By John Orrell, Contributing Writer

Shrewsbury girls varsity lacrosse captains (l to r) Jena Reichheld, Rachel St. Pierre, and Kiana Oteyza
Photo/John Orrell
Shrewsbury – With just four returning seniors and a schedule as grueling as any in area high school sports, Shrewsbury High School (SHS) girls varsity lacrosse head coach Erica McMahon knew early on that it would take a total team effort and then some to run with the top competitors in Mid-Wach A this season.
So when the team rattled off five victories in six tries to open the season, including a thriller 15-14 edging of rival Groton-Dunstable, was that all a surprise?
Not so much say players and coaches who have each others’ backs game in and game out. It starts with team bonding, confidence and talent which have been on display since the season’s opener. And despite dropping a 15-4 decision at home against number three Western Mass. powerhouse Minnechaug High on April 30, there is an across-the-team feeling that post-season competition is in the offing.
“The girls just need to recognize that all 11 players on the field need to be utilized,” said fourth-year coach McMahon, whose team record sits at 5-4 and is assisted by Alicia Tinsley. “Getting everyone to get touches on the ball and be confident to get to go to cage is important. We have a young team with just four seniors so we need to get everyone confident in competing at the varsity level knowing we can trust everyone out there.”
“This team is very young and we lost a lot of players the last two years,” said senior co-captain Rachel St. Pierre. “But being such a young team there’s so much room for improvement. Playing with these competitive teams has been tough but we’re sticking in there. That shows how much fight we have and it doesn’t matter who’s on the field, we’re all working together to get the win.”
Despite heavy pressure and an often impenetrable defense, the Colonials were able to find the back of the Minnechaug net with goals from Delaney Couture, Sydney Murner, Maddie Montague and Kylian Kelly. Murner also added a pair of assists.
“We were expecting to come in and give it everything we had today but I think we hung better with this team (Minnechaug) than we might have expected to,” McMahon acknowledged. “I think the girls have recognized that if they put in the same effort that they did today into some of our league games we’ll be even more competitive this season.”
What has made this team fun to watch is the unity that leaps off the page each and every time out. From savvy seniors to the hard-charging freshman Couture, this team has character across the board. All must be in full supply going forward especially versus league heavyweights Algonquin, Westborough and Groton-Dunstable.
“Everyone on this team plays as a team and no one tries to get on their own to play their game,” explained senior co-captain Kiana Oteyza. “Everyone trusts each other and can count on each other.
“One thing we have to do is not to give up if we get down a couple of goals. We can’t stop trying. We have to try harder. At practice, we need to challenge each other and play as hard as we can at practice so when the games come, everyone will be challenged and know not to give up.”
In agreement with her fellow senior co-captains was Jena Reichheld, who concurs that team unity is both critical and appreciated.
“It’s so refreshing and awesome to have a team where if you make a mistake they tell you that you’ll get it next time rather than getting down on you and that’s awesome,” she said. “The support we have amongst us is amazing.
“Everyone is a part of this team and everyone makes a difference. Whether it’s a little ground ball or a give-and-go pass, everyone is a part of everything and that’s really nice.”
Members of the 2016 Shrewsbury High girls’ varsity lacrosse team are seniors Jessica Collins, Kiana Oteyza, Jena Reichheld, Rachel St. Pierre: juniors Megan Gasper, Blair Govoni, Breana Hogan, Madeline Montague, Sydney Murner, Maria Antonia Silva, Nicole Vandal; sophomores Brielle Carelli, McKenna Carroll, Alexandrea Hogan, Kylian Kelly, Lauren King, Samantha Ljunggren and Maura McNamara. Delaney Couture, fresh off a stellar high school ice hockey season, joins the squad as the team’s lone freshman.