Girls lacrosse team led by solid core of seniors
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Westborough - Having welcomed back a solid nucleus of returning players, the Westborough High girls lacrosse team looks to improve on last year's 13-5 record, which included advancing to the quarterfinal round of the Central Mass. Tournament.

This season, the Rangers have picked up where they left off , having jumped to a 2-0 start entering this week, thanks to wins over North Middlesex Regional and Wayland High.

"We have a great group of seniors back to lead us this year," Westborough coach Colleen Debish said, "and a nice complement of underclassmen to back them up."

Seven seniors return from last year's squad, led by the talented Emily Mongeau. The senior is a tri-captain - along with classmates Abby Bjork and Jenna Srebnik - and without question the heartbeat of the team.

"Emily just gives the team great balance," Debish said. "She's a goal-scorer, absolutely, but she's so much more than that. Lacrosse is a game of great transition, like basketball in a lot of ways, where you fast break on off ense when you can and set it up and run a play when you can't. Whatever the circumstance, Emily is always in the middle of whatever we're doing."

Mongeau, who scored 50 goals and assisted on 25 others last year, is off to a hot start this season, having already scored 10 goals and assisted on four others in the Rangers' first two contests.

Bjork, like Mongeau, plays an offensive attack position for Debish, while Srebnik's versatility allows her to line up at attack or as a defensive wing, wherever her talents are needed more. Senior Lorna Collins also plays an attack position.

Keying Westborough's defensive eff ort are a troika of seniors: Sarah Becque, Ashley Ertel and Katherine Nagengast.

In goal, Debish has opted for the tandem of sophomore Danielle Allen and senior Meg Cullen. Allen will be the primary starter, while Cullen, a first-year lacrosse player, will get folded into games to gain experience whenever possible.

Juniors on the team include Kayla Volpe, Stephanie Flood, Hannah Srebnik (sister of Jenna) and Missy Reid. Volpe splits time between attack and a defensive wing position, while Flood plays attack. Hannah Srebnik and Reid are defensive win players, as is sophomore Rebecca Mongeau (sister of Emily).

With Central Mass. having gone to the Walker System for the purposes of seeding teams for postseason play - a system that weighs various factors including strength of schedule, not just winning percentage - Debish decided to tweak her team's schedule.

"We've beefed things up a little," Debish said, "kicked it up a notch, if you will, having added a pair of games with Wayland and Medfield and one each with Arlington and Winchester. All four of those teams are pretty successful Eastern Mass. teams and playing them will help us from a competitive level and when - hopefully - our record is reviewed for postseason play."

In addition to those opponents, the Rangers will also square off against several always-strong Central Mass. foes, including Shrewsbury and Algonquin Regional, whom they play twice each.