Wheelock lacrosse teams begin initial seasons during upcoming week
Women's Lacrosse Season Outlook
BOSTON, MA - The first-year Wheelock College men's and women's lacrosse teams debut this week, as the women host a Wednesday contest at 7 p.m. against Rivier College before the men travel to Anna Maria College for a Friday afternoon match-up at 5 p.m.
The squads, which push Wheelock's sport offerings to 11 Division III programs, will compete in 2011 outside of a conference as independents. Live stats for the women are slated to be offered here, while men's live stats are scheduled to be available via Anna Maria's website here.
Under head coach Elizabeth Sullivan, a former Division I lacrosse player at Johns Hopkins University, the women embark on a 12-game slate this spring by beginning against a second-year Rivier program. "We're trying to stay away from measuring success by wins or losses," said Sullivan, a Boston-area lawyer when away from the lacrosse field. "What we are really focusing on is chemistry and using this season to build upon. One great thing about our team is that no one's a senior, so everyone could return next year."
Three players have been selected as the program's first captains, including a pair of juniors in Kayla Drescher (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) and Kylie Hefford (Exeter, NH/St. Thomas Aquinas). Christina Cubera (Baltimore, MD/The Park School of Baltimore) rounds out the trio, becoming one of the rare freshman captains in school history.
Head coach Dan Lee guides the men into their initial campaign, as the former attackman at Division I College of the Holy Cross sees his team take on Anna Maria's third-year squad before opening its home slate against the University of Massachusetts at Boston on Wednesday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m. With only one senior, Lee anticipates the nucleus of the roster should stay intact the next few seasons. "The core of this team is freshmen, sophomores and juniors, and they will have good lacrosse experience and help us get off the ground over these next couple years."
Juniors Kevin Kareckas (South Berwick, ME/Marshwood) and Ben Lewis (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) and sophomore Michael Manning (Brookfield, NH/Kingswood Regional) have been voted in as captains for the inaugural team. The Wildcats will play an 11-game schedule, with home games occurring at Pine Manor College.
