The Plattsburgh State women’s lacrosse team will have to wait to kick off its inaugural season, after the season opener against Norwich University was postponed.
Originally scheduled to open the season Feb. 27, the Cardinals will instead begin with a home game against SUNY Canton a week later because a layer of ice on the sidelines makes the field unsafe for head coach Julia Decker’s team.
“I’m not surprised, with the way the field has been looking the last few weeks,” Decker said.
While the decision came as no surprise to anyone involved, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for senior captain Mia Tallerico.
“I’m a little upset,” Tallerico said. “We’ve been training hard for the last month.”
Tallerico, who has been at Plattsburgh for three years, said this seems to be the worst beginning to the Spring sports season she has seen.
“It’s been so cold and snowy,” Tallerico said. “It’s hit about minus-10. I’m just not used to it in the spring season like this.”
The team announced the postponement on its official Instagram account with a video of freshman attack/midfielder Frankie Porcaro slipping on the ice during practice, catching herself to avoid hitting her head.
Porcaro said she was not injured by the incident, but the video highlighted the danger posed by the icy conditions.
“I didn’t know there was still ice on the part where I was running,” Porcaro said. “It wasn’t the first time.”
Porcaro preferred to see the positive aspects of the postponement.
“It means we have an extra week to practice and get better,” Porcaro said.
With ice still on the field, it could be more than one week. While Decker said the plan is definitely to play the Canton game as scheduled, she acknowledged that the weather is still unpredictable.
“In the North Country, I would say you’re never really 100 percent confident,” Decker said.
If the game does happen Wednesday, Decker said she expects a tough challenge for her young team.
“Canton is a good team,” Decker said. “They’re a newer team, but they’re fast, they’re scrappy, they’re not afraid of anything.”
Tallerico was confident PSUC would be ready for the Kangaroos.
She said the Cards had already reviewed game footage of Canton and begun to plan for the game, but ultimately it was the work they have put in physically that would pay off the most.
“We’re prepared,” Tallerico said. “We’ve been working pretty hard conditioning-wise. We’re definitely going to be fit for the game.”
PSUC will need that conditioning in the first few weeks of the season, as the schedule now looks more congested.
The Cards’ game against Norwich was rescheduled to Monday, March 11, two days after their road game at the Sage Colleges in Troy and two days before they travel to Annandale-on-Hudson to take on Bard College.
In total, PSUC will play four games in a one-week span of time.
“We don’t love playing a Monday game, but it was really the only time that worked well for both teams,” Decker said.
Despite the scheduling congestion, Decker said the Cards were eager to prove they could handle the challenge.
“We’re ready to play and excited to get going with our season,” Decker said.
