We’re just a month into the new year, and Spring sports are already underway. As a matter of fact, the lacrosse season is starting up in just a couple of weeks. Eastern’s teams are coming into the season with varying expectations and challenges to overcome, along with coaches in the beginning of their new journeys in leading Eastern lacrosse.
On the men’s side, they are entering their first season under new head coach Colin Piper. He’s no stranger to Eastern men’s lacrosse, having played with them from 2017 to 2020 and serving as the team’s offensive coordinator under his predecessor Kevin Wallace the past two years. Though he has big shoes to fill, he has shown confidence and enthusiasm for this new challenge. I had the opportunity to speak with him about this new promotion, and this is what he had to say.
“It’s very surreal to be at the helm of something that I’ve been a part of for so long,” said Piper. “We have a great group of guys, and I’m very blessed to walk into a talented team and a team that’s been playing together for a couple years now and putting my own twist on it.”
Now, the team itself is back with a vengeance. They’ve performed strongly over the previous two seasons against good competition, yet can’t seem to overcome the achilles heel that is Stevenson. They’ve lost every single match they’ve played against the Mustangs, including a heartbreaker in last year’s MAC Commonwealth semifinals where they surrendered a four goal lead in the second half. It’s been a goal of Eastern’s for years now, and Piper labeled it as “an achievable goal.”
“[We] definitely have the talent,” Piper added. “We have a lot of the same pieces and talents there, [and] we brought in some nice pieces this year… We look really good when we’re together and all on the field working. We have the flashes – it’s just doing that consistently game and game out”
The returning pieces and talents Piper mentioned are headlined by graduate student Nicholas Fanelli, who is coming off a historic 2023 which saw him become the program’s all time single-season points leader. The midfield is led by fellow graduate Connor Bachman and senior Nick Litzenberger, who earned 1st team All-Conference honors along with Faneli. This team, however, is led by its defense. Sophomores Sean Dendall and Dominic Marangoni each had monstrous rookie seasons that resulted in All Conference honors, and senior Nathan Gilbert wreaked havoc last year with 30 caused turnovers despite struggling with an injury early on.
Now the women’s side holds a completely different story. The program has undergone some remodeling over the past few years, as they look to pick up the pieces from the disastrous restart from the pandemic. This will be the program’s second season under head coach Mikalah Gillespe, and she describes this season as one to showcase who these players are as individuals.
“Part of this program is demanding great humans,” said Gillespe when I asked about her main goals for her players this season. “They’re patient and resilient, and they have to come back from tough defeats and get right back to work. They have to be resilient, determined, and gracious to each other and themselves. We’re trying to build them up and connect them with each other. We want them to win games, but most importantly, we want them to come out of their four years here as better and stronger people.”
Resilience will be key, especially since the team currently has only 13 players on its active roster. With only one player available off the bench each game (and that’s not accounting for any potential injuries), this team is, to say the least, stretched thin. Recruiting will be a top priority for these Eagles, especially since five of those thirteen players are entering their senior seasons.
As for the players themselves, they do have some key returners to pair with four first years and a transfer. Seniors Emerson Shauger and Teresa Gailey are each coming off career years in scoring and assists, while senior Emily Styles and junior Madison Thomas, who joined the team midway through last season, are back to anchor the defense.
The season for both squads kicks off on February 17. The men play at Washington College at 2 p.m., while the women are here on Olson field in a clash against Wilson. Full schedules can be found at goeasterneagles.com.