Kellenberg's brilliant season ends with loss to Iona Prep in CHSAA Class AA state championship
Kellenberg's Donovan O'Toole works around Iona Prep's Michael Drummey in the first half during the CHSAA state Class AA boys lacrosse championship in New Rochelle on Sunday. Credit: Neil Miller
Spring 2025 will go down as one of Kellenberg boys lacrosse’s best seasons in recent years, but it won’t include a state championship with it.
Kellenberg traveled to New Rochelle Sunday to face Iona Prep in the CHSAA Class AA state championship and fell, 16-5. Junior Eoin Power scored three goals and senior Donovan O’Toole and junior Jamison Heneghan each had a goal and an assist.
“[Iona Prep has] got a lot of firepower on that team,” coach Kevin Fechtmann said. “The one thing we told our guys going in was that we have to try and slow them down and put the game back in our hands. And we weren’t able to do that.”
Power opened the scoring for Kellenberg with 9:15 remaining in the first quarter in response to two early goals by Iona Prep (13-6), but the Gaels went on to score seven consecutive goals.
Iona Prep attackman and UNC commit Tim Plunkett led all players with six goals and an assist.
The Gaels led 10-2 at halftime and added four more goals in the third quarter to take a 14- 2 lead into the final 12 minutes.
“It was just up to us to man-up and play, but they just had us here,” O’Toole said. “It just stinks.”
O’Toole said it “meant the world” to be named a team captain of this team. His hustle leads by example, seen on his defensive rides and at the end of the game by scoring and assisting Kellenberg’s final two goals of the game.
Kellenberg enjoyed its first 10-win season in a decade this season and ends the spring with an 11-6 record. It reached back-to-back Class AA championships in 2024 and 2025.
“This is only the start for years to come,” O’Toole said. “We’re a rebuilding program. We’ve got young guys like Finn Lavelle (19 goals, 19 assists). He’s going to be a star in this program.”
“One game doesn’t define a season, one game doesn’t define a career,” Fechtmann said. “The senior class has been incredible in changing the culture of Kellenberg lacrosse.”
Fechtmann credited his senior class for their ability to desire more and raise the standard, calling his senior captains “de facto coaches.”
“We got Stephen Kiernan and Tommy O’Sullivan (11 saves) on the defensive side pretty much calling the defense from the field,” Fechtmann said. “On offense Donovan O’Toole is an absolute workhorse. Jack Geoghan is just a phenomenal athlete. His athletic ability is going to get these kids who are younger pushed in the right direction.”
