Tess Calabria's 7 goals, 4 assists help St. Anthony's girls lacrosse cruise past Sacred Heart

Tess Calabria won’t say it herself but when you either score or assist on every goal your team scores, you’re clearly a main reason for the result. But the St. Anthony’s senior midfielder doesn’t want to take all the credit. She’d rather showcase how her teammates aided even amid her own statistical dominance.

“I think my teammates put me in a good position to set me up for success,” Calabria said. “As in practice, it can be anyone’s day. Same with the game. And I just think I was put in a position to have a good day.”

Good would be an understatement as Calabria had seven goals and four assists as host St. Anthony’s defeated Sacred Heart, 11-6, in CHSAA girls lacrosse play on Wednesday.

“Tess is just the ultimate team player,” coach Darcy Messina said. “I think her lacrosse IQ and talent is just a direct reflection of the type of student-athlete she is. She gives it her all every day of the week. I’ve said it before but she’s a student and a professor of the game and we couldn’t be more grateful for her leadership and certainly her talent.”

Messina also called Calabria a “highlight reel” and that was displayed throughout Wednesday in a rematch of the last five CHSAA ‘AA’ finals. One of Calabria’s most notable goals came by fully extending her arms to receive a high pass before bouncing in a goal all in one motion off an assist from Megan Kenny.

“I knew if I passed it no matter where, she was going to catch it,” Kenny said. “We just trust each other and you have to have that and the puzzle pieces are coming together. I know if I pass it, I know she’s going to be there.”

“She put it in a great spot because if she put it any lower, it probably would have been intercepted,” Calabria said. “We do a bunch of drills like that at practice, so I just think it was like any other day at practice seeing it unfold like that.”

Brooke Long added two goals and an assist for St. Anthony’s, which improved to 13-0 and 7-0 in the CHSAA. Charlotte Browne had three goals and Elizabeth Darcy added two goals for Sacred Heart (6-1).

St. Anthony’s has defeated Sacred Heart in four of the last five CHSAA finals, including winning four straight titles. The Friars defeated Sacred Heart, 8-7, in last year’s final.

“I like to call it the best rivalry in sports,” Messina said. “I’m a big sports fanatic so I think in more ways than one you couldn’t ask for better lacrosse from both sides and it’s always going to be like that. I respect the heck out of this rivalry.”

The Friars are ranked No. 1 in the country in some national high school girls lacrosse polls and the players are aware of that. They want to prove themselves worthy of holding that position all season.

“We’re trying to end the season on top, not only for the Catholic league but for the country,” Calabria said. “And I think that every game we just give it our all and we play the next game like it’s our last one.”