NECC ANNOUNCES MEN'S AND WOMEN'S LACROSSE FOR 2013
The New England Collegiate Conference recently announced that it would be adding the sports of men’s and women’s lacrosse for the upcoming 2013 season. The addition of men's lacrosse brings to the number of varsity sports the NECC will sponsor to 16 in 2012-2013. The Pride joins several current NECC opponents in the new division and looks to be competitive going forward.
WESTON, Mass. – The New England Collegiate Conference recently announced that it would be adding the sports of men's and women's lacrosse for the upcoming 2013 season. The addition of men's lacrosse brings to the number of varsity sports the NECC will sponsor to 16 in 2012-2013. The Pride joins several current NECC opponents in the new division and looks to be competitive going forward.
On the men's side, five NECC members will sponsor the sport - Becker College, Daniel Webster College, Mitchell College, Regis College and Wheelock College - with competition beginning in the spring of 2013 with the conference. The NECC Men's Lacrosse Champion will be determined by regular season play.
"We are pleased to offer Men's Lacrosse as a conference sport beginning in the Spring of 2013," said NECC Commissioner Del Malloy. "With the addition of men's and women's lacrosse, we continue toward our goal to offer varied athletic opportunities and a quality experience to the student-athletes at our member schools."
The Regis men's lacrosse team finished with a 4-11 record in its first year under head coach Josh Blumenthal. The Pride registered wins over both Becker (11-10) and Wheelock (19-1) last season, while suffering a 7-6 setback in overtime to Mitchell College. The Pride will still participate in the Pilgrim League in 2013, while also being a part of the NECC.
A women's lacrosse conference was announced back in September of 2011. Six NECC members will sponsor the sport - Bay Path College, Becker College, Daniel Webster College, Elms College, Regis College and Wheelock College - with competition beginning in the spring of 2013 with the conference regular season and tournament play. Schools will be eligible for NCAA tournament play through at-large selection.
The Pride had a record-breaking season in 2012 as Regis posted a program best 9-4 overall record. Grace Politis (Billerica, Mass.) scored 74 goals in 2012 and led the team with 83 points. Not far behind was Teresa Busiek (Arlington, Mass.), who netted 58 goals and added 11 assists for a total of 69 points. The tandem combined for over 69% of the team's offensive output last season, while also accounting for 117 of Regis' 365 groundballs (32%) in 2012.
Regis went 4-0 against its future competition in the NECC last season, outscoring opponents at a 63-23 clip. Daniel Webster gave Regis its closest game as Politis scored three second-half goals to lead the Pride to a 10-9 win over the Eagles.