Monroe's Gillies named HNT Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year

Sean Gillies has come a long way in just five years.

The senior is a captain and attackman for the Monroe High School boys lacrosse team, but he only started playing the sport in the eighth grade, when his mother all but strong-armed him into it.

"My mom really wanted me to get involved in a school sport. I raced motocross, and we went to the mall and she bought me all this new lacrosse equipment and she took me to practice," Gillies said of his foray into the world of lacrosse.

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Gillies said he fought and pleaded, and eventually exited the car in tears. But it all worked out in the end.

"It took two practices and the coach complimented me and told all the players to 'Come and watch Sean,' and I said this might really work for me," Gillies said. "From that day on all I wanted to do was get better, and this is where it’s taken me."

This season he finished with 46 goals and 55 assists, and recorded both his 100th career goal and 200th career point. He helped lead the Falcons to a 16-4 record, the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament title and the NJSIAA South Group IV Tournament quarterfinals.

For his efforts Gillies is the Home News Tribune Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year.

"He’s probably one of the best leaders that the program has had in its 10 years," Monroe coach Joseph Yannone said. "He’s a great kid in the sense that he’s led by example, always trying to teach the kids on the field, always just a hard worker, and he gave 100 percent in everything he did.

"It’s cliché to say that hard work pays off, but he’s definitely living proof of that. He thanks his defense, thanks his coaches, thanks his teammates, it’s not about him, it’s the people around him that he believes makes him better."

MORE: YANNONE, MURRAY RECOGNIZED FOR HNT COACH OF THE YEAR

Monroe started the season 4-0 before it ran into eventual Tournament of Champions finalist Pingry, a game that the Falcons lost 7-5, and a game that Gillies recorded four assists in. He scored a goal in the GMC Tournament final against St. Joseph, a game that Monroe won handedly 8-3 after falling to the Falcons earlier in the season by just one goal.

"I still get butteflies," Gillies said of winning the GMC Tournament title. "We really just put it together this season. We had so many seniors who said this is our year, we’re not leaving Monroe without a legacy and we all bought in.

"When we lost to St. Joe’s it was a setback and I had a talk with one of my coaches and he said life is a rollercoaster and that’s how this season is, it’s a rollercoaster, we’re going to have our ups and downs and I stopped him and I said I know what our ups are going to be, we’re going to work hard and go out and achieve our goals, and it was great to go out and get that."

According to Gillies, he adapted a different role with the team this season than he has played in previous years. While he wasn't always the guy scoring the goals, his role of drawing the defense really helped to open up his teammates to score.

"This year I really adapted to a different role in my eyes, we became a much more well-rounded team from my junior year," Gillies said. "We had heavy hitters on offense from every angle, and I really adapted a role of drawing a lot of slides and attention and had to get the ball to my teammates. It took a lot of pressure off of me but also put pressure on me because I’m still a playmaker and I had to make decisions quickly because I had double and triple teams coming after me, so it was good for me to put up the points when we really needed it."

Gillies has seen his level of play improve every season. Last year as a junior he recorded 56 goals and 63 assists, quite a jump from the 32 goals and 14 assists he had as a sophomore. This year he recorded his 100th career goal with a four goal, two assist performance against South Brunswick on April 7, and notched his 200th career assist against Monroe on April 12. He finishes his career with 269 points.

"From an offense threat he demanded a lot of attention, he was a good finisher, he was a good feeder as well, he was a dual threat to finish and feed from the left side of the goal," Yannone said. "His goal was to bring the best out of all the players on the team, he wanted to the best out of everybody, he demanded the best but he’d be the same kid to take the younger kids aside and help them out too. He’s a leader by example, if you want to see how something is done, watch how Sean does it in practice."

Gillies will continue his career at Gettysburg next season, but he's hoping that he leaves a legacy behind for future Monroe lacrosse players to follow and abide by.

"I think I’ve already started to leave behind my leadership quality, a lot of parents ask where did I learn to be a great leader, and it’s flattering to me because I go out and I do my job.  I go out and I hang out with my friends," Gillies said. "That’s what I think I left behind, team camaraderie, every year you’re out there with your family, you’re out there as an equal, and I think I really instilled that in the varsity and the rec programs, if you want to win and want to be good,  you have to step up and be a leader."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego

GMC Final Boys Lacrosse Standings

1. Monroe (16-4)

2. St. Joseph (13-6)

3. Old Bridge (11-8)

4. East Brunswick (11-8)

5. South Brunswick (7-11)

6. JP Stevens (5-12)

7. North Brunswick (5-14)

8. Edison (2-17)

9. Bishop Ahr (1-11)