The Nashua South girls lacrosse team seems to be enjoying a jog in the chill of Stellos Stadium Monday at the team's first practice of the season. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Brendon Doughty couldn’t sleep early Monday morning.

He was up at 5:30, took a cold shower, made his own breakfast and was ready and rarin’ to go.

You see, it wasn’t your typical Manic Monday. It was Baseball Monday – the first practice of the Panthers’ season. Doughty, a lefty pitcher, had missed the last few games of the Nashua North-South hockey season due to a knee injury but was cleared to start baseball on time.

As good a hockey player as he is – he was the Knights leading scorer – baseball is his main sport, one that he will play at Fitchburg State next year.

“I had kind of fully shut down, so revving back up I’m obviously amped,” he said. “I didn’t get a full season of hockey so this is making me crave for that extra step of baseball. I was excited. … We’re all excited.”

Yes, spring has sprung. While the Panthers were able to practice indoors at a the MVP facility on Amherst Street, several lacrosse teams hit the turf at Stellos Stadium’s Motta Field.

While Doughty got his early start, South girls lacrosse coach Ciki McIntire wasn’t too thrilled as she was driving to school in snow.

“I was like ‘It’s a great day for spring sports today,'” McIntire said with a sarcastic laugh. “No, I was cursing the snow out this morning. You always expect that it’s (the weather on the first day of spring practice) is going the be bad, but snowing? It doesn’t really set the tone for spring. They’re ready. It’s good to be out here.”

In fact McIntire recalled that last year Stellos wasn’t quite ready for the first day of practices due to the turf being replaced. “It’s nice to be out here, it’s good to have everybody together,” she said. “They’ve done a lot in the off-season. It’s good to just kind of throw them into drills today and see what people can do.”

Drills were the name of the day for the Bishop Guertin girls lacrosse team, who were leaving Motta Field right as the South girls and boys were taking it.

“I think it’s definitely helpful having Stellos and being able to be out here,” BG coach Calie Santos said. “Last year we still had construction of the field. Really excited to be out here and looking forward to a great 2026 season.”

Santos wasn’t too worried about any snow sticking, “and we were ready to go regardless.”

There are a lot of off-season indoor workouts and league play, but this is different, Santos said.

“This is Day One, shaking off the dust for some of the kids, getting us all working together,” she said. “There’s a lot of kids who don’t do the off-season, so it’s an opportunity to see everyone again and start to work with everybody.”

Guertin co-captain Sydney Brophy, who will take her talents to Merrimack College next year, certainly felt that way. “I was so excited, it was great to be with the team,” she said. “It’s great to be back on the field. … We had a great indoor season and now we’re excited to bring it out onto the field and see what we’ve got.”

Of course, there were snow flurries flying as she and another captain, Abby Lynn spoke.

“It’s the environmental factor,” Lynn, who is going to Boston University next year, said. “Today’s not the best weather, but I think prepping in these early weeks of spring when it feels like winter will get us ready for those harder games later in the season. And I think we can handle it.”

Nashua South boys coach Will Delanoy was just as happy to get his team together even in the chill. “See what we have, a new year,” Delanoy said. “Hey, I’m not complaining. It’s better than being in the gym.”

Nashua South pitcher Brendon Doughty works under watchful eyes at the team’s first practice at the MVP Facility on Amherst Street on Monday. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

After South was done practicing, Nashua North teams were slated to use Stellos in the evening chill. Meanwhile, while Panther baseball stayed warm, they’re scheduled to be at Stellos today when it’s sunny and 45.

“Last time I went there was freshman year,” Panther senior Jack Ninteau said. “Big field, more opportunity. It’s tough waiting, all we can do (indoors) is get swings in. In three weeks, we’re going to be cold, but we’ll get our work done and do what we can.”

They’ll swing into spring.