Daley finds Milford school Hall of horizons

Posted by: Debbie Bowley on Tue, 22 April 2008 00:09:20

By Mile Cardillo, April 20, 2008
©2008CONNECTICUT POST (Used with permission)

Imagine, for a second, that you're Erin Daley. You grew up in lacrosse-mad Darien with the school just a stone's throw from your home. But when it comes time for high school, instead of enrolling at Darien High, your parents decide that attending Lauralton Hall - 30 miles up the road in Milford - is the best option. And if that wasn't enough, a couple years later in what would have been your junior year, Darien wins its first girls lacrosse state championship while your team is struggling to simply qualify for the state tournament. Logic would dictate you'd be a little upset, right? 

"Nope, no regrets at all," said Daley, who is now a senior midfielder at Lauralton Hall. "I'm really happy where I am now."

Lauralton Hall is pretty happy, too. In 3 seasons, she's scored 170 goals as the Crusaders try to establish themselves on the state lacrosse scene.

"I never expected any of this," said Daley, who will play at Babson College next year.

The decision to attend Lauralton Hall wasn't Daley's. Her parents, Joan and Kevin, believed that the all-girls Catholic college prep school would create a unique and positive experience for their daughter. "When you grow up in a small town, you can develop a cocoon around you," Joan Daley said. "We felt Lauralton Hall would create a chance to meet different girls from different places.

"I thought change would be a good thing for her."

While the plan sounded good on paper, Erin Daley wasn't initially too keen to the idea.

"It was like I had to be dragged there," said Erin Daley, who began playing lacrosse at an early age and participated in youth travel teams. Part of the plan to attend Lauralton, a big part, was to take the Metro North train from Darien to Milford. This involved getting to the station by 6:30 and waiting for the 7:05 Northbound. The upside of the journey is that it allowed Daley to catch up on homework as well as build some independence. It also included some downside, when, on a ride back to Darien, an older, apparently inebriated male passenger started making some crude comments to Daley and some other younger passengers.

"As my mom told me, it's best not to talk to strangers," said Daley, who now drives herself to school. Daley is obviously no stranger to lacrosse fans and coaches around the SWC. She burst onto the scene with 41 goals as a freshman in 2005, followed by 46 as a sophomore and 58 as a junior. It only took her until the second game of the season, an 8-6 loss to Masuk on April 8, to notch her 150th career goal. This spring alone, she's already tallied 25 times in six games going into Saturday's game at Pomperaug.

Admittedly, if she attended Darien or another lacrosse power, she'd have been unlikely to post such gaudy numbers immediately as a freshman or because of tougher competition.

"She's definitely a player that we game-plan against," Masuk coach John Murphy said. "You definitely need to know where she is at all times on the field or she'll beat you.

"We pretty much double-teamed her and tried to get the ball away from her and she still ended up with two goals, which is still below her average."

While Daley has remained a constant, Lauralton Hall has used three different coaches in her career. The Crusaders qualified for their first state tournament in 2007. This year, they have defeated teams they've never beaten before, such as New Fairfield.

"It's nice to have a player that is a hard worker and knows how to score goals," said new Crusaders coach Heather Gebhardt. "She's aggressive, has great stick skills and is as fast as fast can be."

Daley's experience has been invaluable for Lauralton Hall, as it's progressed from struggling to simply win games in 2005 to the school's first state playoff in 2007. Though it could have gone a lot of different ways for Daley, she's perfectly happy how her scholastic career turned out.

"I've made so many friends and I think we're closer than at most other schools," Daley said.

The Daley file
WHO:  Erin Daley
WHAT:  Lauralton Hall senior lacrosse midfielder
AGE:  17
HOMETOWN:  Darien
RESUME:  Has scored 170 career goals (through Thursday) with 39 assists. All-SWC honorable mention and team MVP as a freshman. All-SWC first team and team MVP as both a sophomore and junior Two-time Connecticut Post All-Star
UP NEXT:  Will attend Babson College and play lacrosse.