Plymouth North Spring Sports Preview

With season openers slated for the first week in April, let’s take a preseason look at the 2011 Eagles.

Lady Eagles tennis coach Mike Martin is confident that 2011 will be a promising year, despite losing four of his seven starters to graduation. The girls tennis team has made the MIAA tournament every year since Martin has been head coach and he hopes that 2011 is no different. However, making the tournament is never a given, me said

“I think our team must challenge each other to be better in practice,” Martin said. “I believe this will make our players tougher and better.”

Excited for warmer weather, Martin admits that so far practices have more closely resembled a “ski meet” than a tennis match.

The boys tennis team, on the other hand, has all of its 2010 starters returning to the court this year. Much of their talent is in the hands of sophomores and freshmen.

Coach Andy Dugan would like to see his young team make a run at the Atlantic Coast League title. He stressed that “improvement and dedication to the sport” will be most important.

Dugan said with three strong captains, the leadership component could be an early advantage for the squad.

It should be another exciting year for Eagles’ softball. Last year the lady Eagles finished ththeeir regular season with an impressive 12-8 record and qualified for the MIAA tournament. The season opener is scheduled for the first week in April.

The 2010 Eagles’ baseball season continued where the 2009 squad left off. The 2010 team posted a 15-7 season record, and once again made the South Sectional Final of the MIAA tournament. The season begins April 5 against Duxbury.

Duxbury beat Plymouth North 5-0 at last year’s South Sectional Final.

Boys track and field should bring a lot of experience and a strong senior class of runners to the table this spring. According to head coach John Laverty, the team will put emphasis on constantly improving and fostering good sportsmanship.

“A huge emphasis of this team is to be a good sport and gentleman under all circumstances,” Laverty said.

Led by state champion Dan Gordon and ACL all-star Conor Boris, Eagles track and field will be a team to keep an eye on this spring.

Lady Eagles track and field is looking to place in the top thee of the ACL this year, according to coach Tom Giatrakos. Led by talented and experienced upper classmen and freshmen with potential, Giatrakos is confident that his team will improve throughout this season.

“Our goals are simple. Giatrakos said. "To be running, throwing, and jumping better than we were at the beginning of the year.”

According to Giatrakos, training and commitment will be the most important factor contributing to the team’s success.

Coach Melsie Gaignard of the Eagles girls lacrosse team has high expectations for 2011, despite having no seniors on the team. She is looking to the four junior captains for leadership.

Like coach Dugan, Gaignard would like to see her team make a run at the ACL title, but also win at least one MIAA tournament game. However Gaignard acknowledged the role that solid defense and mature play from freshmen will have in the team’s success.

“We lost three defensive players from last season, and those are some very big shoes to fill,” Gaignard said. “There will be some freshmen girls getting some time on varsity.”

Coach Patrick Mulvey-Welsh is excited about the potential his boys lacrosse team will bring into the 2011 season.

“The team is looking really good,” Mulvey-Welsh said. “We are an experienced team with 10 seniors and nine juniors on the roster.”

Like a few other North coaches, Mulvey-Welsh would like to see his team win an ACL title and make the MIAA tournament. He said team unity and unselfish play will be crucial in attaining these goals.

“The camaraderie of our players, seniors down to freshmen, is second to none,” Mulvey-Welsh said.