(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) caption: MAKING HER POINT: Hun School girls’ lacrosse head coach Beth Loffredo makes a point during halftime of a game this spring. Loffredo guided Hun to a 4-9 record in her first season at the helm of the program and believes she has laid the foundation for future success.

After Seeing Progress in Debut Season at Helm, Hun Girls’ Lax Coach Loffredo Excited for Future

Bill Alden

Beth Loffredo liked the progress her Hun School girls’ lacrosse team was making in her first year at the helm of the program as the squad stood at 3-2 midway through April.

But as the calendar headed into May, injuries mounted and the Raiders limped home with a 4-9 final mark.

“I think we really started to hit our stride and then we ran into injuries,” said Loffredo, who had such key players as Katie Weeks, Emily Decicco, Olivia Albanese, Ashton Dwyer, and Caroline Knights ailing at various times down the stretch.

“It got really difficult at the end. It is one of the hard things as a coach, you worry about the future of the players and you don’t want them to get serious injury.”

Hun got some serious leadership from its seniors as it worked through the hard times in May.

“I am so glad I got to work a year with them, it is sad that it was only a year,” said Loffredo, whose group of seniors included Monica King, Caroline Knights, and Tori Van Heyst.

“They were phenomenal teammates and good leaders. They were a good liaison with the coaches; they are a really good group of girls.”

The Raiders have a phenomenal returning player in rising junior Kate Weeks, who fired in 61 goals this spring as a sophomore and passed the 100-goal mark in her career.

“Kate is incredible; she is a coach’s dream,” said Loffredo of Weeks, who played in U.S. lacrosse regional competition last summer.

“She is one of the best kids you will find; she doesn’t know how good she can be. She moves the ball around and makes the other kids look good.”

Loffredo is happy with the other kids who should be returning along with Weeks.

“I am so grateful with the players we have coming back,” said Loffredo, whose returners include Albanese, Decicco, Kelsey Gallagher, Francesca Bello, Jackie Coyle, Lauren Apuzzi, Alex Kane, and Lucia Perasso. “We have a nice core coming back and they will only get better.”

With the players having gotten exposed to Loffredo’s coaching style, she is confident that they will be ahead of the curve when they take the field next spring.

“I think the girls learned a lot; some of the things we taught them should help them step up next year,” said Loffredo, whose assistant coaches this spring were Haley Sanborn and Ali Kittle.

“It was nice to be able to put them in a position I wanted. I was disappointed with the lack of success.”

In Loffredo’s view, success will come if the Raiders put their noses to the grindstone.

“They know what to expect right from the start; they know they need to show up in great shape ready to work hard,” said Loffredo.

“They know it takes a lot of hard work but that you can have a lot of fun at the same time. I am very optimistic.”

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