The season is fast approaching and, according to Head Coach Kara Reber, the women’s lacrosse team is aiming to remain positive and keep their eyes focused on the present.
This year, the team boasts 26 players, five of which are the captains, Megan Asper, Caitlin Chase, Katie Hammerer, Lorie Hoover, and Marissa Masello and 11 of which are new.
“Overall we definitely have some freshmen who are going to contribute to the lineup and be impact players,” Reber said.
Hammerer expresses her confidence in the new group of freshmen and their capability of aiding the team.
“This is our best freshman class this year, skills wise. Every year the level of competition between all of us to get a starting spot is relentless, but this year they prove to be a bigger power in deciding who our starting line is,” Hammerer said.
Likewise, Reber is confident in the rookie players’ ability to raise the bar and provide more aptitude and a greater challenge among all the girls on the team.
“It is great to see the competition from all 26 players. Any of them could jump in at any point in time. Everyone has been pushing each other because the talent level is so close to each other,” Reber said.
Even with so much potential, Reber’s goal is to fixate on the present and each practice, refraining from looking ahead.
“We are really just trying to focus on doing things one day at a time. I don’t want to focus on the end result, I want to focus on what is going to happen today,” Reber said.
During those daily practices there is one focal point that the team is striving to emphasize.
“This season we are focusing mainly on positivity. With this positivity, our team will be strengthened as a whole,” freshman Chloe Cabigas said.
Consequently, there are a few other key details that the team feels they need to sharpen during daily practice.
“We are trying to work on situational things right now and improve their game sense and scenarios. We don’t have as much depth in the defensive end so that is somewhere where I think we are going to have to spend some more time,” Reber said.
According to Hammerer, communication is also a crucial element that needs to be employed.
“Communication is a big thing that our team needs to work on, not just on the field. The more time we spend together, that issue will disappear,” Hammerer said.
Though some components need improvement, their concentration on each day through the first semester has proved beneficial and, according to Reber, their game intensity has increased and their stick work has improved.
“Our trust for each other on and off the field has gotten so much better,” Cabigas said.
Their dedication to each other and the sport has the team beaming with potential.
“We have always had a pretty good team chemistry and that is really something you always want to have. The biggest focus is making sure we are positive on the field and off the field. Change a negative into a positive and we can multiply the impact,” Reber said.
Photo courtesy of fscmocs.com