Last April, Wellesley lacrosse finished its season with an overall record of 2-14. The team began its 2019 campaign on March 7 with a non-conference matchup against Eastern Connecticut State, one of the teams who defeated Wellesley in 2018. Wellesley lacrosse ultimately started the season victorious, defeating its opponent in a landslide 16-7 victory. Senior Captain and 2017 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Lacrosse All-Conference Second Team recipient Dacia Persky ’19 lead the Blue in points, finding the back of the net nine times and assisting in two goals. Another notable performance was by first-year Eleanor Mallet ’22, who scored three goals and tallied five assists in her college debut. Additionally, Ella Matticks ’21, Kat Gallison ’21, Lena Engbretson ’19 and Olivia Strobl ’19 all put points on the board for Wellesley.
Senior Captain Olivia Strobl said in a written statement to the Wellesley News that the season opener against Eastern Connecticut State was a “really nice display of our strengths. We worked really well together on our offensive sets and made the changes we needed to come back from a four goal deficit to win by a good margin.”
Wellesley’s second game of the season was a non-conference matchup against Tufts University. Tufts, who is currently ranked number 10 in the nation, ultimately defeated Wellesley 21-0. Strobl described the game as a “learning experience” for the Blue and added that facing such a strong team early on in the season “showed us where we need to be more aggressive and work on mental toughness.”
After watching the first two games of the 2019 season, Head Coach Lauren Schoenberger is proud of the fact that her team “is very supportive of each other, and excited to celebrate both individual and collective success, which is very important. I think that will continue to drive us forward and we keep playing and improving in our non-conference play.”
Schoenberger added that her six senior captains, Ellie Chalphin ’19, Lena Engbretson ’19, Mariana Hernandez ’19, Dacia Persky ’19, Olivia Strobl ’19 and Chloe Tucker ’19 have done an excellent job leading the team thus far. She said, “their leadership styles work well together, and it’s been awesome to see how the team responds to them.”
Storbl says that the team’s primary goal for the 2019 season is to be competitive in the NEWMAC. Though there are several strong teams in the conference, she believes Wellesley lacrosse is a “force to be reckoned with.” She added that a personal goal of hers is to defeat Springfield College on Senior Day. “They have historically been one of the top teams in the NEWMAC. Beating them would be a huge win for us and a nice way to cap off my career,” Strobl stated.
Schoenberger said that one of her goals for the season is for members of the lacrosse team to be in the moment and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way. “One of our big focuses this year is to be present in each moment. Every day is a new day, every game a new game, all the way down to most mundane details. If we can be in the moment, we can make the most of every opportunity we have,” she said.
Wellesley lacrosse begins conference play on March 23 with a home game against Babson College. Strobl urges interested students to attend some of their home games this season. “We love our fans and of course play well when we know we are supported,” she said.
