For Lasell University women’s lacrosse, family matters

Coach Britney Wuorio is hoping to bring Lasell University to new heights.

This story is sponsored content, written by the Seamans Media Custom Content Studio

***

The Lasell University women’s lacrosse team considers itself to be one large, extended family. While that phrasing can sometimes be an oft-used cliché in sports, the evidence at Lasell begins with the head coach, Britney Wuorio.

Wuorio played at and graduated from Lasell in 2014. She is the program’s all-time leader in career points (420) and assists (152), and she is second all-time in career goals (268), only four away from the top spot.

In December 2021, she was a first-grade teacher and high school coach when she got a phone call from her former head coach, Caitlin Connolly, who was then the assistant athletic director at Lasell. The previous head coach had left, and Connolly knew she could count on Wuorio to take the helm.

“I really want this program to be successful,” Wuorio said. “So I said, ‘Absolutely. Of course.’”

As the head coach of the program, Wuorio has helped build the roster to mimic that belief. She said when she recruits, she wants individuals who want to be a part of a team, who are willing to listen and learn — because there is more to being the best on the team.

What she’s doing is working. The women’s lacrosse team has the most recruits since she started coaching at Lasell, according to Wuorio, and that team-first mentality has translated onto the field.

The 2024 season showcased the program’s trajectory as the Lasers secured a spot in the playoffs and advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference quarterfinals.

For that momentum, which demanded a lot of resiliency and grit, Wuorio credits her players.

“Watching our program’s progress has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “To see how exponentially better it’s been getting each year with the dedication of the athletes, that makes this more meaningful.”

The Lasell program improves each year, and there’s still room for opportunity. Of the 20 players on the roster, the team has only two graduate students and one senior. In the immediate future, the Lasers will be a young team that’s growing and offering exciting opportunities for young players to compete for playing time.

Additionally, Wuorio is working to get everybody involved.

Off the lacrosse field at Lasell — which is located in Newton, Mass., 8 miles from Boston — Wuorio said the community at the school is welcoming.

She also said players learn a lot of life lessons during their time in the program, including leadership, communication and self-advocacy. Additionally, the team runs a study hall and meets with a nutritionist and the school’s career readiness counselor.

Having open and honest dialogue among teammates and coaches is a core value of the program as Wuorio wants everyone to be heard and valued.

“We care about their nutrition. We care about their academics. We care about how they feel about being ready when they graduate,” she said. “We have an open-door policy. If they feel they need to come and vent about their day, there’s four of us coaches who are available to speak with them if they need to. It’s a comforting place.”

Just like family cares about each of its members, the Lasell coaches want their players to feel similarly about the program. She tells them this is their family. The style of play on the field is another indicator of the team’s togetherness.

It helps that the players are part of the recruiting process from the beginning.

“As a student-athlete, you want to get along with your team,” Wuorio said. “I tell my players, ‘I can bring student-athletes here, but you’re the one that needs to get them to stay here. They want to stay here for the team.’”

This story is sponsored content, written by the Seamans Media Custom Content Studio