lot [of lacrosse] up there, so I’ve been playing with my dad and my brother for as long as I can remember,” Connelly said. “My dad taught me the game, but Jack [Connelly’s older brother] kept me going with it.”
He realized in middle school that lacrosse was his true calling, crediting Coach Chip Kenyon, who played at Middlebury from Kenilworth Lacrosse with helping him find his passion.
“Coach Kenyon pretty much got everyone wanting to play better,” explained Connelly. “He helped spark my interest, and I think anybody who played for Kenilworth Lacrosse can attribute any kind of competitive nature they have to him.”
Aside from Kenyon, Connelly was surrounded by lacrosse at home. His brother Jack played for New Trier all four years, and was then recruited to play at Providence College where he has named to the Big East weekly Honor Roll before transferring to Johns Hopkins after his freshman year.
“My brother was playing a lot while I was in middle school, so we’d spend hours playing around in the backyard. It helps because he’s a goalie so I just get to whip the ball at him.”
Connelly’s other brother, Max, has Downs Syndrome, but Ben does all he can to always include Max and expose him to lacrosse. “Jack and I like to get him playing with us sometimes, or at least we try to,” he said.
Although most of Connelly’s life revolves around lacrosse, he likes to spend a lot of his time working with kids and adults who have special neeeds.
“Max lives at Misericordia, so I’ve spent a lot time with people who have disabilities,” said Connelly.
He also works with New Trier Special Olympics, ELS club, and other Misericordia programs outside of high school.
New Trier head lacrosse coach, Tom Herrala, raves about Connelly.
“Ben is the best shooter on the team, if not in the country, and his college coach said the same thing to me,” Herrala said.
“Off the field, he’s just a great kid. Super nice and awesome teammate,” he added. “People like Ben are hard to find; he gets along with everyone because he’s so easy to hang around with.”
His dedication to lacrosse, and his team, is also evident. While lacrosse is in off-season, Ben, and the rest of the varsity team, spend hours in the weight room each week to keep up strength and endurance.
“We’re a pretty tight-knit group of guys,” said Connelly. “We’ll hang out with each other after lacrosse. Having that trust factor with your team is really important, and helps a lot during games.”
Connelly’s teammates offer high praise for him.
“Ben is a game changer, and just watching him play is an inspiration,” said senior and Quinnipiac commit Jack Hill.
“His head is always up, and he is always willing to share the ball,” added Hill. “I feel as if he is not only a role model on the field, but a father figure to the team.”
Connelly’s role this season will be to help the Trevians repeat as State Champions.
The captain will attempt this feat along with co-captains David Hammes, Kevin Mulhern, goalie Jonathan Anastos, and the aforementioned Hill.
“Coach Herrala just wants us to focus on getting better every time we have a stick in our hands,” concluded Connelly. “He coaches us well, and has been awesome the last three years I’ve been with him. I think we’re all excited to get back out there next year and to try and win another for him. We have the best staff in Illinois and we’d run through a wall for those guys.”