“We are excited,” said Dean. “We got together as a team before the season started to set goals, which is really helpful because now we're all working together to achieve something as a team.”
With the core group of leaders from last year's squad leaving, the team is going through
a transition. “It's hard to say where the team is at now,” said Dean. “Last year there
were some sophomore girls who really pushed us, and this year we're working together
to push each other equally. We won't really know where we are until
we hit the field.”
“We're also adapting to a new head coach this season, so we're going through an adjustment period,” said Dean. Michelle Patrico recently became the Cougars' new head coach.
Shea says the Cougars' determination sets them apart from the competition. “We never give up, no matter what score is on the board,” said Dean. “It's not over until it's over for us.”
Dean and her teammates encourage students, faculty, staff and community members to support the Cougars by coming out to watch a game. “Cougar softball is really fun to watch, especially this year, because we've got a fun group of girls. Our fans will find themselves enjoying our games more than they expected.”
This story was published in SCC's Chaz newsletter, Vol. 25, No. 1.