MARSHFIELD, Mass. – Under the direction of a new head coach, the Southern Vermont College women's lacrosse team is eyeing the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) postseason tournament once again in 2019.
The league released the results of its preseason poll on Tuesday with coaches from around the Conference selecting SVC to finish third in this year's standings.
That is the same position the Mountaineers placed in 2018 with a record of 5-2 in league action; Southern Vermont was 7-9 overall last season. In the team's fourth-straight playoff appearance, SVC won its first-round game before falling in the semifinals.
Leading the Mountaineers in '19 will be first-year head coach Paxton Boyer who was appointed to the position in July. She expects to carry on the tradition of being a contender in the NECC tournament which the team has seen since its inception for the 2015 season.
"I would like the program to reach the same successes as last year," Boyer said, "but as long as the team grows on and off the field, then I would consider it a successful season. I am very excited for this year and what it will have to offer. We have a tough non-conference schedule, but it will only help us prepare for the second half of the season and Conference play."
Despite seeing six players expend their eligibility last year, Boyer will command a seasoned squad which includes five seniors and a pair of juniors. Additionally, she will receive help on the sidelines from student manager Natalie Rose Canterbury who is extremely familiar with the program after playing four seasons in the Mountaineer uniform.
"This season, our upperclassmen have been—and will be—extremely important," Boyer said. "We are in a transition year; the program went from having Coach [Tomas L.] Otero for the past four years to now having a brand new coach with a brand new vision. Our upperclassmen know what direction I would like this program to go in, and we share similar goals."
Boyer also has three sophomores returning while welcoming in six freshmen.
"We have added a few new players to the team in the fall and this spring, and—so far—everything has gone pretty well," Boyer commented. "Our team saying for this season is 'One Team. One Heart.' We play as a team and we fail as a team. We have been reading 'The Energy Bus' this spring, and I think that has really helped us keep the negative thoughts and vibes at bay while helping us focus on positivity."
Included in the returners are sophomore Alex Safford (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) and junior defender Juliena D'Alessio (Berlin, N.Y.); both players were selected to the NECC 2018 All-First Team while Safford was also named as the Conference's Rookie of the Year.
In 2018, SVC ranked third in the league in both goals per game (13.71) and goals against average (8.86) during Conference contests. Before jumping into the NECC schedule this year, however, Southern Vermont will have eight matches to polish its skills and playing style.
"As of right now, we are focusing on a game-to-game goal," Boyer added. "I am very big on realistic goals, and our first goal is to get prepared for our first game. As long as we work hard and focus on implementing new defense and plays, I think returning back to the playoffs could be realistic."
That first game for the Mountaineers is at Salve Regina University on Monday, March 4. SVC's home opener is scheduled for March 30 against SUNY Maritime College, and Southern Vermont then begins NECC action against Becker College on April 6.
Elms College—the defending league champions—took the top spot in the preseason poll with six of the seven first-place votes. League newcomer New England College received the final top nod to take second in the ranking which was determined by voting from Conference coaches.
NECC 2019 Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
1. Elms College – 48 (6)
2. New England College – 42 (1)
3. Southern Vermont College – 36
T4. Mitchell College – 21
T4. Bay Path University – 21
6. Becker College – 20
7. Dean College – 7
(Parentheses denote first-place votes)
– #LetsGoSVC –