Lancers are winning with teamwork
She’s coached lacrosse at Norwich Free Academy and also coached the NFA girls’ soccer team to the ECC Division I tournament championship this past fall, a sore topic with Sturm, the Waterford goalie, who was on the losing end in the league title game.
Shannon calls coming back to coach at Waterford a “full circle” moment, something that she’s always kind of hoped for.
“I think she’s a really good coach and she makes all the right decisions for the team and it’s really helping us become a stronger team,” Tiven said.
The Lancers, still a relatively young team with just three seniors in Madison LaForte, Payton Smith and Emerson Bunnell, have several more challenges ahead of them this season, beginning with a matchup against Hand on Thursday.
Plenty of work left
Waterford will go another round with its league opponents and also has dates with ECC Division I giants NFA (May 7) and East Lyme (May 9). The Lancers were 12-8 last season with a berth in the ECC Division I and Class M state tournaments.
“If we want to keep this up, we have to keep our heads up and we have to just keep our team together,” Sturm said.
“Of course everyone wants to score and everyone wants to get the points, but we have to just keep our team together, know that a goal is a goal for our team not just for us. It feels really good getting the assist. It feels really good when you’re watching your teammates getting these assists.”
Waterford scored seven goals in the second quarter Monday, two each by Brigham and Tiven, to lead 9-0 at halftime.
Sturm, also in charge of draw controls for the Lancers, scored a goal assisted by Skyla Campisi to beat the third-quarter buzzer to make it 12-0.
Lanie McIlduff scored the lone goal for Bacon (0-4, 0-3) in the fourth quarter.