HOLDEN — Unlike many fellow student-athletes across the region, identical twin sisters Kaleigh and Lindsey McGurl, who hail from Holden, have no desire to rest during games when they could be squaring off against some of the team’s most rigorous competition. Their unbridled enthusiasm and their passion for their chosen sport of field hockey is just too valuable to relegate them to cheering idly from the bench.
Wachusett Regional High head coach Kerry Berry knows the valuable contributions made by these instantly-likeable seniors, who are looking for big things in the remaining days of this 2023 season.
“I’ve been coaching Kayleigh and Lindsey since elementary school,” said Berry. “Since the day they came to youth league they were all in. Their enthusiasm and love for the game has always been obvious. It’s hard not to think of them as a package, although they have each carved their own path. Both are three-year starters.”
Kayleigh has been playing screen and has been one of the team’s top scorers all three years. She currently stands at 50 points, with 20 goals and 30 assists in her career. She has been a two-time Mid-Wach A all-star and is key on both offense and defensive corners as well as being crucial to controlling the midfield. Kayleigh has heart and desire and always puts forth 100% effort. She will leave a huge hole in the midfield next season, Berry acknowledged.
Lindsey started as a center-forward her sophomore year and moved to left-midfield, where she has been in her junior and senior years. She and Kayleigh were even at 8 goals and 10 assists as of this writing. She has recorded 46 points, with 22 goals and 24 assists in her career and was also a Mid-Wach A all-star last year. She is the squad’s inserter on corners and consistently has carried the ball up the right side for two years. Lindsey has passion for the game and her feistiness and fight are what make her successful on the field, said Berry.
“The two combined are what people notice on the field. When they give and go (and each is as fast as the other), it is truly fun to watch. They will work the ball from one end to the other, often assisting each other on goals. They both are National Honor Society members who are off to UMass Lowell to play field hockey, and will join teammate Kathryn Guertin as River Hawks.”
The girls say they are going to try to get into the nursing program at UMass Lowell.
Being an identical twin poses challenges in some instances but not so much with the McGurl sisters — in fact, none at all. They are similar in every sense of the word and are as close as siblings could be, not just in field hockey where they confess they are inexorably hooked, but in almost all aspects of life.
“Being an identical twin means you have a built-in best friend, and there’s always something happening but it makes your life fun,” Kaleigh said. “You’re never bored, you’re never alone. A lot of time there have been some tears, but we always motivate each other to do good things.
“We both wanted something that we could be good at. In the beginning, it was hard, and there are still things that I need to learn. There’s always some skills that I can learn, and I’m never done with it. My parents are my biggest supporters. They push us to be better but in a good way. We have a turf in our basement. They gave us a spot where we could work on our skills.”
“You do have a built-in best friend, but there’s always competition,” said Lindsey. “We like the exact same things like movies and friends. We’re never alone. We’re carbon copies of one another. We tend to push each other in a good way. You’re constantly working hard to try to get to the next level, and pushing each other is what it takes. It’s important that I push myself also.
“It’s not just a sport to us, it’s literally our life,” Lindsey added. “We literally do this 24/7. We always have a stick in our hand. There’s something every day.”
The twins cut their teeth in the sport of field hockey at a very early age. They had tried other sports, but neither could feel the sentiment that accompanied the game. Berry’s WTB (We Teach Both) youth clinics were a catalyst for what was to come.
“We got started through Kerry Berry when we were in third grade,” Kaleigh explained. “We were playing soccer, but that wasn’t really our thing, and we heard about a clinic that she was putting on, so we joined. It was Sunday mornings, and we fell in love with it.”
In their final season as Mountaineers, the girls were named captains as a tribute to their commitment, love of team, and camaraderie and support with teammates. The results are clearly there, as evidenced by the team’s 9-1-3 record.
“Since we’ve been captains, I think a lot more people look up to us. We’re really trying to stay positive,” Kaleigh said. “When we’re scored on, we have to keep our heads up. We tell the younger players it’s not always going to be easy, and they need to keep their heads up. As long as you work as a team, you can get through things as long as you put team first.”
Kaleigh and Lindsey share the same deep pride in representing their school and community, and will be looking to take the team far in playoff competition. The team has come so close so often in seasons past that many see a new chance for the potential for a deep run.
“I definitely have pride in my school. I love Wachusett,” said Lindsey. “I’ve enjoyed everything here. When we wear that jersey, it just shows that we take pride in our sport. If you look at the standings, we’re doing really well right now.”
“I cannot tell you how proud I am to have seen these two grow up literally before my eyes,” said Berry. “They are what every coach wishes for in an athlete, and the fact there are two of them have made Wachusett field hockey fun to watch for the last three years. I cannot begin to describe how much I will miss them both on and off the field. I don’t think there has been one day that I have had them that they haven’t given their whole heart. They come to practice with a smile, and come to compete day in and day out.”
