Franklin and Milford Players Sign Letters of Intent

By Josh Perry, Managing Editor
On Wednesday afternoon, local high school seniors began signing their National Letters of Intent to play sports in college. Several Hockomock athletes were among those that made it official where they would be taking the field and the court next year.
At Franklin High, Maddie Bressler (field hockey), Lexi Martin (basketball), Emily Jeffries (lacrosse), and Sabrina LoMonaco (softball) each signed their respective letters and at Milford softball player Allie Piergustavo made her choice official as well.
Bressler, a first team Hock 5 field hockey player in 2013 and a Hockomock League all-star who helped the Panthers to an 11-4-4 record this season, will be playing at St. Anselm College next fall. Martin, who was a HockomockSports.com First Team player last winter as the Panthers finished second in the Kelley-Rex,  will play at Merrimack College. Jeffries has been part of three straight league champions on the Franklin girls’ lacrosse team and last season helped the Panthers win their first sectional title in dramatic fashion she will attend UMass Amherst.
LoMonaco has reached the last two South sectional semifinals with the Panthers softball team and was named to the HockomockSports.com Starting Rotation in 2013. She will be attending Franklin Pierce University next year and said that she is happy to have the decision out of the way prior to taking the diamond for her final season.
“Being able to focus on my senior year and have the opportunity to really enjoy my last high school softball season without the added stress of the college search is awesome,” she explained. “To know that all my hard work paid off is amazing.”
When asked what made her choose Franklin Pierce, LoMonaco responded, “I got to meet the team, practice with them and go to a couple classes on my official visit. It was important to me that no matter where I went I felt comfortable both on campus and on the field…I could really envision myself there and I knew it was the right place for me.”

Piergustavo won state titles in each of her first two seasons with the Milford softball team, including as a starter her sophomore season. Last spring, she helped the Hawks edge Oliver Ames for the Davenport title and was named to the HockomockSports.com Starting 9. She will be attending St. Bonaventure University.
“St. Bonaventure had exactly what I was looking for,” she said. “It’s the perfect size for me and I love the coach and I love the team. I love where I’m going and I’m happy.”
Piergustavo added, “It’s unreal; I’m so excited. I was so happy after I signed. I just felt a sigh of relief knowing that everything that I had done paid off.”
During her first two seasons with Milford, Piergustavo saw plenty of players go through the recruitment process, most notably Shannon Smith signing with the University of Kentucky. Watching her teammates as they made college choices helped in make the process more familiar.
Piergustavo said, “Through all my freshman and sophomore seasons to see all the girls that got to play DI and sign Letters of Intent was definitely a motivator for me because I knew that I wanted to be there someday. Seeing all the hard work that they put into it, I knew how much I would need to put in.”
LoMonaco also expressed relief at having the process be over and was thrilled to share the Letter of Intent signing with friends, who had gone through the same experience — one that has an added element than that of other students.
“The college search was a long process,” said LoMonaco. “When you want to play a sport in college you have the same questions, but you also have to find an athletic program that really feels right…It adds a little bit more stress and time to the process, but totally worth it.”
If you are a Hockomock athlete that is committed to play at the next level, contact Ryan Lanigan at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com or Josh Perry at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com. If you are signing a Letter of Intent this week, make sure to email photos as well.
For the current list of college commitments in the Hockomock, visit https://hockomocksports.com/commitments.html.
Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.