2010 Harrison Girls Lacrosse Season In Review

In Harrison's 2009 season several of the then-juniors took on leadership roles. These players gave Head Coach Wendy Swenson high expectations for the 2010 season. Recently coach Swenson recanted on her preseason goals.

"As a team our goal for the year was to win the league and make it to the third round of sectionals," Swenson said. "Individually I wanted to see everyone play up to their maximum potential. We just asked that the kids gave us their all for the entire season."

Though Harrison looked promising in several preseason scrimmages, the team was brought back to reality after the first game of the season.

The Huskies opened up the regular season at home against Fox Lane and Harrison got blown out. The final score was an easy win for the Foxes at 21-8. But the resilient Harrison team quickly rebounded and three days later the Huskies beat Blind Brook 14-2.

"In the beginning of the season we weren't sure of ourselves as individuals or as a team," said Swenson. "We had nine sophomores this year and it took us all some time to get use to one another."

It would be well into the season before the team really started to play up to its potential. But when things came together, it was obvious this Harrison team was unique.

"This group is special," said Swenson. "All of the girls on the team were good kids, and they got along with one another both on and off the field, and I think it made a big difference in their game play."

The team's largest winning streak was four games and it came late in the year. The Huskies beat both Briarcliff and Keio twice. Though the winning streak was impressive, the highlight of the season was an individual accomplishment.

Early in the second game against Keio, Harrison Senior Melissa Shulman scored her 200^th career goal, more then anyone else in Harrison High School history.

"This was definitely the high point of our season," said Swenson. "It was a great individual accomplishment for Melissa, but we took a great deal of pride in it as a team."

Harrison also enjoyed the best season statistically in the history of the program.

"We were the number five seed in the playoffs this year and for the first time ever we had a home playoff game," Swenson said. "Historically we have normally been a double-digit seed. We won more than we lost and we were immensely proud of that. Even the games we lost we were very competitive."

The Harrison coaching staff knew they would get solid years from all of the upper classmen, but Swenson was pleasantly surprised by a trio of sophomores who had break out seasons.

"Alex Misico, Emily Koller, and Angela Troia all impressed me this year," said Swenson. "Troia, I didn't know what she would contribute this year, but she made a huge difference for us in the draws and she really stepped it up. Emily and Alex played for me on varsity last year but they continued to improve and work hard."

The season ended with a heartbreaking loss at Pelham, but the team still enjoyed a great deal of success. The 2010 class is graduating six girls from the team, and each one of them will be missed by Swenson.

Melissa Shulman was the team's captain and led the Husky attack all season long.

"There isn't much more I can say about Melissa, she has done everything we have asked of her since the very first day of varsity practice her freshman year," the coach said.

Nicole Nannariello also proved to be a big asset to the huskies year on the defensive side of the ball.

"Nicole proved to be a great leader for us this season; she has pulled through for us a lot in clutch situations. As a defensive player she knew that she wouldn't get much glory, but she has a great passion for the sport and her work ethic was second to none."

The team's goalie Samantha stump amassed a career in which she collected over 300 saves in her three years on the varsity squad.

"No one wants to be a goalie to start off, but Samantha had a natural talent for it. As the years went by her talent and leadership have both progressed very well. She has gotten great at clearing the ball and she has become much more of a vocal leader on defense."

Another one of the team's starting defenders was Marissa DeCarlo, who along with Stump and Nannariello comprised Swenson's famous D-Squad.

"Defense is a thankless job and Marissa was a silent leader of our defense. She never gave us any trouble and she went out there every day and did her job to the best of her ability. Every game we were confident in her and she provided a great example for every other member on the team."

Briana Lotrointe played offense and she was a key member of Harrison's supporting cast.

"She was at times overshadowed by some other players, and she didn't have the most goals of anyone on the team but every goal she scored for us came in a clutch situation in a close game."

Madeline Susa should be a junior but she has elected to graduate High School a year early.

"We always knew that Madeline had potential she is a quiet individual but she is passionate about the sport. She really came out of her shell this year and showed us what she could do."

Harrison finished the year as the league's number five seed, and the team is only graduating six kids and returning fourteen, giving Harrison unlimited potential for next season.

Several members of the team received individual awards for their on-field success this season. Alex Misisco, Emily Kooler, Samantha Stump, Nicole Nannariello, Cassidy Coehn and Angela Troia were all elected to the all-league team and Melissa Shulman made all section and all elite. Shulman, Stump, Nannariello and Marisa DeCarlo were also awarded US Lacrosse academic All-Americans.