Amity Girls' Lacrosse Ready To Attack 2011

After a 2010 season that can be described as a rebuilding year, the Amity girls' lacrosse team expects to improve this spring. Coming off a 6-11 record, the goal for 2011 is the same as always: to make it to the postseason.

“We had a mixed season last year,” said Amity Coach Jenna DeRosa, now in her tenth year with the team. “We didn’t have a lot of experienced players on the field. We were really working out the kinks.”

One of those kinks was goaltending. The Spartans spent last season rotating different players in and out of goal. While that position remains uncertain as the preseason winds down, the team has options.

Kim Lovejoy, one of three senior captains, stepped up down the stretch last year and is expected to provide stability this spring.

“Hopefully we’ll be stronger this year,” said Lovejoy. “We have two seniors and a junior and have been working with new goalie coach Jesse [Tyner].”

Versatility is one of the major strengths for this year’s squad, which returns many juniors who progressed as last season went on. Rather than have set, specialized positions -- such as left and right wings -- this year Amity will have feature broader groups of players on attack, midfield, and defense.

“We have more depth than we did last year,” said Amy McNeil, a senior captain and midfielder. “We’re going to come out much stronger this year.”

Key to the team’s depth and development is the offseason work put in by much of the team. Nearly all of Amity’s players played fall and spring lacrosse, which has improved both team chemistry and overall ability. Cohesive is the key word among captains Lovejoy, McNeil, and Sile Robinson.

“It’s not just about the points, it’s about the chemistry,” said Robinson. “We definitely want to make sure we build up our younger players. That didn’t happen last year. We made it a point to let everyone play going into this season. There are players who didn’t play varsity last year who will contribute this year.”

In addition to Robinson and McNeil, the team’s midfielders include junior Jessica Malinconico and Kelly Rafferty. Several players, such as Kira Saunders, are expected to contribute on varsity after solid JV seasons in 2010.

DeRosa expects the team to be offensively strong, noting, “Our offense has always been strong. Scoring has never been an issue. Defense has inherently been harder, as the rules give attackers the advantages.”

DeRosa is joined on the sidelines by her husband Shaun DeRosa, who is in his ninth year as an assistant coach, Bill McNeil, and freshman coach Nora Curley.

This is the first season of girls’ lacrosse being organized in a class system. Until this year, teams played in either Division I or II. Now teams are divided into classes by size—S, M, L—as they are in most other sports. Amity, which played in Division II in the past, will now play in Class L. This year the Spartans face the annual powerhouses of Hamden, Mercy, West Haven, and Sacred Heart.

Amity opens the season at Watertown on April 7 and travel to Trumbull on April 11 before playing its first home game, against St. Joseph, on April 12.