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Paige Willard had two goals as a freshman in high school: win a state championship and become an All-American.

Though in her freshman year, she suffered a major setback. Willard didn’t make Skaneateles High School’s girls varsity lacrosse team. While she didn’t make the initial roster, Willard was used as a swing player between the junior varsity and varsity teams.

With senior players departing after the season, however, Willard got a chance to become a staple on the varsity squad.

She jumped at the opportunity. Two years later, she is a state champion and an All-American.

Throughout her three-year career at Skaneateles High School, Willard has scored 75 goals while registering 107 assists. As a sophomore in 2023, she helped the Lakers win their fifth New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championship. Then in 2024, she was named a Section III girls lacrosse All-American. Willard’s performance ignited significant attention from Division I programs, and she committed to Johns Hopkins during her junior year.

A key part of Willard’s development at Skaneateles High School was her position switch to midfielder. As a sophomore and throughout her childhood, Willard was a low-crease attack. But, because of the Lakers’ graduating senior midfielders after the 2022 season, head coach Bridget Marquardt moved her to the midfield.

“Her lacrosse IQ is her best aspect,” Marquardt said. “She’s just so good off the ball and with the ball. She’s a smart player that doesn’t just drive to the cage with her head down.”

One of Willard’s strengths as a player is her unselfishness — a key trait for a midfielder. When helping the Lakers win the state championship in 2023, her playmaking was on full display as she notched six assists.

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Willard said she puts a piece of tape on her right wrist and writes a saying. The saying changes every game, but a key motto is “we before me” to help the team maximize its potential.

“If you think of the team before yourself, it will benefit you,” Willard said.

Willard’s impact has rubbed off on younger players. Oftentimes, Willard is approached by teammates, seeking advice on how they can maximize their potential. Claire Neumann, who graduated from Skaneateles High School in 2024 and is now on Hamilton College’s women’s lacrosse team, said she and more veteran players would seek out Willard.

Lacrosse has always been second nature to Willard. She started playing when she was 3 years old while hanging around her family members. Her father, David Willard, and her uncles, Brian and Phil Willard, all played lacrosse at the University of Maryland.

At family gatherings, she became ingrained in lacrosse whether it was just tossing the ball around or playing two-on-two’s with her family members. Her cousins, Chloe, Cole and Sarah, went on to play D-I lacrosse at Colorado, Penn State and Towson, respectively.

From there, she began playing on a local travel lacrosse team before joining the Salt City Snipers — a competitive club team for girls across central New York. A critical piece of her role on the team was attacking the goal, something she still needs to do as a midfielder.

“She is always working on her shot and she’s at the turf every single weekend,” Neumann said of Willard.

Still, since she’s new to playing in the midfield, Marquardt wants Willard to find a better balance of scoring and distributing.

“She’s a pass first player,” Marquardt said. “I’m hoping she gets a little more selfish, but she’ll do anything she’s asked.”

One consistent part of Willard’s lacrosse career was her aspirations to play at the college level. Following her breakout sophomore campaign, Willard received various interest from top programs around the country.

She had previously been scouted, but once coaches were officially allowed to reach out on Sept. 1, 2023, Willard officially received interest from numerous programs, including Johns Hopkins. Soon after, she visited JHU’s campus and instantly knew she wanted to play for the Blue Jays. Later that month, she committed.

While Willard’s future is locked in at Johns Hopkins, she has one season remaining at Skaneateles High School. Before stepping up to the next level, Willard wants to continue her dominance with the Lakers.

“Any season can be great,” Willard said. “I just want to be there for my teammates to create a positive environment.”

Published on September 16, 2024 at 11:21 pm