Northeastern men’s club lacrosse has maintained its focus between seasons, and the team hopes to keep up the momentum from its previous success following its 11-6 record in 2023.
This year’s spring season has brought many new players to the team, and with these players, the Huskieshope to make a farther run in the playoffs.
“We have another group of new freshmen” said senior midfielder and captain Alek Tunik, talking about the new players who joined that were a part of the N.U.in program. “So far, everyone has been adjusting really well, and we have been able to hit the ground running at a faster pace than usual.”
The new wave of athletes comes with the departure of respected graduates. Junior goaltender and captain Sam Bellomy emphasized the team’s defensive gap left after former captain Patrick Daley’s departure. But Bellomy is confident that the team will be able to fill this gap with the new players.
The Huskies’ first game is Feb. 17 against No. 4 Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
“I am excited to get out there and show Liberty what we got,” said Sam Nash, junior midfielder, an exchange student from New Zealand. “I think we’ve got a real good chance of beating these guys. They are a very good team and are ranked very well.”
Nash, who had played club lacrosse at University of California Santa Barbara for the 2023 season, earned one goal and two assists and was one of two players taking faceoffs for the team.
The Huskies are looking to clean up their game this season. Forced turnovers were a problem the team is hoping to improve on.
“We are really trying to improve on ball security and poise with the ball. … It is already starting to develop in a better sense than it was last year,” Tunik said.
Overall, the team tries to focus on what it can do better, not what the strengths other teams have.
“Most of our preparation has been getting ready as a team, not necessarily worrying about specific players on their team, but more so about what we can do to help ourselves,” Bellomy said.
During the preseason, the Huskies were ranked eighth on the DI Top Ten list, but they plan to assert themselves as an even greater threat when the season kicks off.
“I like to think that this ranking might have been what our team was last year, but it’s a different team now,” Bellomy said. “We have a lot of new offensive weapons.”
Although the team does not try to think too much about its ranking, it does help players’ composure going against top teams like Liberty.
“It boasted our confidence even more. Other schools and people have realized and seen our talent,” Nash said.
There are many returning players to the team that help bring stability and leadership to the new players.
Bellomy, the Huskies’ starting goalie, had a .627 save percentage last season, and he hopes to continue improving his game.
“[I’ve been] trying to find extra field time and focusing on my fundamentals,” Bellomy said. “I can stop the ball well, but I cannot do it without my big friends in front of me.”
These “big friends” include senior midfielder Matt Hiller, who won 93 out of the 167 faceoffs last season; junior midfielder Christopher Wilk, who had the most goals on the team last season, with 34, averaging 2.941 goals per game; and senior midfielder Ryan McCarthy, who led the team in assists with 17 for the season, averaging one assist per game.
After the team’s upsetting loss in the playoffs last year, a 12-11 score against Concordia University in the first round, the Huskies are eager for redemption.
“I know people definitely want to make it back [to the playoffs] and prove we can go further,” Bellomy said.
However, Northeastern must first focus its energy on some challenging regular season matchups, including its opening weekend against Liberty and Virginia Tech, who ranked first on the week three MCLA DI rankings.
Although the season will undoubtedly be tough, the team feels positive about its ability to perform.
“This is one of the strongest teams we’ve had in program history,” Tunik said, “I am excited to see what we can do as a group.”
