Klim Leads KP Lacrosse

King Philip’s Caroline Klim has been a three-sport athlete for the Warriors. The senior has played field hockey, hockey, and lacrosse during her four years at King Philip, but one could probably sense early on that lacrosse was going to be her sport.
Growing up, not only did her father happen to run the youth lacrosse program in town, but many of her relatives also played the sport. Needless to say, at seven years old Klim gravitated toward the sport and now a decade later she finds herself headed to UMASS-Lowell to play the sport as she enters college.
Klim was so talented that schools began contacting her during her freshman campaign at King Philip. By her sophomore year she was getting offers. Last November she committed to play at Lowell.
Because of her desire to study nursing, Klim wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to play lacrosse for a Division 1 college.
“When schools started reaching out during the early part of my high school career--some that I had never heard of--I realistically didn’t think I’d be playing lacrosse in college,” Klim said. “Trying to juggle a nursing major while playing Division 1 lacrosse seemed like a difficult task.”
Klim quickly changed her mind after visiting Lowell and decided that she wanted to accept the challenge of juggling both.
After playing youth lacrosse under her father’s tutelage, Klim eventually moved to the Boston Laxachusetts club team out of Braintree, where she got to play alongside many talented athletes.
“I came to love the sport and found that the nature of it helped me with my time management and social skills,” she said. “Playing for Laxachusetts gave me the opportunity to play with girls who were committed to play lacrosse for some good Division 1 schools and that was something that I was hoping to do one day.”
Despite having played some competitive club lacrosse prior to high school, as a freshman Klim found herself nervous attending tryouts.
“Entering high school I knew that I had the skills to play the game. The question was whether I had enough to earn a spot on the varsity team,” she said. “I knew that making the varsity team as a freshman was truly a great accomplishment, especially when the coach that year historically didn’t take that many freshmen.”
With that knowledge, Klim knew it would be an uphill battle to earn one of the coveted spots on the Warrior roster. She made the team that first year and found herself playing defense, a position she didn’t mind playing as long as she was on the field. For Laxachusetts she was a midfielder, a position she would play in her final three seasons with KP.
“Caroline has changed into a much more versatile player. She was primarily a defender during her first year and a half, but over the past two seasons she has transitioned into a top midfielder,” KP coach Kourtnie Wilder said. “She is a solid player all over the field and has a great game sense that allows her to play with high intensity. As a captain she goes out of her way to help the newer players on the team to make sure they understand what is going on.”
Klim had a breakout campaign offensively for the Warriors as a junior last spring, playing in the KP midfield for the first time. She notched 70 goals after scoring only 20 during her sophomore campaign.
“One of our top goal scorers went down with a torn ACL and I had confidence in my ability to step up my game,” Klim said.
This season the senior has continued to show that she can put the ball in the net, surpassing last year’s goal total. In addition, she has also been able to get her teammates more involved, which has allowed KP to be successful on the field. The Warriors went 11-7 during the regular season and were preparing to enter the Division 1 East tournament at the time of this writing.
While Klim and her Warrior teammates are looking to go on a deep run into the playoffs, the senior will eventually be looking toward Lowell. She knows that the River Hawks have a lot of new recruits.
“UMASS-Lowell is losing a ton of seniors so there are going to be some openings,” she said. “I’m hoping that I get a chance to play and contribute to the team, but as a freshman I’m not expecting to start for a Division 1 school. If I’m on the bench I’ll cheer and be supportive of my team and do whatever I can to help them.”
Coach Wilder believes that Klim won’t be sitting on the bench all that long.
“She has great work ethic and will take that with her as she transitions from high school into playing on the collegiate level,” Wilder said. “She is a complete player who is always looking to improve her game and that will be crucial in helping her succeed on the next level.”
So while the future looks bright for the KP lacrosse star on the collegiate level, she is just hoping that she can leave high school on a high note as the team prepares for the tournament.
Editor’s Note: King Philip defeated Newton North 20-14 in their first round tournament game before falling to eventual sectional champion Walpole 21-9 in the second round.