Melrose High's Lily Cunningham: Athlete For All Seasons

MELROSE, MA — Melrose High School girls' lacrosse coach Matt Galusi believes Lily Cunningham is such a talented player that if there were some way he could have 11 versions of her on the field, the Red Raiders could have won state title after state title. It may have only seemed like there were multiple Cunninghams on the turf to Middlesex League opponents in recent years because of the impact she had in so many facets of the game.

"She is an incredible two-way player who is equally as strong on defense as she is on offense," Galusi said. "I have asked to her to do everything this season — take draws, score goals, play hard-nosed defense, get ground balls, cause turnovers. You name it and she’s done it remarkably well.

"I've been a varsity head coach for 20 years, in two different programs, and she is a top-five player I've ever coached."

The three-sport standout in soccer, basketball and lacrosse closed out her hoop career this winter by helping the Red Raiders to the Middlesex League Freedom Division title. This spring, she scored 62 goals with 27 assists — giving her 162 goals and 93 assists over her four-year varsity career — as Melrose reached the state tournament for the third straight season.

She was named the Melrose High Female Athlete of the Year and will attend Roger Williams University in the fall where she intends to play lacrosse.

"I played club lacrosse and was able to go to a few recruiting tournaments," she said. "Playing club lacrosse allowed me to take a step forward because I was getting more touches. I felt I was a little better in that sport. Then I went to a prospect camp (at Roger Williams) and the coach called me to tell me they had a spot for me."

Only, you can forgive Division III teams if they think they are seeing double, the same way some Middlesex League opponents might have, as she plans to attend Roger Williams alongside her twin sister, Abigail.

"We’ve had different paths in sports but whenever we are on the same field together we always know where each other is," Lily said. "I am able to make passes to her that I might not necessarily be able to make to other girls."

While it may not have been too much of a surprise to the Melrose High community that the Middlesex League Freedom Division Most Valuable Player in lacrosse and three-sport captain was chosen for the top female senior athlete award, she said it was nice to be recognized in front of the school for her contributions to the programs she grew up watching.

"When I was little I went to all the summer camps here with the older girls coaching," she said of her time on the basketball court. "Then it was me who was coaching the younger girls when I was here. It’s crazy how time flew by."

After 12 varsity seasons over three sports, it may seem strange not to see Cunningham in a Melrose High uniform next year. But the impact she made for the Red Raiders will surely be a lasting one.

"Lily is an all-around, hard-nosed, throwback athlete," Galusi said. "She’s the kind of player that will punch you in your face, destroy you on the field, but help you up when you fall and compliment you on how well you played."