Shrewsbury Lacrosse Fighting Through Slow Start
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Shrewsbury Colonials have played well against the region's best, but have not been able to capture a marquee win.
“I’m comfortable with the way we’re playing, but I’m not satisfied,” Skermont said. “We’re playing well, and we’ve run with teams like St. John’s and Grafton, but there is no let-up in our schedule.”
The Colonials started the year 0-3, but bounced back with consecutive wins over Wachusett and Groton-Dunstable. They then nearly pulled off upsets over St. John’s and Grafton, but ultimately came up short against two of the region’s best teams.
“You know, we’ve played good defense, and we’ve kind of slowed up the pace too,” Skermont said. “But we have to score more goals. When you hold teams like St. John’s and Grafton to only six goals, you have to win those games.”
Junior attacker Cam Kerr shares his coach's sentiment, and knows that Shrewsbury's offense must pick it up if they are to compete with the region's elite.
"In my honest opinion, I feel like we have one of the best defenses in Central Mass," Kerr said. "Once our offense clicks and we get our chemistry going, we should be able to pull out tight games."
Winning the League
Shrewsbury got back on track offensively in a 12-2 victory over Nipmuc Regional Saturday. The offensive explosion came on the back of three goals by both sophomore Derric Dell’Olio and senior Collins Weitz, and may be the first step back in the right direction for Shrewsbury.
“Our backs are a little bit against the wall right now,” Skermont said. “But we know we’re the reason that we’re in this position, and we know that we’re the reason we can get out of it.”
It will be a steep climb, but Skermont says the team is still battling for a league title and a playoff berth. They see 10 wins as their magic number to get into the playoffs, but will have a much more difficult time winning the competitive Mid-Wach A League that features defending Central Mass Champion Algonquin, along with Nashoba, Westborough and Groton-Dunstable.
Getting Hot
The Colonials are now three games out of first place after Tuesday’s loss to Algonquin, but Skermont still thinks his team can be dangerous down the stretch.
Junior Cam Kerr leads the Colonial attack, and coach Nate Skermont has raved about his powerful shot and quick first step.
Key Players
The Colonials are powered by Kerr, who leads the team with 21 points (10G, 11A). Dell’Olio has gone from a solid freshman to a high-scoring sophomore that Skermont already believes is a college caliber player. Weitz leads the team in goals with 17, and has provided senior leadership in the midfield. The Colonials are still growing up as well, featuring five sophomores in the starting lineup.
“We are a little young,” Skermont said. “So you feel good about the future, but at the same time, we’re playing for this year. We owe that to our seniors that have put in so much work, and we’re going to try to make a run this year.”
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