There are a number of kids of Plymouth State sports teams that are extremely talented at their sport. There are also a number of kids on PSU teams that are just awesome people, and just “get it”. There aren’t too many players that have both of these traits, but one of the athletes that happens to have both of these traits is Senior captain of the Men’s lacrosse team, Nick Allard.
The Norwich, Connecticut native is one that is extremely respected by his team, as he was picked to be one of the captains for his team not only his senior year at Plymouth, but his junior year as well. There aren’t too many Panthers that can claim that same accomplishment within the Men’s lacrosse program.
Allard is one of those people that will brighten your day up, as he will ask you when you are out and about “what is going on”, and be genuinely curious as to various things going on in your life at the moment. In short, he’s one of those kids off of the field that “gets it”.
On the on-field side of things, Allard is in his third year as a starter for the Panthers on defense. As a junior last season, Allard was named to the Little East All-Conference Second team as a defender. The voting on this award is done by coaches within the LEC, so Allard has also developed the respect within the conference as well.
With the Men’s lacrosse team capturing their eighth win of the season on Wednesday (April 8th), Allard will look to keep the winning streak that the team has going. PSU will be going for their eighth consecutive win when they take the field on Saturday (April 11th) morning at 11:30 A.M. at New Hampton.
1. How long have you been playing lacrosse for?
I have been playing lacrosse since I was in 6th grade. I was the typical festively plump kid that is handed the pole to play defense.
2. How does the lacrosse team look for the rest of the 2015 season?
There are high expectations for the rest of the season. As of now we are on a strong path with a few victories behind us and we are hoping to keep the momentum going. We have a great group of seniors, who are all doing a great job at keeping the players focused and leading by example. I expect to be in the LEC championship game.
3. What is your most memorable moment in your lacrosse career?
I don’t think I can pinpoint one moment that stands out the most. There have been close games and overtime wins that have all been memorable to me. I am hoping to make my most memorable moment be at the end of the season in the playoffs.
4. Do you have any superstitions on game day?
I wouldn’t say I really have any superstitions, but I do have a routine. Before every game, I try to numb my shoulder with tiger balm, which usually draws a response from other players. After that, I will drink some MiO energy and then wait until it’s time to go on to the field.
5. What was the "Welcome to lacrosse" moment in your career?
My “Welcome to lacrosse” moment was probably starting my first game in college. In high school it was always a goal of mine to play at a higher level. When I was able to start for the first time in college it was rewarding to realize I reached that goal.
6. If I were to look at you iPod/iTunes/etc., what would be the five most played songs?
Stolen Dance- Milky Chance
Horses are Faster- Scotts Friend
Man of the Year- Schoolboy Q
Peace Train – Cat Stevens
Mary Janes Last Dance- Tom Petty
7. This is the best start for the men's lacrosse team since your freshman year. How will you look to keep the winning streak going with the majority of the remaining schedule being against LEC opponents?
As I mentioned before, the senior class has been a key to our success. The goal is to stay focused and continue to work hard every day. The upperclassmen do a great job at keeping everyone on that track and making every practice competitive.
8. Chris St. George has been phenomenal in net, stopping 65% of the shots that he faces. Since he is playing this well, does that allow the defense to relax a little bit more, and not worry about making mistakes?
Absolutely not. Our job, as a unit, is to put Turkey in the best position possible to be successful. The main goal we have is to limit the offense to a minimal amount of shots. After that, we are looking to allow only outside shots. If we are not doing our job, Turkey will let us know. I think we have a strong defensive unit overall. Turkey being able to make huge saves consistently adds to our strength and has been a game changer in many cases.
9. How pumped are you and the team to finally have a home game this upcoming weekend?
I’m so used to traveling at this point; it hasn’t really kicked in that we have a home game. It will be refreshing not having to take any long trips before the game. Although the game is at New Hampton, we are hoping to have a crowd come down for support.
10. Can you explain the connection that the team, and specifically Head Coach Gordon Webb, have with the song Uptown Funk?
Uptown Funk has become our victory song. The trend began in one of the first games of the season that we won. “Uptown Funk” was playing in the locker room after the game and Coach Webb was dancing around full of energy. It is an interesting site to see an athletic 72 year old man dancing around to Uptown Funk. Obviously, all of the players loved it. Now, after every game we win, Uptown Funk is playing in the locker room and Coach Webb is enjoying the beat.