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# Nashua South girls lacrosse looking for first playoff berth since 2010
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/nashua-south-girls-lacrosse-looking-first-playoff-berth-since-2010/
- Published: 2017-05-26T15:00:55.000Z
- Updated: 2017-05-26T15:00:55.000Z
- Description: The season was only three games old when it started to take a familiar turn for the Nashua High School South girls lacrosse team. The Panthers opened the season with losses to Pinkerton, Bedford and Souhegan, getting outscored by a combined 47-5, including a shutout loss to the Sabers. For a program
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, girls lacrosse, Nashua South, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

The season was only three games old when it started to take a familiar turn for the Nashua High School South girls lacrosse team.

The Panthers opened the season with losses to Pinkerton, Bedford and Souhegan, getting outscored by a combined 47-5, including a shutout loss to the Sabers.

For a program that has been no stranger to such outcomes, it could have been the beginning of the end to the Panthers season. South coach Ciki McIntire brought the team together after that third loss and started to ask questions.

"After our third loss, we had a heart-to-heart and were basically like 'why do you guys play lacrosse and what do you want out of this season,' " McIntire said. "What drives you? It was like the season starts now and we move forward."

South dropped two of its next three to go to 1-5 on the year, but since then, the Panthers have won seven of 10 games to finish the regular season at 8-8\. It's the most wins for South since it went 9-8 in 2010, which was also the last time the Panthers made the postseason.

"It's making history," South senior Ashley Eppolito said. "I remember my freshman year, we won one game. To go 8-8 with this team, and on senior night, it's an incredible feeling. We're just taking it one day at a time and we're hitting a new milestone."

That win during Eppolito's freshman year in 2014 ended a streak of 36 straight losses for South, and it came in the Panthers first game of the year, which meant another lengthy losing streak to end the season. All together, South lost 66 of 68 games between 2011-14, and the Panthers matched that total with two wins in 2015.

Things started to turn around last year, in McIntire's first as head coach, when South went 5-12, topping its win total of the previous five seasons.

"We definitely had high hopes with the younger talent coming in, but the five seniors have been so instrumental helping that change along," she said. "They've accepted the fact that they might not be in the starting lineup, but they definitely have a role. They know what it used to be like. When they won five games last year, they were ready to roll this year. It was nice to see the momentum change."

Eppolito agrees that the younger players on the team have given South the extra boost it needed.

"I think it's a combination of the seniors wanting it so badly and the underclassmen are bringing a new energy to the team," she said. "They had great youth teams and want to win. We feed off each other. If you look at the roster, there are so many freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors out there. It's this great family and we all feed off each other."

Going into Friday's games, South needed Concord to lose to Souhegan, or have Exeter lose to Winnacunnet, to get into the postseason.

If the Panthers get in, they'll still face a tall task, drawing either Bedford or Souhegan in the quarterfinals on May 31.

But regardless of the outcome of that game, just playing in it will be meaningful for South.

"It's a huge accomplishment to say we made the playoffs," McIntire said. "We're going to take that and run with it. We'll do the best we can against one of the top teams. We'll go in, try to do our thing, and no matter what happens, we'll end on a good note."