Coming off an ACL repair surgery just last season, senior captain and midfielder Kate Lemire is leading Emerson’s women’s lacrosse team into New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference play. It was a long road back, according to Lemire. But it was worth it.
Head coach Kat Egizi said she expects Lemire to contribute to her club’s success and praised Lemire for her leadership.
“Kate contributes quite a bit to our squad,” Egizi said. “She represents the qualities we value as a team.”
Egizi said that Lemire’s work ethic is what makes her stand out.
“Her work ethic is special,” Egizi said with emphasis. “I push other players to work like her.”
The team has played seven games thus far, all against out-of-conference opponents. NEWMAC games, which started Wednesday, determine if the Lions make the playoffs.
“Non-conference games are essentially a tuneup,” Lemire, a communication studies major, said. “NEWMAC games actually matter.”
Egizi said that after Lemire tore her ACL last year, she originally wasn’t even sure that her midfielder was going to be able to play as a senior.
“It’s been nice seeing Kate excel. She’s all over the field and is in every single play,” Egizi said.
As a midfielder, Lemire said she consistently must be in all three zones on the field.
“I play a little bit of offense and defense,” she said. “The key is to transition from playing defense into attacking the opponent’s net.”
Egizi said that she usually doesn’t have to worry about containing the other team’s best player.
In addition to her stellar defense, Lemire is currently fifth in the NEWMAC in assists with 10.
“She takes a lot of pride in getting assists,” Egizi said. “But, she’s also putting the ball into the back of the net a lot as well.”
Lemire said that at the beginning of the season, she and fellow captains, goalie Victoria Kanaris and midfielder Tayllar Righini, met with Egizi privately to set goals and lay the groundwork for the upcoming season.
“As captains, we provide a middle communication between the coaching staff and the team,” Lemire said. “Our teammates can come to us to for help or to ask questions. It’s our job to motivate everyone.”
Lemire said she values her role as a leader.
“I leave them little sticky notes all the time,” she said with a smile. “Being a captain is just about doing the little things, like setting an example and encouraging our teammates to be on time.”
“We have worked to create a chill atmosphere,” Lemire said. “We’re super excited for the rest of the year.”
Although Egizi, who was hired last year, didn’t recruit Lemire and her fellow seniors, the coach said it will be tough to replace their class next year.
“Kate is such a big part of our team,” she said.“She keeps surprising me by working harder than I ever thought she could. I think she’s even stronger than last year.”
The lacrosse team travels to Smith College on Saturday, April 2 for their next game as they take on their NEWMAC rival at 1:00 p.m.