After a strong last season, which saw them make the playoffs as the 28th seed in Division 2, the boys lacrosse team is looking to build on that success with a strong core of underclassmen and a young coach with another year of experience under his belt.

The team’s preparations in the off-season consisted of playing in a pre-season league at Fore Kicks and team weightlifting sessions. Conditioning, stick skills, and size were the main focuses of the off-season. Coach Dube wanted his players to be “bigger, faster, and stronger” leading up to the season with a team of primarily underclassmen. 

The underclassmen fill out the roster; however, senior Captain Addison Last is at its center. Last sees this season as “a fresh start” and can’t wait to strive for boys lacrosse’s first winning season in five years. According to Last, the team’s “hopes are high,” and he wishes that “players will be able to find a love for the sport and start traditions for the future.”

With the team looking to improve from last season, one of their main goals, along with a winning season, is to secure a spot in the State Tournament for the second consecutive year and make a run this time. Yet, more importantly, Coach Dube wants to see growth in his athletes as lacrosse players and as people. He is giving his players more initiative this season and wants “the guys to have more control over the season.” Dube describes his players as “the masters of their destiny.” This player-first approach can already be seen in their lively practices and scrimmages to start the season, with experienced players offering advice to some of the newer ones.

While the team’s mindset is strong, goal-scoring is one area of concern. The team has lost a lot of scoring from the departure of last year’s seniors Decker Hardin and Brady Hughes, as well as the transfer of Colton McNamera to a private school. Star sophomore Liam O’Dowd will also be sidelined this season with a broken shoulder blade, which he sustained in a pre-season game. This year, the scoring will have to come from some new faces, such as seniors Daniel Hackett and Luke Meleski and sophomore Chase Loban.

Nonetheless, this year’s boys lacrosse team is in high spirits, and the sky is truly the limit for these athletes. Their journey begins on Thursday, April 4th, when they open the season against Mid-Wach B foe North Middlesex.