Anna McGovern’s phone buzzed and she was taken aback by what her mother Deirdre texted her.
“I was expecting, ‘What time you going to be home?'” McGovern said. “It was, ‘Oh hey, you’re on a poll for the best players in the city.’”
She said she’d seen the NYPost.com polls in the past especially when former Mary Louis soccer teammate Deirdre Ray was nominated, but never expected to be nominated herself. It came as a pleasant shock.
“It was like, ‘Oh wow, now I’m on one,” McGovern, said.
McGovern, an All-City honorable mention selection by The Post last year, did more than just be selected. She was voted the winner of the poll asking: Who is New York City’s best girls lacrosse player? She received 26,382 votes, good enough for 28.5 percent of the 94,065 votes cast during a weeklong poll. Riverdale’s Lindsay Picard was second with 19,436 votes and Jessica Dalhdorf of Poly Prep was third with 14,439. McGovern, who had Facebook support from family and friends, was just happy to have her name put amongst that talented group.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “Every girl up there is such as good player. I was amazed at all of them.”
What makes her win more interesting is that the player voted New York City’s top star rarely plays against city teams. The Hilltoppers compete in the CHSAA Nassau/Suffolk league and reached the Class A title game for the first time a year ago. McGovern, a Floral Park native, is the league’s reigning most valuable player. Unlike most New York City players, she picked up the sport at a young age.
“She is an extension [of me] on the field,” TMLA coach Keri La Magna said. “She helps facilitate the offense and [moves] the defense into position. She takes charge and reacts quickly. She encourages the other players to play hard.”
What makes her so special is her ability to perform on both ends of the field. McGovern, who is scored 30 goals this season, is Mary Louis’ leading scorer and also its top defensive midfielder. She is not afraid to get physical with other teams’ best players, making her a valuable piece for TMLA, which is tied for second place with rival St. Francis Prep.
“I feel really confident we can get back to the championship game,” McGovern said. “We just have to work hard.”