The Wellesley Lacrosse team started its season in late February with a home game against Bates College. Since then, it has faced several other tough opponents including Colby College, Babson College and Tufts University. Head Coach Lauren Schoenberger said the program “…purposefully front load[s] our season with a high level of competition, playing some of the best Division III lacrosse teams in the country.”
The Lacrosse team is currently halfway through its season and in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. Fortunately, the team has only faced one other school in The New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), Babson College, whom it lost to at the beginning of spring break with a final score of 19-6. Hopefully, the challenges the team has faced thus far will prepare them for the upcoming conference competition in the second of their season. Coach Schoenberger said that both the coaching staff and the team are excited about the team’s prospects later in the season. She also indicated that playing tougher teams at the start of the season has prepared her players for upcoming conference games. “I think our team has gained a lot of experience from this, and we’re excited to see where we go in conference play,” she explained.
Though the first half of the season has not been the most successful for the lacrosse team because it front-loaded its post-conference schedule, luckily, only conference games matter in terms of qualifying for playoffs. The team still has a chance to compete in the playoffs with seven conference games coming up this month. In the team’s recent game against Smith College on Saturday, March 31, its second conference game of the season, the team almost pulled off a victory. However, after a close game, it lost 14-12. Hopefully during its conference game against MIT, on April 7, the team will be able to take this fighting energy to pull out their first win of the season.
Maya Sullivan ’20, a defenseman explained, that players’ are inspired by each others’ energy,that, “Each individual has their own pre-game rituals, but, when it comes down to it, we have the best time and play our best games when we feed off of each other’s energy,” she said.
Coach Schoenberger echoed the importance of the team’s energy. “No matter the outcome of a game, the most important thing is the growth and chemistry of the team as a whole.” This season seems to be one of growth and building for the team with seven first-years joining the team which has “already made an impact on [the team’s] game,” she commented.
Coach Schoenberger added that her favorite part of being a coach is watching the team come together. “Sport offers the opportunity to develop so many life skills, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see our student-athletes as they go through their four years at Wellesley,” she commented.
With each game, the lacrosse team is improving and will hopefully overcome its challenges this season and come back even stronger, not just for the games ahead, but for next season, as well. As Hannah Maisano ’20 put it, “We are just trying our best to stick to the plan we’ve set and see the progress every step of the way.”
