Ally DaCosta’s return bolsters Merrimack’s D-1 foundation

Leading scorer Ally DaCosta (New Bedford, Mass.) celebrates against Vermont this season. (Merrimack College Athletics)

It was an adjustment.

The opponents were faster. The players were taller. The penalty for any letup in focus or intensity was something the Merrimack College women’s lacrosse team had not experienced in recent years as it steadily rose to the top of the Division 2 Northeast-10 Conference.

“Obviously the NE10 is a good league with good teams,” said Merrimack senior attacker Ally DaCosta (New Bedford, Mass.), whose squad won the 2019 NE10 tournament championship for the first time in program history. “But we found when we played there we could relax mentally at times. If you gave up a goal, you could just shake it off and say that you’ll get the next one.