Drury Girls Work Hard Over Summer

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Some might think last year's 3-9-2 campaign for the Drury High School girls soccer team was a season to forget.

 

But don't tell the Blue Devils themselves that.

 

"If you were to ask a lot of last year's kids, they would say they had a ball, in hindsight," Drury coach Molly Meczywor said last week.

 

"The bottom line with high school athletics is I want to see improvement, and I want them to have fun. I want the girls to look forward to coming to practice every day. I want them to create thsoe relationships they're going to have forever. That is a big part of me as a coach: to foster that kind of environment where they like each other and support each other."

 

That said, Drury would like to have a little more success on the scoreboard this fall.

 

"I think our team was disappointed with last season," Meczywor said. "So I think the girls came back with a renewed sense of energy in terms of 'unfinished business.'

 

"That's what we talked about at our June meeting, and that's what we talked about our first day of preseason: unfinished business. We didn't really play to our potential last year. We need to make sure we do that this year. The girls have really embraced that."

 

The Blue Devils get their first chance to take care of business on Tuesday when they travel to Lenox and face a Millionairs side that won the Western Massachusetts Division 3 tournament last year.

 

Drury boasts 11 seniors, which means it is experienced, and those seniors have shown already that they can be leaders on and off the pitch.

 

"Each of the seniors had their own opportunity to run a 'captain's practice' over the summer," Meczywor said. "I'm not really sure what that looked like, obviously, because I'm not allowed to go. They met twice a week and just kind of worked out. Sometimes they were doing fitness and sometimes they were doing soccer."

 

Some of the Devils, like seniors Allison Tassone and Alyssa Marceau, focus on soccer year round and participate in the Berkshire Ajax Soccer Club. Others are three-sport athlete, and that's just fine with Meczywor, who also is Drury's athletic director.

 

For the next two months — and hopefully longer — all of the focus will be on soccer for third-year varsity players like Marceau, Tassone, Cori Ghidotti and Morgan Lamarre.

 

"In terms of newcomers, I'm really excited about Jenna Moulton, who is a sophomore, first-year varsity player. She's fast, super fast. So I think if we can get her playing to her potential, she'll be a big contributor this year."

 

Drury also will be looking for contributions right out of the gate from senior keeper Allison Meehan, who has some big shoes to fill taking over for four-year starter Ali Tatro.

 

Meczywor said she is pleased with the way Meehan and all of the upperclassmen have created a cohesive environment for the team this summer.

 

"I think having 11 seniors can go one of two ways," Meczywor said. "They can really click or they can become really competitive. I've really seen them mesh. They've already had two pool parties and a birthday party. They're doing that on their own to come together and create a nice environment.

 

"They realize it's their last year, and they want to have a good experience."