The 2021 lacrosse season kicked off last week with Varsity,  JV, and Middle School Lacrosse practices. This season will be a very exciting one as the Varsity Lacrosse team will be playing for the first time since the spring of 2019. There are six games scheduled: three are home, and three are away. These games will be the first opportunity this year for the Montrose community to watch one of our teams compete on Miracle Field. 

Coach Osborne, who coached JV lacrosse in 2019, will be coaching the varsity team this season accompanied by Coach Bettinelli, who will be returning to coach Varsity Lacrosse. The team will be focusing on conditioning as well as skills in preparation for games. The Varsity Lacrosse captains are Catherine Bettinelli ‘21, Caroline Piorkowski ‘22, and Anna Rose ‘22. All three are talented athletes and leaders. Anna Rose said: “We were all super disappointed to not have a season last year, and to be able to play sports at all this year is really exciting! And with six games scheduled already, we are looking forward to an amazing season with an amazing team.”

The Varsity Lacrosse team is full of talented players with varying levels of experience. This will be senior captain Catherine Bettinelli’s last lacrosse season. Catherine is the current goalie for Varsity Lacrosse. “I’m excited to have games and be with such an awesome group of girls for my last season at Montrose,” Catherine said. She added: “I feel so blessed that we are able to have scheduled games for this season. I’m also excited to have two amazing coaches for my last season at Montrose.”

Leslie Baker ‘24, who is playing her first lacrosse season, will be the team’s backup goalkeeper. “When I tried out for Varsity Lacrosse as a new player, I never thought that I would be going out for goalie,” said Baker, “but, when I heard that the team needed a goalie, I decided I would try it out. I loved playing goalie and ended up becoming the backup goalie for this season with a rollover to full-time goalie next season. The team was very welcoming and nice, and I feel like I belong on the team.”

The lacrosse program is clearly thriving: for the first time ever, there are three lacrosse teams at Montrose.  JV and Middle School Lacrosse teams also had their first practices last week. Coach Stebbins and Coach Hanrahan are coaching the JV Lacrosse team, and Coach Crehan is coaching the Middle School Lacrosse team. Although JV and Middle School do not have games, they will be working hard this season to develop basic skills and conditioning as well as gain a greater understanding of the game. 

Cate Lynch, Sports Editor

24clynch@montroseschool.orgel