New England College spring athletic teams are competing in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) for the first time since NEC switched conferences in the fall of 2023. The teams had been in the four-team New England Collegiate Conference (NECC), but are now part of the 16-team GNAC, a more competitive league.
Each team gets split into two eight-team divisions within the large GNAC Conference. The North division, where NEC is placed, and the south division which houses colleges such as Johnson and Wales, Dean, Lasell and more.
Baseball:
The New England college men’s baseball team is expected to rank 7th according to the GNAC coach’s poll. Baseball, unlike other sports, did their GNAC poll in one large conference instead of divisions, leaving them 7th out of 15 teams.
The New England College baseball team will feature a lot of new faces in the lineup after losing many key pieces to the 2023 team. Coaches said the biggest unknown this season is the pitching staff. “The biggest question we have now is definitely depth,” said Head Coach Terry Doyle. Many players did not return for many reasons whether it was interest in college baseball, graduate students not returning, or recruits decommitting. “We lost eight or nine total arms for this season,” said Doyle, which leaves the staff with 12 pitchers according to the official roster.
The team kicked off their season with scrimmages against Emerson College on Tuesday, Feb. 27 and UMass Boston Thursday, Feb. 29. The team heads to Myrtle Beach for a weeklong tournament between March 6 and March 12.
Softball:
The NEC Softball team looks to start a strong 2024 campaign after the team lost in the NECC conference championship last year. NEC has recently entered the GNAC conference where they look to make a strong first impression. The coaches poll has them placed 5th out of the 7 team north division.
The team which loses one player to eligibility after this season is a young team looking to build a multiyear competitive stretch in the GNAC conference. “As long as we band together like we did last year, the young team shouldn’t be an issue,” said sophomore infielder Bella Kieran, when asked her thoughts about the young team this season. The same point was reiterated by Head Coach Ben Master. “There are definitely some growing pains moving forward, but the Florida trip should iron out those wrinkles,” Master said. The team is finishing up their final practices before they head south to play 12 games primarily in Claremont, Florida.
After the team’s Florida trip between Sunday, March 3 and Sunday, March 10, they officially start regular season play in Buzzards Bay, MA as they take on Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Thursday, March 14.
Women’s Lacrosse:
In the Northern Division of the GNAC Conference, coaches have elected the NEC Women’s Lacrosse team to finish 7th. The team, which captured the NECC championship last season, returns a large portion of the team from last year’s season only losing two players, and gained seven new players, four of which are freshman.
The team is preparing for GNAC play as they start their season Thursday March 7 in North Dartmouth, MA as they play out of conference before they start GNAC play two days later on Don Melander Field as they host Johnson and Wales University.
Men’s Lacrosse:
Men’s Lacrosse looks to start a new beginning in the GNAC after recently capturing the NECC Championship in back-to-back seasons. The poll leaves them 6th in their division of 7 teams.
Going into the season, the team had a lot of roles to fill as six seniors graduated losing two midfielders, two defenders, two attackers, and a Middle and defensive player. One of the players looking to step into the attacker role, junior captain Thomas Norton. Norton, who led last year’s team with 53 goals, says the team is ready to show the GNAC what they have to offer. “We are really excited to compete in a bigger conference, and really show people what we are capable of,” said Norton.
The team kicks off their season on Don Melander Field as Vermont State University Castleton visits for a 4 p.m. showdown on Wednesday, March 6.
