Keeper of the Game
Each year, Mass Youth Lacrosse recognizes a special group of players with its Keeper of the Game award.
What is Keeper of the Game?
Unlike an All-Star selection or MVP award, Keeper of the Game honors the players who best represent the values and traditions of lacrosse.
These are the teammates who show up ready to work, support others, respect the game, and consistently put the team first.
As MYL describes it, the Keeper of the Game is often the player who doesn’t always receive the spotlight, but earns the trust and respect of coaches, teammates, and opponents through their character, effort, and love of the game.
Sting Lax Keepers of the Game 2026
Every season, coaches have the difficult task of selecting just one player from each grade level to receive this recognition.
Every team has players who contribute in ways that don’t always appear on a scoreboard. It’s always a challenge to choose just one!
Many of this year’s recipients were not selected because of a single moment, game, or accomplishment. They earned this honor through months, and often years, of consistent effort.
| Player | Grade |
|---|---|
| Hudson Theriault | 1st Grade |
| Dean Fletcher | 2nd Grade |
| Callahan Costa | 3rd Grade |
| Matthew Mullaney | 4th Grade |
| Max Anderson | 5th Grade |
| Grady North | 6th Grade |
| Landon Hennessey | 8th Grade |
These players make practices better, support their teammates, and help create the positive culture that every program strives to build.
Keeper of the Game celebrates the qualities that help teams succeed over the course of a season: dedication, perseverance, leadership, sportsmanship, coachability, and a genuine love for the game.
These recipients demonstrated what it means to be reliable teammates, respectful competitors, and ambassadors for the sport of lacrosse.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 recipients and thank them for the example they set for younger players throughout the Sting Lacrosse community.
We are proud to recognize these athletes and share the coaches’ words describing what makes each of them a Keeper of the Game.
Award Presentation
The 2026 Keeper of the Game recipients will be recognized by Mass Youth Lacrosse during the Central MA Lacrosse Coaches Association (CMLCA) All-Star Game on June 11, 2026.
Award presentations took place at halftime, where players from programs across the region were honored for their character, sportsmanship, commitment, and dedication to the game of lacrosse.
- Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Presentation: CMLCA All-Star Game
- Location: Grafton High School – Grafton, MA
We are proud to have these Sting Lacrosse players represent our program and the values that the Keeper of the Game award celebrates.
Note – Why are only boys recognized?
Keeper of the Game is a Mass Youth Lacrosse initiative, organized through the MYL Boys Coaches Association.
While MYL does not presently offer this award on the girls side, we would be excited to see this for MYL’s girls programs in the future!
Character, sportsmanship, teamwork, and love of the game it celebrates are values worth recognizing in all players.
