The Belmont Hill Varsity Lacrosse team has thrived over the past few years, excelling both in ISL play and in non-conference games against some of the best high school lacrosse teams in the country. Leadership is a key factor in the team’s continued success and Captain Matthew Torrey ’23 has exemplified this. Torrey is the starting goalie for the team. Torrey started playing lacrosse in 3rd grade and was soon selected to play on the Laxachusetts Club Team in 4th grade. Coming into Belmont Hill in Form IV, Torrey mentions how Laxachusetts was helpful with helping him connect with members of the Belmont Hill community, ultimately influencing his decision to attend. Furthermore, he recounts how he was the backup goalie for Belmont Hill once and fully believes that his current backup, James Mullowney ’24, is ready to fill his place for next season.
When asked how the team has done this year compared to previous years, Torrey states, “this is the best defense I have ever played with in my life, and that’s not an exaggeration.” Defensive poles such as Finn Fox ’24, Declan Reily ’24, Josn Doolan ’23, Charlie Hazard ’23, and Ben Wood ’23 proved vital to the team’s success, and Torrey emphasized how grateful he was for their extra layer of protection. Torrey also mentions that playing behind them “relieves pressure” for him in the net, as he is confident that they will perform. As a 4-star recruit, averaging only 4.1 goals allowed per game, and a best in the ISL 73% save percentage, it is clear that Torrey is one of the many talented players on the team. His humility was clearly portrayed when speaking about his younger teammates, mentioning how future Belmont Hill Lacrosse leaders such as Preston Evans ’25, Lindan Verville ’25, Dylan Castillo ’26, Eli Friedman ’25, Ben DiBattista ’24, and Will Stewart ’24 will lead “a scary [good] team next year.” When talking about practice, he says that the younger guys are “only getting better, shaping into stars and future recruits.”
Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in all of America and is becoming not only more popular but also far more competitive. When asked about the future of the sport, Torrey states that it is still heavily concentrated in “hotbeds such as Long Island, Connecticut, and Maryland.” Torrey talks about women’s college lacrosse and how the Title IX laws are positive for the lacrosse movement by providing equal opportunity across gender lines. However, he mentions that women’s lacrosse powerhouse schools without Men’s Lacrosse teams such as USC, UCLA, and BC will struggle in adding men’s lacrosse to their athletic department because of all male sports, such as football that do not have a female counterpart, therefore creating difficulty with Title IX rules. The lack of young viewership and international popularity has also hindered the growth of professional lacrosse. Torrey spoke on professional lacrosse, stating, “I am not a big fan of pro lacrosse and I’m sure my teammates agree that it is a route to not making any money, and when it is evident that you can make a substantial amount of money through pro lacrosse, I think that’s when it will take off.”
Through all of Matthew Torrey’s accomplishments and achievements on and off the field, he wants to tell the Belmont Hill community a message about the recruiting process through his junior and senior years; “One thing that I think people need to realize is that the process is fun and shouldn’t drag you down too much. When you look back on your accomplishments, it’s not really the result that matters, but it’s the hard work and fun moments to enjoy yourself that really stick with you!” Torrey wishes he did not stress as much about the recruiting process as he did and instead had a calmer attitude about all of it. The Panel wishes Matthew Torrey success in his future years attending the United States Air Force Academy, where he will continue his lacrosse journey!
