A Day in the Life of PSU Women's Lacrosse

Last Tuesday, April 16^th, I traveled down to Keene State University with the Women's lacrosse team as they went to play their Little East Conference rival. Being a manager for the team, as well as writing for the newspaper, I said to myself "Why don't I make a timeline for today's game?" I got a notebook, and started recording various things that occurred throughout the day.

11:46 A.M. -The bus leaves PSU en-route to Keene State for a 4:00 game.

11:55- As we start to get moving along on I-93, seniors Kristen Guest, Marie Lander, Amanda Richardson and Caitlin Swanson, as well as junior Carol Messler and fellow manager Hannah Andry discuss what happened down in Boston during the marathon today. Not knowing yet as to what the full extent is, the group only speculates as to what the magnitude of the event was.

11:59- Sophomore Shannon Connerty gives an activity for all of the players to do. With this activity, all of the players have to say one nice thing about the player that is named/listed on the top of the page, and they have to pass it around to the person next to them. Everyone is to write about everyone on the team, in anonymity.

12:26 P.M.- As we reach Concord, N.H., the players continue to pass the papers around the bus.

12:40- The activity that Connerty has starts to come to a conclusion.

12:43- Upon finishing writing, Swanson and Guest discuss who has more defined abs between the two of them.

12:49- Players start to read the various things on the sheet, which all seem sincere and heart-felt.

1:03- Me being the meteorology major that I am, I notice that the weather is changing minute-by-minute, and I start to wonder if it is going to rain at the game.

1:05- Guest and Swanson start to sing while they are on the bus (and they think they are good singers), but it indeed hurts my ears to listen to.

1:09- Head Coach Kristin Blanchette starts to go over scout with the team.

1:23- It becomes obvious to me that everyone knows the scout inside, and out. It is Keene that they are playing after all.

1:26- Scout concludes as we start to approach the greater Keene area.
1:31- "Turbulance" by Steve Aoki & Laidback Luke & Lil Jon starts on the Bose that is in the back of the bus to start to get everyone pumped up for the game.

1:39- We finally arrive at Keene State College.

1:41- The players leave to go get changed in the locker room.

1:58- Blanchette and her two assistant coaches, Nicole Adams and Conor Davis, talk a little bit of gameplan on the bus.

2:07- Swanson comes back on the bus to take a quick nap on the bus.

2:26- Upon getting changed and adding eye-black, the team returns on to the bus to go to the field.

2:33- It starts to drizzle as we head to the field.

2:38- We finally get to the actual field, and the players/coaches go to the locker room that is at the actual field.

3:13- After a few pump-up speeches from players and coaches alike, the Panthers come onto the field.

4:02- The first face-off occurs as the game is underway.

4:54- At halftime, PSU is down 7-6, and looks to tie up the score early on in the second half.

5:16- Caitlin Swanson scores to make put the score at 8-9 in favor of Keene.

5:24- Blanchette calls a timeout to give her team instructions to get the game even.

5:30- Swanson scores her 3^rd goal of the game to tie it at 9 with 12:51 remaining in regulation.

5:44- Rachel Fistori puts the Panthers up 10-9 after a beautiful set-up from Meghan McNabb with only 2:31 remaining in the game!

5:45- Blanchette calls her second timeout to explain to her players the game isn't over yet, and they must focus.

5:48- Casey Curran makes a huge save with only :12 left in the game, and the game concludes with a 10-9 come-from-behind win for the Panthers!!

6:22- Upon the players getting changed/taking showers, a tailgate by some of the parents for the Panthers ensues to some AWESOME food including chicken, pizza and burgers.

6:49- Players, coaches, and parents alike converse with each other over the first win for PSU in Keene since 2007.

6:51- Upon staring at the burgers for about 10 minutes, Coach Davis finally gets a burger, which he is ecstatic about.

6:59- We leave Keene en-route to Plymouth.

8:11- Music has been playing throughout the duration of the bus ride, and the good times continue as we inch closer to PSU.

8:39- We finally get back to Plymouth, and Coach Blanchette addresses the team's performance today and states that they "stepped up to the challenge today, and overcame a lot of adversity". The players, and coaches alike, are thrilled to come back to Plymouth with the W that they so desperately desired.