WELLESLEY — Late in the fourth quarter Thursday night, with her team nursing a two-goal lead, Wellesley senior Tara Battaglino cradled the ball just outside the crease as two Newton North defenders converged.
Battaglino squeezed between the Tigers, tilted her stick back, and fired a well-placed shot by the goalie’s left ear. Everyone at Wellesley High knew what was coming, but no one on the opposing team could stop it.
“It feels so good,” Battaglino said. “You hear the ding. I just imagine it. My mind goes blank as I’m shooting. Then it goes in, and it’s sick.”
When referees waved off the goal, she didn’t complain, pout, or hoist her hands in the air in disbelief. The 6-foot-2-inch, Brown University-bound Battaglino simply got the ball again two minutes later, zigzagged through traffic, and delivered once more for her sixth goal in a 6-3 victory over the squad the Raiders are battling for the Bay State Conference’s Carey Division crown.
The goals — all 341 of them, to be exact, just four away from the program record — are entertaining, and her 83-mile-per-hour shot elicits plenty of oohs and aahs. The assists (120), draw controls (320), and more are just as critical for the three-time BSC Most Valuable Player and two-time All-American.
But what happens in between those highlights encapsulates what makes Battaglino sparkle even more. It’s rare for the best player on the team to also be one of the most unselfish and uplifting, but that’s exactly what Battaglino is for the Raiders (9-5), ranked 12th in this week’s Globe Top 20.
“She’s really inclusive in the way she leads,” said Wellesley coach Steve Balter. “That’s a great trait to have and makes her the complete leader for us. It sets the tone for the whole culture of the team.”
To understand why Battaglino combines modesty and dominance in such a unique manner, it’s important to know how she was raised.
Her mother, Tammy (Butler) Battaglino, is the career scoring and rebounding leader for the Harvard women’s basketball program, and a Crimson Hall of Famer. Her father, Paul Battaglino, started his lacrosse career at West Point and is a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Hall of Famer and All-American.
Her older brother, John, overcame a debilitating battle with Lyme disease to return to the golf course for the Raiders in 2024. Extended relatives have played various sports at schools such as West Point, Yale, Cornell, and more.
Battaglino considers herself extremely fortunate to have so many athletic role models in her corner. She views training and working out as a gift rather than a chore, and the joy she has every time she steps on the field is contagious. She’s someone who would much rather end up with an assist than a goal, especially when it helps an underclassman gain confidence.
She is the first to check on those around her, take them out for ice cream just because, or give them an unsolicited compliment in a tense moment.
“Tara has a big heart,” her mother said. “She works really hard, she loves her teammates, and she loves bringing out the best in everyone around her. She brings optimism to the table every day.”
Battaglino grew up idolizing her brother as his “little shadow,” so much so that she’s fairly certain now that she annoyed him. Whichever sport John gravitated toward, Battaglino followed without hesitation.
Everything became a competition in the household, including racing up the stairs for bathtime or bedtime, as Battaglino’s competitive spirit reached a new level. When she had her growth spurt before he did, those battles intensified.
“It would usually end in screaming matches, but it was so fun,” she said.
After her sophomore year, Battaglino made the difficult yet worthwhile decision to stop playing basketball and focus even more on lacrosse. Saying goodbye to one of her loves wasn’t easy, but her mother’s unwavering support made it infinitely less agonizing.
Battaglino has never, at any point, felt pressured to follow in Tammy’s footsteps. Having that freedom has inspired her to forge her own path on the lacrosse field.
“Ten-hour camps would feel like five minutes,” Battaglino said. “I would just want to do more. That showed me, ‘OK, this is what I want to do.’ ”
She started lifting regularly, fine-tuning her skills, and blossoming even more of an overpowering presence. A trip to the state final in 2024 left her craving more. Now, Battaglino is determined to help the Raiders finish the job.
As she does so, she’ll continue to kill with kindness. Standing nearby during an interview, Longtime Wellesley AD John Brown poked his head in and summed it up succinctly.
“She’s the best athlete in the school, and she’s the best kid in the school,” Brown said. “You can quote me on that.”
Quick sticks
▪ Dover-Sherborn edged Tri-Valley League rival Hopkinton, 15-12, Tuesday afternoon, in the annual game to honor the late Sadie Mauro.
Mauro, a lacrosse standout, won three state championships in three seasons and was voted a captain ahead of her senior year. That senior season never came. Mauro died in a boating accident in July 2023. She would have played lacrosse at Gettysburg College.
“Every day we miss Sadie, and she’s with us every time we play,” said coach Erin Massimi.
Mauro embodied the definition of hard work during her time with the Raiders. She missed out on varsity in her freshman year but earned a call-up for the postseason tournament.
“It can be easy to say, ‘I didn’t make varsity, this isn’t my sport,’ ” Massimi said. “Sadie never did that. It only made her work harder.”
On Tuesday, donations were collected at the front entrance for the Sadie Mauro Memorial Fund, which goes to Harlem Lacrosse, a nonprofit organization.
The D-S senior captains spoke about Mauro’s impact on the program. Mauro’s jersey was framed, and the team wore shirts that read “SJ7,” representing Mauro’s initials (Sadie Jane) and her number.
The Raiders (10-3), ranked eighth in the MIAA Division 3 power rankings, are embracing an underdog mentality as they look to get back to the success they had during Mauro’s tenure.
“We want the team to underestimate us,” said Massimi. “We’re super competitive, we’re gritty. That really embodies Sadie.”
Games to watch
Tuesday, No. 11 Franklin at Medfield, 5:30 p.m. — The undefeated Panthers will face one of their toughest tests yet against Medfield, which is on a six-game winning streak.
Thursday, No. 19 Acton-Boxborough at No. 6 Concord-Carlisle, 4:30 p.m. — Defending Division 1 state champions C-C slid from the top spot after two losses last week. They have a chance to rebound, but newly ranked A-B will be up for the challenge.
Friday, No. 1 Cohasset at No. 5 Hingham, 4 p.m. — Atop the rankings for the first time this season, the Skippers faces a major test as the Harborwomen just took down previous No. 1 Concord-Carlisle last week.
Friday, No. 15 Westwood at No. 2 Notre Dame (Hingham), 5 p.m. — The Cougars have been on a dominant tear, with their last five wins all coming against ranked opponents. Westwood will look to put an end to that streak.
Sunday, No. 3 Walpole at No. 4 Reading, 2 p.m. — The top two teams in the MIAA’s Division 2 power rankings will square off in a rematch of last season’s state championship, and a potential preview of this year’s final.
Correspondent Henry Dinh-Price contributed to this story.
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.