Senior Spotlight: Franklin Regional lacrosse standout denied shot at championship, still gets a parade

By: Bill Hartlep
Thursday, June 4, 2020 | 6:01 PM

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Editor’s note: Each day, Trib HSSN will spotlight WPIAL spring athletes whose senior years were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

Noelle Boyd has heard plenty of cheers from the stands as a member of the girls lacrosse team at Franklin Regional.

On Friday evening, she will be cheered once again, though it will have nothing to do with lacrosse.

Boyd will join her fellow seniors in a “Celebration of Our Seniors” parade through the Murrysville high school complex, celebrating what would have been their graduation day. It will begin at 6 p.m. at Mother of Sorrows Church on Old William Penn Highway.

The newly graduated students will be joined by family members and saluted along the parade route.

It will be a welcome respite from the coronavirus pandemic that forced PIAA officials to cancel the lacrosse season.

Boyd, an Akron recruit, was coming off back-to-back all-section and All-WPIAL seasons and had high expectations for the Panthers.

“Our team was really looking to win a WPIAL championship,” she said. “We put in a lot of work for this preseason. We spent a lot of extra hours to try and make sure everybody was ready for the season. That was our big team goal.”

How have you been keeping busy during the coronavirus pandemic?

I’ve been running with my friend (Christina Hodowanec) a lot. She played lacrosse too. I have a lake house, so I’ve been spending a lot of time there too. It’s on Indian Lake in Somerset.

Have you been doing any lacrosse activities?

I’m playing lacrosse next year at the University of Akron. They sent out a workout packet and a stickwork packet. I’ve been trying to keep up with that.

Why did you decide to play at Akron?

I really liked their coaching staff. They were really nice, and it seemed like it would just be a good fit for the next four years.

What do you plan to study?

Biomedical science. I want to go to dental school after college, and that has all the prerequisites to get into dental school after my undergrad.

What did the Akron coaches like about you?

They saw me at the Midnight Madness tournament with my school team. Then I went to visit after that. I guess we just connected. The coaches like me and I liked the school.

What was your reaction like when you found out you wouldn’t be returning to school this spring?

I was upset about it, mostly because of the lacrosse part. I really wanted to have a season, especially a senior season. I wasn’t really as upset about the school stuff.

What other activities were you involved with at Franklin Regional?

I was a forward on the basketball team.

What have you missed most during this quarantine period?

My friend Gabby (Salandro) has some goats and the whole team would go out to visit them. I miss doing that with the team. They are mini goats. They are really cute.

What has been your favorite show to binge watch?

I watched “Outer Banks.” That was pretty much it.

If you could have dinner with any three celebrities, who would they be?

George Washington, Nicolas Cage and Janis Joplin.

If you could give a speech at graduation, what would be your message?

If you can dodge traffic, you can dodge a ball.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional