4 minute read
LACROSSE pg
from March 6, 2020
by The Gatepost
Continued from page 1
places those photos ahead of his awards, the longtime coach considers his personal achievements secondary to the connections he has with his players.
“Coach has been very welcoming from day one. From my very first time meeting him, he and his wife were already offering to make me a homecooked meal,” Cafarelli said. “Coming from Arizona and living 2,277 miles from home, Coach knew I was going to have a difficult time adjusting and has always been there for me. Not having my parents close by can be difficult, but I am lucky to have coach and all of the support he continues to give me throughout my years here at Framingham.”
Cafarelli was recruited by Casali himself from across the country, which shows his dedication to making the program the best it can be.
He even keeps the connections he builds with his players long after they’ve graduated.
Another player of his that he holds a deep connection with is his Assistant Coach.
“He is a mentor and a friend, but more like family. He has been in my life for the last 15 years. Even in the offseason, we meet once a month for breakfast and talk volleyball. How can we make the team better and how can we push them to be the best team they can be,” Assistant Coach Chelle Manganello said. “We both truly care for all of our players, past and present, but Coach has a great relationship with all athletes at Framingham State.”
Manganello played under Casali at Framingham before becoming his Assistant Coach in 2007.
The two met in the summer of 2004. “We had spoken a few times prior to my senior season, but he knew I worked right down the street, so he decided to stop by and introduce himself,” Manganello said. “The rest is history.”
But, before starting his career as the volleyball coach at Framingham State, Casali was playing with some friends by the university’s athletic center as a kid.
He grew up just a mile and a half away from the school, and later went on to become a student at the University in 1972. That was when he first began coaching. With intramurals being prominent in that time, Casali coached the intramural volleyball team and led them to a championship win.
They then were invited to Westfield State, who was a Varsity team, and as coach says, “they killed us.”
“I said, I wanna be like that, I wanna win like that,” Casali said. He then coached the team in local leagues for more competition. After matches and practices, they would go into a bar and go over game plans with saltshakers and glasses.
He carried this into Bellingham College, where he saw his next coaching job.
Following that, Casali ended up at Dean College as the softball coach, before being asked to coach volleyball at Framingham State.
“They asked me to interview more than once, and I didn’t want to. I finally came and parked down by the bottom of Maynard,” Casali said. “I walked around and saw the campus again and was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s like falling in love. From there, I said if they offer me the job, I’ll do it for nothing.”
Thankfully, he got paid to do the job. What followed is 305 career wins, a school record for any sport at Framingham State.
He also has four Coach of the Year awards, 10 MASCAC Post Season appearances, four MASCAC Regular Season titles, four MASCAC Post Season titles, two ECAC Post Season Tournament appearances, and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Casali will look to continue etching his name into history as he will be entering his 17th season at the helm of the Rams’ volleyball team in the fall.
Courtesy of fsurams.com
Women’s lacrosse off to a slow start
By Sara Senesac Sports Editor
The Rams’ women’s lacrosse team traveled to take on the Roger Williams Hawks for a nonconference match Feb. 29.
Framingham took the beginning of the first quarter by storm, grabbing two goals by senior Morgan Begley and junior Hanna McMahon less than seven minutes in.
The Hawks responded quickly and managed to sneak in three goals of their own.
Roger Williams led 4-2 over Framingham with less than ten minutes to play in the first.
The second quarter saw a lot of back and forth between both teams. Begley managed to secure her second goal of the match to bring the score within one point, but both teams fought to add an additional goal, leaving the Rams trailing 5-4 going into the half.
In the beginning of the third quarter, junior Jenna McMahon found the back of the net to tie the score at 5.
Shortly after, the Hawks found their momentum, and had an uninterrupted 7-0 run during the next ten minutes of play.
The run resulted in Roger Williams holding a 12-5 lead over Framingham. The Rams rallied in the fourth quarter to pull the lead within four, but the Hawks continued battling to hang on to their lead.
Both teams secured scoring opportunities in the closing minutes of the game, but Roger Williams ultimately sent the Rams home with a 13-9 loss.
Senior Grace Gamache led the way for Framingham with three goals and an assist for the contest, while McMahon and Begley took home a pair of goals each.
The Rams are now 1-2 this season, however they remain 0-0 in the MASCAC until their first conference game March 28.
Framingham hosts the Johnson and Wales Wildcats for their home opener at 12 p.m. March 7.
ROGER WILLIAMS 13 FRAMINGHAM STATE 9
