Alexis Hahn will take over the Wachusett girls lacrosse team this spring in hopes of getting the squad into the win column on a regular basis. Hahn grew up playing lacrosse for Leominster High School before taking her talents to Georgian Court University in Lakewood NJ, where she was the goalie all four seasons for the Division 2 Lions. Prior to taking over the Mountaineers program, she spent the last two years as an assistant coach at Fitchburg State.

“At this time, I don’t know much about this team,” she said. “I am hoping to help them achieve a successful year as a unit by winning games and improving. I’ll figure things out more once we get to tryouts and I meet the girls.”

Although the new coach has yet to have her team take to the field, she is looking to have the team spread the wealth around on offense. In doing so she feels that Wachusett will be a much better team than just having one individual doing everything.

Last year the Mountaineers did not have a successful season, capturing only a handful of wins. “It was a tough year – our last coach wasn’t here long enough to build team bonding, and the captains were not really connecting with the rest of the team,” senior captain Lillianna Mitchell said. “We lost two or three seniors, but we have a talented bunch of freshman and sophomores looking to get playing time this year.”

In addition to Mitchell, who plays midfield, Wachusett will go with four captains this year with goalie Ali Jones and defenders Sydney Marshall and Jayla Bertrand. The foursome wants to build a team bond that was non-existent last year. “If you’re not good, you’re not going to go anywhere,” Mitchell said. “I think that both the varsity and junior varsity players have gotten to know one another much more this year through captains’ practices both on and off the field.”

In the past the Mountaineers have taken the field with a strong defense leading the way, but with a gifted group of underclassmen coming onto the scene things could all change. A good part of that change will rely on the new coach.

Elise Montgomery will be back once again to help anchor the Mountaineers defense and provide the stability that Jones will need in front of the goal. Offensively Wachusett graduated some athletes while also losing freshman Addie Citro who transferred. The freshman was high amongst the Mountaineer goal scorers last year.

Mitchell, along with senior Ashley Shaw Nelson and junior Clara Robinson, will be looked upon to pick up the slack. While Mitchell will stick around the midfield the other two girls have the capability of either playing middie or moving up to attack. Junior Evelyn White has also impressed during the practices thus far. 

“Things will start to get a little clearer once the coach gets to practice and decides where she thinks people should play,” the senior captain said. “She told us that she was looking to win right away, but winning is not our entire life. There will be no pressure put on us, if we put the work in – great, but if we don’t want to then don’t bother coming to practices.” 

Mitchell realizes that a lot of the girls have played certain positions in the past but knows once tryouts begin and the coach sees what she has she may do some adjusting.

The returners, wherever they may play, are hoping that the team can qualify for the state tournament. Mitchell definitely wants to win more and if they happen to lose, she is hoping that the team learns from its mistakes to get better. “With a new coach you never know how things are going to go,” Mitchell said. “But we do have a good amount of talent coming in. Unfortunately, they haven’t played the game on this level before so there is going to be some grooming on the captains’ part so they can become the building blocks of the future.” 

So, while the girls are waiting to see what Coach Hahn brings to the team this spring, they are excited to turn the page and start a new chapter in Wachusett lacrosse, one in which they believe could be very positive with many wins. W