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It was supposed to be one of the premier matchups of the 2024 ISL lacrosse season. The two-time reigning league champion Noble & Greenough traveled down I-93 to square off against a Thayer team that features eight Division I commits and 11 committed players overall.
For Nobles, the 2024 season has been a roller coaster. The impressive wins have been there but as have been the tough losses. Each day and each quarter has been a different story. On Friday, Nobles finally put it all together, and once the Bulldogs did, there was no stopping them in a 17-4 win.
Junior goalie Ethan Train (Laxachusetts) was nails in net for the Bulldogs. The Navy commit made a loud early statement with a series of big saves. Transition goals by Quinn Pappendick and five-star sophomore Tuck Gilbane (Laxachusetts) following Train saves helped Nobles open the game on a 6-0 run, immediately giving the ‘Dawgs a stranglehold.
Finishing Touches
Thayer got to within four early in the second quarter thanks to a man-up strike by Austin-Johnstone, followed by a literal twine tearer by five-star junior Teddy Lally (Laxachusetts / Notre Dame). That was the closest that the Tigers got for the remainder of the night. Four-star junior Colin Kenney (Laxachusetts / Notre Dame) and Gilbane completely took over the game for Nobles following the two-goal spurt by Thayer. The powerful duo either scored or had a hand in eight consecutive goals to help the ‘Dawgs blow it open.
“That was fun,” said Gilbane afterwards. “We scored a lot of goals tonight and got into a really good rhythm. Our defense was unreal and {Ethan} Train was amazing. We’re definitely looking to build off of that and keep this going.”
Kenney finished the game with nine points (four goals, five assists) while Gilbane finished with five goals. It was dominance from start to finish.
Noble & Greenough vs. Thayer Academy Standouts
Colin Kenney ’25, midfield / attack, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Laxachusetts – Notre Dame
Kenney showed why he was one of Notre Dame’s first calls last September. It was clear from the onset after Kenney launched home a nuclear stepdown that he was going to be a problem for the Thayer defense.
Attempting to contain Kenney with his 6-2, 215-pound frame seemed next to impossible. He was just as much of a threat shooting from his left side as he was from his right, and was always setting guys up to succeed. Even while going against some more than formidable close guys, Kenney had his way with just about anybody Thayer put on him. He was absolutely dominant. There’s no other way to put it.
Ethan Train ’25, goalie, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Laxachusetts – Navy
Often compared to his predecessor, Matt Tully (Cornell), Train makes the flashy saves but also has tremendous technique. The clearing game is where you really see Train’s biggest similarity to Tully. They both love to venture out of the cage and enjoy wearing stick checks and drawing flags. It’s a goalie’s way of factoring into the offense and Train takes pride in it. He might already be the top goalie in the ISL and he has another year of high school left.
Mack Smink ’26, attack, Noble & Greenough (Mass.)
Smink has been an incredible find for Nobles. The sophomore is on pace for around 80-90 points and has become one of the quarterbacks of Nobles intricate and high-powered offense. Smink put up a more than impressive stat line (two goals, six assists), but his composure and maturity for a sophomore is what really set him apart.
After taking a vicious high hit late in the game, Smink stayed in for the ensuing man-up and made the play of the game, assisting on a Tuck Gilbane goal with a beautiful behind the back pass. He stays calm, cool and collected at all times, even when emotions are high. He lets his play do the talking.
Tuck Gilbane ’26, attack, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Laxachusetts
The recently named ’26 five-star came out firing and scored three straight goals to end the first quarter. The sophomore has been drawing a lot of top close guys early on in the season and while he’s produced on a consistent basis, he’s had a couple of low stat lines by his standards. This was not the case on Friday and the five-goal performance came against a good Thayer defensive unit.
Tyler Chouinard ’25, attack, Thayer Academy (Mass.) / Laxachusetts – Army
It’s hard to find a silver lining in a 13-goal defeat, but one positive takeaway from Thayer’s performance was Chouinard’s play. The Army commit played with a lot of heart and despite the tough result he put his head down and gave it everything he had until the bitter end. Late in the game with seemingly nothing to play for, Chouinard wore a couple of checks and was pushed from behind before scoring from his back. The play had no outcome on the game, but it’s third efforts like this when the cards are down that get you noticed. He also led the way offensively with a goal and two assists.
