Excitement on the Lasell University campus picked up this week as six fall athletic teams are returned to campus to begin preparations for the 2021 season.

In addition to student-athletes practicing and training for the upcoming season, excitement is in the air in terms of facility improvements. Long-awaited lights are being put up at Grellier Field, home of the Laser field hockey and lacrosse teams, and a new gym floor is being installed inside the Athletic Center, home of the Laser volleyball and basketball programs.

The field hockey and women’s soccer teams were the first to arrive on campus, with opening workouts taking place on Thursday, August 19. The men’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross-country teams, and women’s volleyball squad arrive the week of August 23.

All of the Laser teams will open the regular season during the first week of September. The field hockey and women’s soccer teams will host home games on Wednesday, September 1, at Grellier Field and Taylor Field, respectively. The men’s soccer and men’s/women’s cross-country squads make their season debuts on the road on Saturday, September 4, and the women’s volleyball team will host outside competition at the Athletic Center on Tuesday and Thursday, September 7 and 9.

There are 21 student-athletes in camp vying for a spot on the Laser field hockey team, which was picked to finish second in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll. The women’s soccer team started with 33 student-athletes on opening day, including 10 freshmen and three transfer students.

The men’s soccer program will have the most student-athletes at fall camp, with more than 40 student-athletes looking to earn a spot on the roster, including 15 freshmen and three transfers. The men’s and women’s cross-country teams will have a combined 15 runners in preseason workouts and will be led by interim coach Ricky Igbani. The women’s volleyball team will start the preseason with 21 on the roster, including 12 freshmen.