Five-Peat For The Irish?

The O’Dea Fighting Irish 2023 lacrosse team has a lot to live up to after winning state the past four seasons. They have been the standard of excellence in the metro league and the state. This season, head coach Will Snider must put on his best performance as everyone is looking to dethrone the Irish.

The Philadelphia Twins Add To Key Returners

Transfer sophomore midfielders Miles and Matteo Tropea will add to a stacked list of returners for the Irish. Both of whom have made the varsity roster and will add to senior goalie Eli Hinson, junior midfielders Christian Winn, Grayson Bromfield and Kaleb Carr, junior attackmen Cooper Gissing as well as sophomore defender Finn Evans and sophomore attackman Dylan Smith. There is no shortage of depth for the Irish this upcoming season as they push for another state championship.

Four Seniors Test Lack Of Experience

The Irish only have four seniors this upcoming season: attackmen Ethan Linsay and Wade Boyd, midfielder Andrew Koch, and goalie Eli Hinson. The lack of seniority may come to hurt the Irish later in the season as they face some big opponents on the varsity level. Last year, this situation occurred as they faced the Bellevue Wolverines which resulted in a 13-5 loss. Though the Irish may not have experience, they do have talent which most teams lack so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Irish Look For Perfect Season

In past years, the team makes their goal before the season starts and prior to 2018 this was to win a state championship. Now, for the past few seasons, it has been to go undefeated. Last year this goal was turned sour as losses to Seattle Prep, Bellevue, and La Costa Canyon ruined it. This upcoming season it seems like a possibility, but some of their toughest games include Issaquah, Seattle Prep, Bellevue, and Bellarmine Prep. All of whom have had successful programs in the past and lots of key returners.

O’Dea Looks To Dominate Out Of State

The Irish look to toughen their schedule by playing out of state teams. On April 1st, they will face Bishop Gorman from Nevada at Island Middle School on Mercer Island. They will also fly down to San Diego, California to face La Costa Canyon and Sierra Canyon. They played both of these teams last year and lost to La Costa Canyon 8-6 and beat Sierra Canyon 15-7. This time they hope to complete the California sweep and secure a 2-0 record.

New Coaching Staff

The coaching staff for the Irish has been revamped this upcoming season. Defensive coordinator Alex Beatty and JV head coach John O’Neill have retired this past season creating openings as Snider hires new personnel. The team has added defensive coordinator Chris O'Dougherty, offensive coordinator Joey Lucchesi, goalie coach Mac Mowat, and existing coach Kris Snider has moved to JV head coach. In past years, the Irish never had both an offensive, defensive, and head coach on the same coaching staff so it will add to the already stacked roster they possess.