Meet the Defense for Plymouth State Women's Lacrosse

1. Tell me a little bit about your back round in lacrosse before you got to Plymouth.

Kristen Guest- Before I got to Plymouth my lacrosse experience was limited. I played in high school, but I did not see the field as much as I would have liked to. When I came to school in the fall of 2009, I had no intention to try out for the team. I met a couple of the girls from the team who convinced me to meet with Coach Blanchette and said that she was looking for girls who wanted to play. I had nothing to lose so I decided to meet with her. After talking with her, I was on the team and eager to get started. I blinked my eyes, and next thing I knew, it was my junior year!

Lorin Field- I have been playing since the 4th grade. In high school, I made the UNE (Upper New England) team 3 years in a row. We traveled to Maryland every year to play the top teams in the state. I was named All-American my junior and senior years of high school.

Allison Gonyea- I came from a struggling high school program that didn't really have any sort of "feeder" program. Many of the players had little lacrosse experience, and therefore the coaches had a broad range of skill sets that they had to cater to. Once I got into my senior year in high school, I knew I wanted to play in college and be challenged by a whole new kind of competition that was completely foreign to me. Before playing for Plymouth, I was on a team where only a couple of girls contributed on the field. Now, I play for a team that has a whole field full of leaders that are contributing.

2. What has been the best part of the season so far?

KG-The best part of the season so far, in my opinion, is seeing how much everyone has improved. Not just the freshman, but the seniors and juniors as well. Everyone on the team is always so excited and ready to learn what Coach has to offer. Each girl puts in the extra time and effort to make themselves a better player and teammate without Coach even asking - and it shows! The amount of integrity, dedication and determination this team has is inspiring.

LF- See us (as a team) grow everyday, and how amazing our team really is, and how hard everyone works.

AG- The best part of the season so far has definitely been seeing how fired up everyone gets before every individual game and how excited everyone is to further grow as a team.

3. What is one thing that the team can improve on for the rest of the season?

KG- It's the little things. Our team has a lot of young talent and contributors who are still gaining game experience. Most of the girls on our team have never been "scouted" by other teams before so they do not know what it is like to go into a game and have a top defender force them to use their left hand, have a goalie save every high shot, or have passes constantly intercepted. We practice these things throughout the week we just need to trust that we can execute them in a game.

LF- Always stepping our level of play up everyday, whether that's in practice or in a game.

AG- I think that every team has to work hard in practice every day to improve together. No team is exempt from that and I think that if we keep that in mind then we'll be all set and head in the right direction.

4. Is it toughing to play defense? For the most part the only recognition you usually get is when something negative happens.

KG- I would have to disagree with this. I love defense. Defense is tough, but it's not about the recognition. Defenders always have to be a step ahead of the attacker, knowing where the pass is going to go and where they are going to drive. Many attacking plays begin with a goalie save or a caused turnover on the defensive end. But there is nothing better than taking the ball directly from the other team's stick and getting it up the field into our attacker's hands so they can put it in the back of the net. 

LF- I don't think our defense get negative recognition at all. We have an amazing and unstoppable defense. Look at Kristen Guest; she has been named LEC defensive play of the week for like four weeks straight now. Also if something negative does happen in the game, it not just the defense's or offense's fault, its all of ours as a unit. We're a team we all contribute to everything we do as a team. 

AG- I think that at younger levels of lacrosse, defense doesn't always receive the same recognition as other positions on the field. However, I think that it's great that at the collegiate level there is plenty of opportunity for defensive players to receive honorable recognitions such as LEC Defender of the Week, LEC Defender of the Year, and other statistical recognitions (top contributors in ground balls, caused turnovers, etc.).

5. Do you have any pre-game rituals? If so what are they?

KG- I eat fruit leather and dance in the locker room...you know, the usual.

LF- OH, yes I do!! I have to listen to these three song right before I set foot on the field: Bullet by Mat Kearney, Sky's the Limit By Lil Wayne, Don't Get Caught Slippin by Ace Hood (in that order). I also go out in the hallway, and I bounce two balls off the wall to get my hands going and have my music going. When I do that, I visualize the whole game playing out in front of me.

AG- I personally don't really have any major pre-game rituals but something that the team does as a whole is listen to "Call Me Maybe" at least once before a game.

6. What is one unusual talent that any given person on the team has that would surprise people in Plymouth?

KG- At any given time, Bubbles (first-year player Amy MacDonald) can give you the UPC code to any fruit or vegetable in Stop and Shop.

LF- It has to be Bubbles knowing the UPC codes! Ask her any item from Stop and Shop and she can produce the number and can recite all of them!

AG- I hear Meg McNabb plays a mean air guitar.

7. What are your expectations for the team, for the rest of the year?

KG- I expect this team to do big things. I definitely see us being successful in our conference.

LF- To win the LEC!! I know that our main focus is one team at a time, but I know for me and most of the upperclassmen see that we can make it to LEC this year and win. We have such a talented team this year to go that far.

AG- We're taking every day one at a time, but I think it's safe to say that great things can continue to come from this team because of all of the passion and determination that each individual holds.

8. Do you have anything to say to the Plymouth community?

KG- First home game is April 17th vs. Keene; you don't want to miss it.

LF- Thank you for all of your support with the fundraiser that we have done and for watching our games and always supporting our program!

AG-The Plymouth community has been so supportive. Thank you to all of those who have stood behind us in the past and continue to stand behind where we are going in the future. It is especially great that we have so many people standing behind what we believe in and help out with things such as raising money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, which wouldn't have been the success it was without the community involvement.