MONROE, CT — Capturing Masuk High’s first girls lacrosse title in program history made for a memorable finish to this past spring campaign. Even with the season in the books, the accolades keep coming for the Panthers as Head Coach Rob Troesser was named the CIAC Class L Coach of the Year.
Girls lacrosse coaches vote for their peers and Troesser joins Kristin Woods of New Canaan (Class LL), Greg Schwartz of New Fairfield (Class M) and Laura Steinmetz of Lauralton Hall (Class S).
Troesser has guided the Panthers since 2013 and previously coached Monroe Youth Lacrosse from 2009 to 2012.
“It’s an honor for the other coaches to recognize our success this season. It was truly a tremendous stretch of 23 games,” he said.
A buy-in attitude has been key to the program’s success, the coach noted. It all starts with off-field preparation and carries over onto the turf with all of the goals and saves — and wins.
“We have always had an outlook that the players on the team have made a choice to play lacrosse and represent their school and community, so we have been preaching the value of commitment and responsibility,” Troesser said. “We have a great team handbook of expectations that players review at the beginning of the season that outlines all of the characteristics we are looking our players to demonstrate and develop throughout the year.”
Troesser, of course, doesn’t do this alone.
“For the past eight years, I’ve been lucky to have the same assistant coach, Garrett Picci,” Troesser said. “This year he was named Connecticut High School Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. He is stepping down after this season, so it’s a fitting conclusion to great coaching career for him.”
“My first two years I was lucky to have two former Masuk players to assist me in my initial years with the team — Meg Bartosek (2013 and 2014) and Erica Martino (2014 and 2015),” Troesser added.
Masuk came close to a championship before. The Panthers went to state the finals in 2004 but lost to Joel Barlow.
“This season was such special run due to our hardships the past two seasons,” Troesser said. “We lost our top offensive players, as well senior captains in each of the past two years. The senior girls had a strong drive from the winter training sessions to make this season one that Masuk has never had before, a championship season.”
Coaching is work but it is fun at the same time for Troesser, who has helped numerous players improve, learn and succeed, including his twin daughters Emma and Abi.
“There is immense enjoyment each season, from joking around at practice to competing in conference and state playoff games,” he said. “Some of these kids I have known since kindergarten as their PE teacher, or since middle school as their health teacher, or since birth as their dad! So to be able to prepare them to compete at a high level is not only enjoyable to me, but a privilege.”
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Congratulations girls on a fantastic season! It’s really nice to see the positive results form all of your hard work and dedication over the past years to win a state championship! And congratulations to Rob for this well deserved honor — Coach of the Year! Wow!!!!