
Kindall Healy of Lehigh University, right, is a 2007 graduate of Wilton High School. She was in Fairfield on Tuesday as her team beat Fairfield University, 14-13, in sudden death overtime. (Photo by John Nash/Wilton Villager)
Give or take a mile or two, depending upon the route you take, it is just about 16 miles from Wilton High School to Fairfield University.
It took Kindall Healy, WHS Class of 2007, 290 miles to get there, though.
Healy, the daughter of Matt and Kristine Healey, is a junior defenseman/midfielder for the Lehigh University women’s lacrosse team. On Tuesday afternoon, Healey and her Mountain Hawk teammates took on the Stags of Fairfield University and spent a little more time on campus than they hoped, pulling out a thrilling 14-13 win after going to a sudden death overtime.
Healy had a goal in the first half as Lehigh led by an 11-5 score. In the second half, though, Fairfield rallied back to tie the game at 13-13 and force overtime.
It was Healy’s second trip to Fairfield and being so close to home meant a lot to her.
“It’s great,” she said. “It’s kind of a tease being so close to home. But it’s nice to come back, being a part of new team and coming back to my home territory, but definitely it’s good to get a win.”
The last time Healy came “home” — well, almost home — was her freshman year. Fairfield won in triple overtime that season, so this season there was a sense of revenge for Healy and her teammates.
Plus, as a bonus, the win moved Lehigh to 6-0 on the season.
“I knew going into this season, we’re young, but we’ve got incredible talent and an amazing coaching staff,” she said. “We have such great chemistry, too, which is awesome. We just work really well together.”
Part of that team chemistry is Healy, who is listed as a defenseman, but also fills midfield spots for Lehigh on an as-needed basis.
“I was midfield in high school, but I transitioned to defense,” Healy explained. “If I’m ever needed in the midfield, I’ll move up to that position. It’s like whenever they need me, I’ll go. I like it.”
Healy was in the midfield at the end of the regulation and at the end of the first overtime, where she also most set up game-winning goals that were denied by the Fairfield goaltender.
Tuesday’s game also pitted Healy against another former Warrior as Caitlin Young, who graduated from the University of North Carolina last year, but had one year of eligibility left and is attending Fairfield to get her Master’s degree. Young, however, missed the game due to a concussion.
Still, Healy enjoys running into former Warriors on the other side of the field.
“Oh my gosh, it’s always so awesome,” she said. “It’s so much fun to see how other people’s styles change as they go to another team, but its always get to see a former teammate.”
Through six games this season, Healy — who had 13 career goals coming into her junior year — has already scored seven goals on only 10 shots.
She and the Mountain Hawks host Lafayette on Saturday.