Huntingdon women’s lacrosse debuts on Saturday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Huntingdon's newest sport opens its season this weekend at Samford Stadium.

The Huntingdon women's lacrosse team will play the first game in program history, hosting the University of Dallas at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

"We're very excited. We had a long six weeks of preseason practice and we're ready to play a game," head coach Liz Frisoli said. "There is so much that goes with playing the first game in school history, but we're trying not to get caught up in that right now. We just want to go out and treat this like a normal game. We want to play hard, have fun and try to get a win."

The Lady Hawks have a roster that features one senior, four juniors, two sophomores and 12 freshmen. Experience levels range from long-time players to first-time players, but Frisoli said she likes what she has seen out of the group.

"I feel very confident going into the season," Frisoli said. "These girls have a lot of potential and they know how to execute what we want to do. We just have to be ready to play mentally and physically.

"Being a brand new program, most people don't expect much out of us. But I expect a lot out of this team. We have a challenging schedule, but I believe if our girls show up ready to play, we have the ability to compete and win any game on the schedule."

Juniors Alexis McDonald and Kalyn Spatol will serve as the first team captains. Frisoli said both have demonstrated leadership and commitment to the program.

"They're both players that everyone looks to and they're committed to helping this program be successful," Frisoli said. "Alexis has been consistent throughout the preseason and will be a strong presence for us at goalie. She's also been very helpful in working with our other goalie. Kalyn has hustled from the start and helps lift the play of those around her. We expect her to be a force on the attack and crucial in the midfield transition."

As for Saturday, Frisoli and the Lady Hawks want to start off with a win. But regardless of the outcome, Frisoli wants to see her team start the season with the right attitude and the right effort.

"I want us to compete and do our best. If we do those two things, I'm going to be happy," Frisoli said. "I hope if we do our best it's going to mean that we win. But at the end of the day I want us to play as hard as we can and be as successful as we can. Whatever happens this weekend, it's going to be a starting point and we will keep building from there."