HOLDEN — It takes 10 regular-season victories to qualify for the upcoming MIAA State Tournament, and with their tenth win in hand following a 13-10 defeat of visiting Ashland High, the Wachusett Regional High girls’ varsity lacrosse team proved they’re in it to win it, say team players and coaches. And who can fault them?
The green and white turned a respectable season record into an extraordinary one by rattling off five straight (six of seven) wins beginning at the halfway juncture of the 2024 campaign. The team’s only defeat in that period came at the hands of a tough Nashoba Regional squad that edged Wachusett by a single point margin, 12-11.
“That’s definitely a good accomplishment for us. Going into the season we set goals,” said senior co-captain Rileigh Leary, who will be enrolling in the U.S. Coast Guard in the fall. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve never made it to the state tournament. Being a senior, this was one of my priorities. With 10 games and more to come, I think we should go in as a pretty good seed.
“I was definitely confident that we could put a winning streak together like that. I’m just glad we can show everybody that we can do it.”
“I think what contributes to our success this year is being able in life to adjust,” said fourth-year head coach Jill Liposky. “In life you’re going to have difficult challenges, and it’s important to adjust those challenges as a whole. We had a tough loss earlier in the week against Nashoba, but if we can learn from our mistakes, I can accept the loss. What we challenge ourselves with is bringing things to the next level.
“I have a lot of confidence in my team, so throughout the whole season, I let the girls adjust for themselves. They’re very smart, and I’m very confident in adjusting to those fast breaks, which they did well today. It’s kind of like I have the next step planned, but I want to see what their outcome will be.”
Scorers in the matchup with Ashland were seniors Kaitlyn Head (5 goals), Meg Jones and Leary each with 3 goals and 3 assists, and a pair of goals by junior Kate Robinson. Netminder Ali Jones recorded 8 saves on the afternoon, but it was the final goal of the game that was arguably the most critical.
Wachusett had jumped out to a 12-7 lead in the third quarter and appeared to have the game in hand; however, Ashland had different ideas. The team scratched and clawed their way back into the contest and trailed by just 2 points as the clock ran down. The Mountaineer girls managed to cling to the tightened lead thanks to Head’s goal, which put things away for Wachusett.
“It was really tense,” Leary acknowledged. “We were all feeling the pressure, and after a tough loss the other day, we were determined that wasn’t going to happen again.”
“The biggest priority on this team is passing and catching,” Head, a captain who will be attending San Diego State University, explained. “The main thing we want to be doing is controlling the ball, especially when there’s a few minutes left on the clock and we’re trying to kill time. Against a team like this (Ashland), that plays back far and deep with backdoor cuts. Passing and catching are super-important instead of just driving. Everyone having those skills is really important to the team.
“This season has been amazing and such a morale boost. It’s awesome to be on a team where we’ve won five games in a row.”
“As seniors, it’s kind of sentimental since I’ve been playing with these girls since second grade,” said co-captain Meg Jones, who will be heading to Iona University in the fall. “One of the things we’ve wanted to do since the beginning of the season was to keep the energy up. Everyone’s positive, and we all share the ball. We’re all working together as a team, and you can see it on the field.
“We knew we had a tough schedule. We had a few losses, but we bounced back, and it shows in our record that we can make really tough wins against a team like Ashland who is seeded higher than us.”
Jones, who has proved invaluable leading the draw on faceoffs, has been a leader in setting up plays from center turf and takes her role doing so quite seriously.
“We recently invested in a new draw stick, and we have been working on those at practice. I know that if I spot Rileigh (Leary), I’m going to get it to her. I have full faith in Rileigh. The biggest part of the game is the draw because that controls the game. We try to move the ball around before taking shots.”
Speaking highly of the team’s ambitious approach to the game and the success to date was parent Lori Head, who had high praise for Liposky and the team’s enthusiasm.
“Something special’s happening on this field this year to bring this team to where it is now,” she said. “I’m so proud of this team and this coach. These women deserve every point they’ve gotten, because they’ve fought every challenge they’ve faced.”
Members of the 2024 Wachusett Regional High girls’ varsity lacrosse team are seniors Kaitlyn Head, Jordan Jarvi, Meghann Jones, Nadia Krasheninin and Rileigh Leary; juniors Alexis Gamache, Emily Hazen, Hannah McGurn, Kate Robinson and Eloise White; sophomores Jayla Bertrand, Elyse Gamache, Alison Jones, Sydney Marshall and Lilliana Mitchell; and freshmen Alison Fontaine, Clara Robinson and Evelyn White. Captains are Leary, Head and Meghann Jones.
