Last spring, the Marblehead High girls lacrosse team finished up with a 7-11 record. But the program is certainly not lacking in experience and familiar faces along the sidelines to get the varsity back on the winning track quickly.
Annie Madden has been in charge of the big club since 2011 after coaching the JVs the three previous years. Casey Collins, Class of 2015, and Meggie (Collins) Ragno, Class of 2012, are her 2025 assistants, while Emily O’Connor, Class of 2019, is the JV coach.
Madden and her staff require certain demands on each and every player in the program. “We expect every player, regardless of whether they are on the varsity or JV team, to bring a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and a commitment to their teammates every single day,” said Madden. “This means showing up to practice ready to give their best effort, while also being willing to push themselves to improve, not to mention supporting one another on and off the field at all times.
“Every player should also demonstrate respect for their coaches, teammates, opponents and the game itself,” added Madden. “Dedication to the team means being accountable and embracing challenges, while understanding that success comes from working together, no matter what their role happens to be. In summary, I expect each player to contribute to our program’s culture of hard work, resiliency and unity.”
Madden certainly has plenty of numbers to work with this year. A total of 51 players have signed up to try to earn a spot on either the varsity or JV team.
After only a few days of practice, Madden likes several of her team’s attributes. “Our varsity team’s strengths this year include teamwork, determination and growing chemistry on the field,” she said. “We are putting in the effort to work together in order to create scoring opportunities so far in practice. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on capitalizing on those chances by finishing them off more consistently, while improving our communication and sharpening our overall game awareness. Together, we will keep building and strengthening our program to meet the needs we see fit.”
The team goals this season include among other things to play with intensity, while working together and improving in each game.
“We will rely on our seniors to take ownership of the team by setting the tone for effort and accountability, while also guiding the younger players toward success,” Madden said.
“Offensively, our attack and middies need to create and capitalize on scoring opportunities, while defensively everyone must step up to protect the net, starting with strong communication and discipline,” the coach added. “We expect every player from freshman to senior to contribute, so we can compete and win on a consistent basis.”
The Magicians traveled to Winchester on March 24 to scrimmage the Red & Black. Their first regular season game is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, against non-league Woburn at Piper Field, starting at 4 p.m. The Manchester Essex Hornets then come to Piper March 31 at the same time.
