A New Attitude for Nichols Lacrosse

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Junior Macaulay Gillis has benefitted from Nichols' new aggressive style.

There has not been much to cheer for around the Nichols College men’s lacrosse team the past few years, but the program is going through a serious attitude adjustment this season.

The Bison having a new coach is hardly news. Nichols has gone though three coaches over the past four seasons in lacrosse. But, coach Eric Gobiel’s energy and attitude have the Bison feeling more confident than one senior can remember.

“The team’s confidence is at an all-time high right now,” senior defender Chris Chipello said. “We’re having more fun than we ever have before, and he’s brought us together as a team.”

Gobiel, who was a decorated coach at the junior and high school levels before arriving at Nichols this year, has instilled a new “no-nonsense” approach, and has seen it pay dividends right away. The Bison are 2-2, no small feat for a squad that has gone a combined 4-24 in Commonwealth Coast Conference play the past three years, and Gobiel has big plans for his steadily rising program.

“We want to compete in every game, and we just want to out-work every team we play,” Gobiel said. “But we also want to play in the Commonwealth Coast Playoffs and have a chance for a home game. It may take a few seasons for everything to come together, but I like the direction we are headed.”

The biggest change Gobiel has made is treating lacrosse and academics like a job. The team now has a number of mandatory meetings and study halls it must attend every week. He has also installed an up-tempo offense that revolves around putting constant pressure on an opposing defense to create as many shots as possible.

One player that has benefitted from Nichols’ new system is junior attacker Macaulay Gillis. Through only four games, the former Algonquin Regional star has accumulated 18 points for the Bison, 10 of them goals. But Gobiel knows that if his team is to go far, it will be on the back of its veteran defense and senior goalie Scott Gray.

“We want to keep a high tempo on offense, but we also need to play very focused defense,” Gobiel said. “We need to use that experience we have on the back end in our favor. Those guys have played a bunch, so we can use that to work our strengths and expose other teams’ weaknesses.”

But more than any tactical advantage, Gobiel has brought the Bison hope. Chipello said that the energy around the program is sky high, and that there is a serious feeling that they can win big for the first time since he has been on campus.

“We’re really looking forward to capitalizing on our potential,” Chipello said. “For the first time since I’ve been here, we really feel like we can compete. We really feel like we can make the conference playoffs and achieve our goals.”

The Bison begin conference play Saturday against Gordon at 4 pm in Wenham. Nichols then returns home to face Roger Williams next Wednesday at 7 pm. You can find the Bison’s complete schedule here.