University of Connecticut Athletics
An Inside Look Into UConn's Preseason Camp
1/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
STORRS, Conn. - Last Tuesday, the University of Connecticut women's lacrosse team opened its preseason camp 33 days ahead of UConn's season opener against James Madison on Feb. 15.
The Huskies embraced their challenging week of training under fifth-year coach Katie Woods, who made a point to put her team through several activities in the early stages of preseason. Connecticut opened camp by sitting in on a practice of the national champion UConn women's basketball team at Gampel Pavilion in the morning. Following practice, the team headed to the Shenkman Training Center, where the Huskies have spent the majority of their time this preseason.
UConn has come together quickly as a team this spring though training sessions at Shenkman as well as team building exercises outside of the field and weight room. The team had another chance to observe the women's basketball team last Wednesday when Connecticut attended their game against Temple, a 92-58 win by the No. 2 Huskies.
At Shenkman, UConn has participated in a variety of exercises, from team lifts to mock golf tournaments. This past weekend, the Huskies trained with UConn's Army ROTC on Saturday morning. Connecticut was tested mentally and physically, but Woods knows UConn's session with the ROTC will pay dividends for her team it begins its 2015 campaign next month. The Huskies, who have won at least 10 games in each of the last three seasons, will do two more sessions with the ROTC prior to the regular season.
Below are Woods, new assistant coach Forrest Stillwell's and captains Marya Fratoni and Karaline Smith's thoughts on UConn's preseason after one week.
"The team has been back for a week and has shown that they've worked hard during the semester break and are ready to go for the season. We had a great week of training camp and we're progressing every day. The team is focused, determined and definitely a bit tougher after our first weekend with the UConn ROTC." - Woods
"Being new to the family, the great thing to see was the culture built by Coach Woods though work ethic, teamwork and competitiveness. This preseason our team has been very focused on their goals and they've come to each practice ready to work." - Stillwell
"I expect big things from our team this year. We have probably the toughest schedule in the history of the program, but I am confident that my team will unite together and step up to the challenge. If we can do that, we will find success on game days." - Fratoni
"Preseason is such an awesome time because everyone is so excited to play together and get ready for the season. This year you could tell everyone has put in a lot of work during the offseason to prepare for this spring." - Smith
