The UNH lacrosse team will be traveling over the break, but not for a vacation.
The Wildcats are gearing up for a three-game road trip over the week of spring break. The trip will cover three different states: Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Last time the Wildcats hit the road, they fell to the Dartmouth Big Green by a final score of 11-10.
The first stop is Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the Wildcats will visit the Harvard Crimson for the first time since 2009. The last time the two teams met on Harvard’s turf, the ‘Cats prevailed in an 11-9 decision. In the all-time series, the Crimson hold a 19-17 advantage. Harvard also won the most recent matchup against the ‘Cats in an 8-6 final score back in 2011.
Head coach Sarah Albrecht understands the importance of starting off the road stretch on a good note. That starts with a solid outing against the Crimson.
“It’s going to be huge for us to set the tone with the game,” Albrecht said. “We’re just looking at making sure that we play well, we execute the game plan of what we need to do and just harp on those skills we’ve been trying to harp on these past few weeks.”
Shortly after, the team will move forward to battle Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The Hawks have a .500 record of 3-3 this season and are 2-0 at home after beating the likes of George Washington and Rutgers. Oliva Higson leads the Hawks in points with 14, including 12 goals and two assists.
The ‘Cats will cap off the week with a game in the Bronx as they say hello to the Manhattan College Jaspers. While UNH is on the road, some Wildcat players may feel a little closer to home. Players like Carly Wooters, Marissa Gurello, Amy LeBel and Catherine Sexton all hail from New York.
Playing on the road is difficult for many teams, but Albrecht believes that the next week provides a great opportunity for the team to come together as a group.
“It’s a little different feel because you’re eating together, you’re traveling together, you’re in the hotel together,” Albrecht said. “I think it’s a great time for everyone to be able to bond.”
The team is currently 2-4. Despite the losses, Albrecht is optimistic about the potential for improvement heading into the next 10 days and feels the turning point is near for the Wildcats.
“I’m really looking forward to these guys step up and compete all over the field,” Albrecht said. “This is a really important and integral time for us to turn the corner and harp on those fundamentals and really start to see some improvement there.”
The bus leaves Saturday for the first matchup of the  road trip when the ‘Cats duel Harvard at 1 p.m.