Story by Kyle Dobrie, Tommy Doe, Nathalie Antigua, and Parker Dube.
During the spring 2024 season, mens lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, baseball, and softball all had senior days honoring the seniors for their respected sports. A senior from each of the sports reflected on their time at NEC.
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Joey Olsen is a senior for the mens lacrosse team, he has scored 27 career goals at NEC, and has tallied 41 total points.
He was a part of the 2022 NECC all-academic team. He reflected on the program and his teammates.
“Personally, the program and the team have meant a lot to me,” Olsen said, “I have met a lot of great people over the years that have helped me not just on the field but off the field as well. A lot of my teammates have become lifelong friends.”
Annalisa Crooks makes an impact on and off the field. In 2023 she was apart of the CSC academic all-academic team, and was apart of the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society. As a midfielder, she has scored 14 career goals, and has 25 total points. She reflected on what she’s learned from the team.
“Something that I truly learned from this team is that it’s okay to not be okay,” Crooks said, “It’s okay to lean on others and confide in your team to help you finish and give your all.”
Cooper Ribaudo played both baseball and soccer at NEC. He has 33 career hits at NEC, and has been a utility player for the baseball team, playing every position except catcher. Ribaudo hit a home run on his senior day against Norwich University. He has had devastating ACL surgeries in both his knees, and he reflected on his rehab process.
“Rehab is a tough process,” Ribaudo said, “people don’t understand how hard the process is and how it all works, because of that I never thought I would hit a home run and with how small I am.”
Jocelin Vachon is the lone graduating senior for the softball team. She has pitched 54.2 innings in her NEC career, and has tallied 3 wins for the team. Vachon reflected on her most memorable moments with the team.
“The most memorable moment is just being with everyone every day and accomplishing our goals that we have as a team,” Vachon said.
