Westwood Girls Lacrosse Strives to Get Back on Top

By: Tom Leyden

The Westwood Girls Lacrosse team is hoping to once again claim the TVL Championship and make a significant run in the MIAA Playoffs. Margot Spatola, who guided the Wolverines to three consecutive appearances in the state championship game from 2021-23 and won Division 1 titles in 2021 and 2022, will lean on a veteran team to get Westwood back to familiar territory.

The squad will be led by five senior captains, each of whom has made a commitment to play lacrosse in college. CeCe Thurmond, Emilie DeMaio, Kate Sullivan, Caroline Nozzolillo and Charlotte DeMaio each shared some thoughts on this year’s team, what they’ve learned from each other and how they plan to leave an impressive legacy behind when they graduate.

Tom: What makes this senior class so special?

Emilie: We have all been best friends since elementary and middle school, so right away we already have a connection off the field. We have learned a lot from our previous teammates about great leadership and commitment to the team, and we push each other to get better every chance we get.

CeCe: Each year we’ve grown with and from each other. I think we all do a very good job of pushing each other while having fun. Having a strong relationship on and off the field is very important and beneficial to us as well.

Charlotte: All five of us have played together since we were young, so we all know what our strengths and weaknesses are, and how to use each other in games. We all push each other every practice and every game to get better. As a group, we have something very special because we’ve played together for so long. When one of us does something wrong, we are all very supportive, no matter what the situation is.

Tom: Is there a sense of NEED to win the championship again this year with this very talented group?

Caroline: There isn’t necessarily a sense of need, but I’d call it a desire and intrinsic motivation to make our mark in our senior season. We know we have to take it game by game, but everyone is fully bought-in to the hard work required, and to the hard work we know we’re capable of. We also know what it takes to win based on our freshman year, when we won the state championship, and can take what we learned from the leaders of that team into the current season. All of we seniors have been playing together since seventh grade, and there’s no better way to finish than with a state championship. To get there, we need to set the tone early in the season and not take any games lightly.

CeCe: I think our biggest key will be playing as a team and maintaining the drive we’ve had in past seasons. In all my years playing Westwood lacrosse and throughout high school, the main points of emphasis have always been playing as one team and remembering everyone plays a part in the success of the team.

Tom: Do you look forward to the spring season all year because of how good you know this group can be?

Caroline: We all have been counting down the days until we get to play together again. This season feels even more special because we know it’s our last chance to compete side-by-side and we have a chance to build on everything we’ve worked towards for the past three years. We also have underclassmen that are going to be given more playing time and bigger roles to step into, and it will be exciting to see how they grow and contribute to the team. The chemistry we all have, the trust we’ve built over the years, and the sheer potential of this group make it impossible not to be excited.

Kate: I not only want to be successful as a team, but I want to push myself as a leader and help my teammates do their best. As it is my senior season, a big goal of mine is to have fun and make this year as enjoyable and successful as possible.

CeCe: The whole year I look forward to lacrosse season. I love being with the team and inevitably seeing how we progress each season. Lacrosse is what makes spring so fun for me and I can’t wait for it to start up.