By Christopher Tremblay Staff Sports Writer

Ashland’s Patrick Dwinnells and Tim Connors developed a friendship at a very young age and although both became involved in lacrosse during those early days, their paths getting there were rather different. 

Despite both having a different route to the sport, their end results are very much the same as both athletes will be taking their game to the next level following graduation from Ashland High School.

Dwinnells, a midfielder, will be taking his talents to play for the University of Massachusetts Boston, while Connors, an attack, will be gracing the field at Bentley University in Waltham. 

Clocker Coach Bill Graham believes that both athletes have the potential to make a difference at their respective colleges next year.

“Tim is your prototypical attacker with a great shot and can hurt you in so many different ways, while Patrick is a leader by example and is one of the most even-tempered kids that I have ever coached. He is our link from defense to offense and can create his own shot,” the Ashland Coach said. “On the college level they both should be able to step right in and play. Tim should find his way onto the field right way with the ability to make things happen and Patrick, who is a good attacker and midfielder, has the makeup to contribute right away.”

Although their coach has believed in their ability neither athlete really saw themselves playing on the collegiate level when they first picked up a lacrosse stick. 

“Lacrosse was something that I got involved in to just have fun,” Dwinnells said. “Getting to play it on the next level is something that just happened.”

Dwinnells has had a stick in his hand as long as he can remember. His older bother by two years was already playing lacrosse so going to all those games, the younger Dwinnells found the game fascinating and to his liking.  Needless to say he wanted to be part of that creativity of the sport. It wasn’t long after that he joined his first club team the Coyotes before eventually switching over to the Piatelli Central Lacrosse Club.

While Dwinnells was swinging the stick at an early age, Connors didn’t find lacrosse until the fourth grade when a lot of his friends who were already playing asked him to try the sport out. 

“I have always loved football and the contact that came with it and to get to play lacrosse with a stick while using finesse really interested me,” Connors said. “As I started to understand the game and develop my skills it seemed to be becoming easier. I liked scoring and all the accolades that came with it, so I wanted to become an attack.”

Much like his counterpart, Connors also joined a club team; his choice was the Top Gun Fighting Clams out of Weston. While Connors continued to perfect his game on the lacrosse field he still found himself playing football, but in his sophomore year he found that he needed to sit back and evaluated his two athletic choices.

“In my sophomore year I suffered my second concussion and had to make a decision. If I got another concussion I wouldn’t be playing anything anymore,” he said. “So, I decided to play it safe, dropped football and went after my next goal of playing lacrosse.”

Entering high school as freshmen, both athletes, as well as many others throughout the country, were hit with Covid and found that many a sports that year were cancelled. As Dwinnells was entering high school he was hoping to play lacrosse with his older brother, who was a senior that year. However, his older brother gave up lacrosse before the season was to begin.

“Losing that season, I was extremely disappointed. I couldn’t wait to play lacrosse for the high school with all my brothers’ friends,” he said. “That team would have been very good, and we were robbed in a way. Without that experience of playing with all those talented athletes, whatever my role may have been, I feel that I would have been a different player.”

Although both athletes are heading to a college that they are very interested in playing for, much like their beginnings the duo did things indifferent ways. Dwinnells was contacted by UMASS Boston, and he was all in, while Connors had originally made a verbal commitment to St Michaels College of Colchester, Vt., before eventually choosing Bentley. 

“For me it was a quick decision,” Dwinnells said. “Once I talked with the coach and visited the campus I couldn’t see myself anywhere else (although he had already visited schools in Maryland, Florida, Connecticut and New York prior to hearing from the Massachusetts school).”

Making it even easier was the fact that UMASS has had a lot of success, including winning back-to-back Conference Championships.

Connors, who had verbal commitment to St Michaels was still awaiting ca letter from Bentley.

“I committed to St Michaels last summer to hold a spot, but my eyes were on Bentley as my number one choice,” Connors said. “At Bentley, academics are a top priority as they want you to be successful on the field as well as in the classroom Lacrosse is only for four years, your education will take you beyond that.”

Once Bentley realized that Connors most recent grades were up to snuff, then they sent him a letter. When Connors committed he was told that he was coming to further his education at Bentley but would get a chance to play lacrosse.

The twosome, who have played lacrosse for a long time together have come to realize each others tendencies and are hoping to use that to put together successful final season with the Clockers.

“He’s a power dodger and if he can draw the opposition to him he’ll get the ball to me and I can release a quick shot and I try to feed him as much as I can,” Connors said. “I’m hoping that I can leave Ashland on a good note and have a winning season.”

Dwinnells is on the same page with his counterpart hoping that Ashland can earn themselves a spot in the tournament and make a deep run before they head off to college.