Donahue, Fitzgerald return helped lift Timberlane girls lacrosse to new heights

There were times last spring when Rylee Donahue and Lila Fitzgerald were on the sideline together, watching their Timberlane Regional High School girls lacrosse teammates, and wondered how much different things could have been.

Instead, the pair, who both missed the year due to injuries, watched as the Owls turned in a strong showing, finishing fourth in Division II during the regular season before falling to Hanover in the quarterfinals.

This spring, they’re both making up for the lost time.

Through the regular season, Donahue, a junior, is averaging 4.4 goals and 6.1 points per game, while Fitzgerald, a senior, isn’t far behind at 3.6 and 4.4, respectively, and both scored their 100^th goal this spring.

Meanwhile, Timberlane is having its best season in program history, as the Owls finished the regular season 15-1 and clinched the top seed in D2 for the first time. They'll host No. 8 Merrimack Valley (9-6) in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

“I think one of the coolest things about the both of them is their competitive energy and their competitive nature,” Timberlane coach Helena Bird said. “I know that both of them were champing at the bit and wanting to get out there. The difference that they’ve been able to make with this team is pretty huge in the way that they work together out there.”

It helps that the duo has been working together not just in lacrosse, but soccer and basketball, throughout their high school careers.

But the bad fortune started almost at the beginning of last school year, when Fitzgerald suffered a knee injury early in the soccer season and knew she’d be out almost from the moment it happened, after suffering a similar injury to her other knee as a freshman.

Donahue made it through the rest of soccer and basketball season, but suffered a back injury before the start of last spring that kept her out until the summer. While she was unable to play lacrosse for Timberlane, she was back in time for the club season, and last fall, verbally committed to play at Merrimack College.

“We would be like ‘we could have been so good if both of us were out there,’” Donahue said. “We had all these seniors who were wicked good athletes. Our chemistry was so good. Us two being out really hurt.”

Having gone through the experience before, Fitzgerald tried to be there for Donahue as they watched last season.

“You could tell she was antsy to get back out there,” Fitzgerald said. “It would have been a lot different going through that alone. No one really understands it, but I think it was beneficial for both of us to be going through it at the same time. We could lean on each other.”

They’ve continued to do that on the field, giving Timberlane a pair of offensive threats to go with other returning players like Julia Johnson, Ava Paul and Aubrey Fitzgerald, Lila’s cousin.

“It was exciting to drawing mock lineups because you draw one up the second that you lose that year,” Bird said. “You start to think about what’s going to happen and I think what I’ve learned being a coach for both of them is to never take any moment for granted.”

After seeing how everyone fit back together in the preseason, both Donahue and Fitzgerald started to think the Owls were capable of the big things they were both hoping for this year. To see it still playing out on the field has been as exciting as they could have imagined.

“It’s so amazing to see everyone come together and know their role and do their job,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s why we are where we are right now.”