CHS lax teams open season with high expectations
By Jay Turner
Senior Paul Swart is off to a fast start with 7 points through 2 games. (Mike Barucci photo)
The CHS spring sports season officially got underway last week with the start of boys and girls lacrosse, and both teams have high hopes for 2015 despite a less than stellar opening week.
Both squads lost their season opener to defending Kelly-Rex champion Franklin last Wednesday — the boys on the road and the girls at home. The girls then dropped a nailbiter to North Attleboro on Monday (10-9) while the boys salvaged a 1-1 split with an 11-6 win over nonleague Quincy.
“We took it on the chin against Franklin, but we came out strong and played hard the entire time,” said head coach Bill Bendell of their victory over the visiting Presidents.
Bendell said he expects his team to compete for the Davenport Division title this season, although their number-one goal is to make it back to the postseason after missing the tournament last spring for the first time in several years.
The Bulldogs return their top three scorers from last season — junior Ben O’Neill, senior captain Tommy Galvin, and senior Paul Swart — and all three have made an immediate impact. O’Neill already has seven goals after a monster game against Quincy; Swart has racked up four goals and three assists, while Galvin has three goals and three assists.
“We moved Paul from the midfield to attack because we just didn’t want to take him off the field,” said Bendell. “Now he and Tommy and Ben are a lethal combination at attack.”
The team also has lots of talent in the midfield, led by junior Eddie McCabe, sophomores Dan Dillon and Joe Mulkay (1 goal, 2 assists), and senior Shayne Walsh (2 goals). Several talented newcomers have also entered the fold, including ice hockey standouts John Femia and Shaun Kirby, among others.
Defensively, the team returns seniors Matt McHugh and Tyler Murphy and adds a new starter in junior Jake Ragusa. They also feature sophomore Michael Pigeon, who Bendell described as one of the top long-stick midfielders in the league, as well as junior goalie Chris Alberts, who won the starter’s job in the preseason and had an excellent game against Quincy, racking up 19 saves.
As for the girls team, new head coach Bethany Compagna is also expecting big things this season despite an 0-2 start.
“We graduated so many seniors and so many dominant players,” said Compagna, who previously coached the JV squad. “But we’ve identified so many players who maybe haven’t had the chance to shine and we’re giving them the opportunity to really be successful. We’re definitely making a run for the whole thing — our goal was to not limit ourselves at all.”
Senior captain Mary McNeil (Mike Barucci photo)
Compagna said there were encouraging takeaways from both games thus far, although she wants the girls to step up their physicality and avoid costly turnovers, which was a problem against North Attleboro.
“It was an evenly matched game,” she said. “They scored a bunch early on and then we came back, but we kind of beat ourselves a little bit.”
Top returning players for the lady Bulldogs include senior captain Mary McNeil, who has been a force through two games and leads the team with seven goals, junior Mary Nee (2 goals, 2 assists), and sophomore goalie Kathryn Doody, who was outstanding in the season opener against Franklin.
Besides McNeil, co-captains this year include Christine Ward, who had two assists in the North Attleboro game, and starting defensemen Jackie Martin and Julia Mackie. Senior Kelsey Trerice, a former midfielder, will also slide into a defender’s role, while senior Caitlin Hutchinson steps into the starting center position.
Compagna is also excited about the potential of several younger players, including sophomores Mary Kent and Rebecca Eckler and freshman Jess Powers. “We’re kind of taking a new approach to building depth this year,” said Compagna. “We’re looking to reach down deep into the program, and we have big plans for these girls.”
This week, the girls were due to host Mansfield while the boys were scheduled to play two on the road — at Mansfield Wednesday and at Milford Thursday. Next week, both squads will face King Philip on Monday and North Attleboro on Wednesday, April 15.
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Posted by Jay Turner
on Apr 9 2015. Filed under High School, Sports.
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