FSU Aims For MASCAC Title In 2015
FITCHBURG -- If you happen to drive up North Street and happen to see an older gentleman with a green Fitchburg State jacket walking with a bounce in his step, don't worry, that's just FSU women's lacrosse coach Rick Terrio.
Courtesy of Sean Sweeney, Sentinel & Enterprise
FITCHBURG -- If you happen to drive up North Street and happen to see an older gentleman with a green Fitchburg State jacket walking with a bounce in his step, don't worry, that's just FSU women's lacrosse coach Rick Terrio.
Women's lacrosse
And Terrio has every reason to strut: He believes his team has an incredible chance at bringing a MASCAC title to Fitchburg State this spring.
The Falcons are slated to get the 2015 campaign -- their eighth as a varsity program -- underway at Johnson & Wales today, assuming field conditions play along, and Terrio notes that it has been a long six weeks of practicing inside the Recreation Center.
"I'm really excited about this upcoming season," he said. "I have the best talent I've ever had. The girls are dying to get out there and play."
Offense and scoring goals should be no problem for this group of young women, which sees last year's (9-9) leading scorer Ali Laferriere of Tyngsboro return in attack.
But that's not all.
"I've had two pretty good recruiting years in a row, so I have some pretty nice, young talent. I have a couple of transfers. We're not going to have any problem putting the ball in the net. I have four or five girls capable of scoring 40 goals. What's going to happen, teams will key on Laferriere, who scored 67 goals last year. They're going to double-team her and face-guard her, and there will be these other girls; 'We didn't know anything about her.
' They have to play one-on-one defense against us instead of double-teaming."
Terrio noted that he has a young group in the midfield -- Carrie Long, Corinne DeSimone, Jaimee Lutz and Andrea Comeau, who all can score -- but he doesn't think that would be a detriment to their offensive production against teams with more experienced midfielders.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
"They're coming in fearless," he said. "They don't care who we've lost to. In past years, we may have had it in our heads, 'Oh, we've been killed by Bridgewater, we're going to get killed again.' The focus this year is going after everybody and fear no one.
"Anything less than being in the MASCAC championship on May 2 is unacceptable."
Liz Darrigo may have a big say in that as the senior goalie returns to the circle.
"Liz is terrific (in net)," said Terrio. "She's in midseason form right now. She's one of the best goalies in New England. I'm expecting a big, huge year out of her. We have a freshman backup in Nicole Patterson from Littleton, who's really improved since she came in. We're solid in goal.
Sam Bontempo of Shirley, Jess Sullivan, Lia Crutchfield, Maddie Driscoll and Leslie Jaffie make up a solid defending corps.
"(Bontempo) came in as a freshman and she had a tough time catching, passing and cradling. But I always saw that athleticism in her. She has foot speed and is athletic, and she has worked so hard over the last two years. She made herself a very solid player with her stick skills. She's going to step right in and be a solid defender for us," Terrio said.
Leominster's Shannon Housser arrived as a transfer and may see time on defense.
"They're really in good shape and strong, so I'm not as concerned about not being on a field because they're in such good shape," Terrio said, praising the team's strength and conditioning program. "They've bought into the program and everybody's improved. We'll be pretty strong out of the box.
"They'll be stronger throughout the season."