From The Bench: North Haven Girls LAX Ready to Play!

The North Haven girls lacrosse team is getting ready to begin their season this week with a home game vs Sheehan at 2pm. The hard work and practice time is about to pay off. I had the pleasure of watching them scrimmage against Stratford on Saturday. These ladies know only one speed and one speed only....that’s all out! They were flying around the field like bees around honey. Every player was giving 100% all of the time from the seniors on down. It's the senior leadership that has this team clicking.

They are led by tri- captains Mackenzie White, Zaina Gebril and Mariella Biceglia. A host of other seniors and talented underclassmen have the expectations for this season at a high level.

Head Coach Bernie Pellegrino spoke to me about this year's captains. “We are fortunate to have an abundance of senior leadership this season with 16 seniors on our squad, the most in program history. Their leadership characteristics are exemplified by our three captains, Mariella, Zaina and McKenzie.”

“Mariella is a leader for our offense. She is not afraid to take charge on the field and off. She has worked very hard to improve her game and our players follow her example and commitment. In turn, she is always willing to help her teammates improve their play.”

“Zaina is a fierce competitor. She and Mac are the backbone of our defense. She is our most vocal leader, demanding accountability from herself and our players. She definitely " talks the talk" but she always is willing to "walk the walk"!”

“Mac is perhaps our most cerebral player. She really understands that to be successful our defense must work as a cohesive unit. As a leader she is able to communicate that to her teammates in a way that they understand and can react accordingly. It is an innate quality in her.”

"With the combination of all of the leadership skills that our captains bring to a squad with many experienced players, our coaching staff is very fortunate this year. I think it will allow us to react quickly and with confidence as the season progresses knowing that our Captains have the ability to lead our players with their commitment and accountability."

I would like to wish them all the best and I can’t wait to see them on the field.

Mark Curcio
From The Bench
Curcio Sports Photos