Conard boys lacrosse defeated West Hartford rival Northwest Catholic 13-2 on Thursday night at home.

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Conard vs. Northwest Catholic boys lacrosse. April 23, 2026. Photo credit: Cole Schweiger

By Liv Varellas. Photos by Cole Schweiger

Thursday, April 23 was a great day for boys lacrosse at Conard High School, as the Red Wolves faced same-town rivals Northwest Catholic High School in a fast-paced matchup. 

When the final buzzer sounded, Conard had handily extended its winning streak with a 13-2 victory.

Right off the opening face-off, Conard’s Graham Egan settled the ball first. Quickly moving down toward Northwest’s net, cutters were flying through the middle to create plays without forcing a shot. Within nearly 30 seconds of clean passes, a feed from Torin McGoldrick behind the cage created the perfect opportunity for Ben Walsh to roll the crease and get the first goal of the game. 

Conard vs. Northwest Catholic boys lacrosse. April 23, 2026. Photo credit: Cole Schweiger

A few minutes later, Conard came back for more, this time in a quick transition. The ball was won at midfield by McGoldrick, who had his second assist to Will Pickard, scoring before the Northwest defense even had time to set up and recover.

Considering the pace of the game, Northwest tried to slow things down in the second quarter. When the ball was in their possession, the midfield worked from X to test Conard’s defense around the crease. One long possession from Patt Knorr ended with a crease-roll finish, putting the first point on the score board for the Lions.

Conard vs. Northwest Catholic boys lacrosse. April 23, 2026. Photo credit: Cole Schweiger

Conard shut down this momentum right away, not only winning every face-off, but being the first to ground balls and missed passes to keep possessions alive. Justin Nanayakkara and Pickard from Conard even double-teamed a Northwest player, and sent both the ball and the player airborne. This really goes to show the dedication of Conard players.

After returning from halftime, the game was mostly back and forth. Northwest came out faster and more eager than the crowd had seen all game. Knorr led most successful ball possessions, directing teammates for passes and calling out plays, Yet Conard goalie Chuck Doyle came up with various saves to keep the Red Wolves lead steady.

Conard vs. Northwest Catholic boys lacrosse. April 23, 2026. Photo credit: Cole Schweiger

Conard ended the third quarter with a play that was one of the clearest examples of the performance the team likes to put on. The ball swung from one side of the field to another for nearly a full minute, touching every stick on the offense. Northwest defense was dialed in, but tired. Then, midfielder Brady Meehan fed a pass to Liam Alver, who cut straight down the middle of the 8-meter for a strong finish.

By the fourth quarter, Northwest was always one step behind Conard. Cutters were often free in the 8-meter, and turnovers were caused due to messy passes. 

Conard vs. Northwest Catholic boys lacrosse. April 23, 2026. Photo credit: Cole Schweiger

Even this late in the game, Conard kept the ball moving and prioritized  communication as their number one. 

The final moments mirrored those of the first quarter: Conard held the ball, working patiently and waiting for the right moment, instead of the first one. It is those small plays that added up over the four quarters allowing Conard to take home the 13-2 win.

Conard will look to build on their 7-1 season record – achieved after a close 11-10 win on Saturday vs. Daniel Hand in Madison – when the Red Wolves host Southington High School (3-4) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Northwest Catholic High School (2-4) returns home Monday at 4 p.m. to take on RHAM (1-6).

Conard vs. Northwest Catholic boys lacrosse. April 23, 2026. Photo credit: Cole Schweiger

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