It’s the return of lacrosse season in Connecticut.
The No. 23 University of Connecticut women’s lacrosse team will play their first game of the season on Wednesday against the Fairfield Stags in Fairfield at 3 p.m.
Both teams last faced off in a pre-pandemic matchup at UConn, where the Huskies came out victorious 19-12. That matchup saw a young junior, named Sydney Watson, score six goals in an elite performance.
In 2022, Watson has cemented herself as one of the best lacrosse players in the nation. With a first team All-American selection and numerous Big East awards, she’s a force to be reckoned with, elevating the Huskies to another level in the standings. Watson is looking to show up against Fairfield.
The Stags have already started the season with a dominant win against the Holy Cross Crusaders. Fairfield junior Libby Rowe led her team to victory with an impressive five goals on the day.
Fairfield has a need for players like Rowe to step up for the Stags after the departure of former midfielder Meaghan Graham. The Stags return the leading goal scorer of 2021, Kelly Horning, to the team. Horning should definitely provide some trouble for the Huskies on defense.
Despite the talent of Fairfield, the Huskies are dangerous this season and that’s an understatement. They are ready to debut an incredible set of talent. With the return of Watson and a talented team that includes virtually all of their top players from 2021, the team can contend with anyone on their 2022 schedule.
Watson isn’t alone on the field either. Lia LaPrise was an essential part of the Huskies success in 2021 with 78 points and 41 assists. Those numbers are good for first in the Big East for points and second in assists.
When you pair both Watson and LaPrise along with additional talent in Grace Coon and Kate Schaffer, you have a recipe for success.
That’s all without mentioning the new freshmen on the team: Riley Daly. With 63 goals and 302 draw controls in high school, Daly certainly provides the potential to develop into an effective weapon for the Huskies. Rayea Davis shows the potential to be a great scorer for UConn. The Huskies have brought in the talent to compete for the foreseeable future.
Coming off an NCAA tournament appearance and an incredible season featuring a huge win over a ranked University of Massachusetts team at Morrone Stadium, the Huskies will have to work hard to live up to their impressive accomplishments in 2021.
The game can be streamed on fairfieldstags.com.
