Optimism at Springfield College starts with veteran defenders like Kyle Bazonski, left, of Dalton, Mass. (Maria Alberici)
A condensed season in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference is set to begin this weekend, with six of the league’s seven men’s lacrosse teams taking part after MIT elected to opt out.
Each team will play each other once and the four teams with the best record will make the league playoffs. The semifinals are slated for Saturday, May 1 and the finals will be played on May 8. The winner will advance to the NCAA tournament, as the league has retained its automatic qualification spot despite MIT not electing to play.
Teams will be COVID-tested a minimum of twice a week, and one positive test during the week will cancel that squad’s contest for the upcoming weekend.
