Nicholas Lachapelle, Hawks Cross Country star, has recently made the switch to soccer for his fall sports season of his senior year. 

For the past seven years, Lachapelle has been part of his school’s cross country team. From Long River Middle School to Woodland Regional High School, he has excelled in the sport and been a top competitor in every meet he has participated in. 

Now suddenly, he has made the switch to soccer due to multiple reasons. 

“I have been running for seven years now and there has only been one out of those seven years that I have not had to deal with shin pain,” said Lachapelle. “The reason I chose soccer was because I knew that I was going to have pain no matter what, so I might as well have fun in my last year of high school.”

After dealing with shin issues for over half a decade, Lachapelle felt as though if he was going to participate in a fall sport, he would want it to bring him as much joy as possible. Having a past with soccer also helped with this decision.

“Soccer used to be a big part of my life, so making the switch back was a perfect idea,” Lachapelle said.

Lachapelle comes into the season with high hopes as many would with a new season. He is looking to win a Naugatuck Valley League championship this year, but most importantly, he wants to enjoy the sport that he is participating in. So far, the team has welcomed him with open arms and love to have him on the team. 

“Nick and I have been good buddies our whole lives and it’s really great to have him on the team,” said Liam Muricchio, Lachapelle’s lifelong friend and teammate.

Having been on a team with all of these kids at one point or another, it made it very easy to get the chemistry back. Lachapelle believes that he will be able to get his touch back and make the team stronger than before to help them win the Naugatuck Valley League Championship. 

“The majority of the varsity team are kids who I have been friends with and have played with my whole life,” said Lachapelle.

For the goals that Lachapelle is planning to score, there is no specific celebration in mind, but he plans on creating a team-based one if he scores in a big game. 

“We need to get the eleven men on the field to know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and that will come with game time. For myself, I just need to work on my off-the-ball running and positioning and hopefully, with all of that, we can go for the gold.”