There’s now a face to the new men’s varsity lacrosse program at Fitchburg State University.
Fitchburg State Executive Director of Athletics & Recreation Matt Burke made it official by announcing former local lacrosse star Thomas Moorshead as the new full-time men’s lacrosse coach.
Moorshead, who was an all-star lacrosse player at Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham, played collegiately at UConn. He eventually traded in his lax stick for a coaching clipboard, and had coaching stints at St. Bernard’s High School, Nashoba Regional High School and as the head coach at The Winchendon School for four years. Most recently, Moorshead served as an assistant coach at Division 2 Franklin Pierce University in the spring.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Thomas Moorshead to lead our new men’s varsity lacrosse program,” said Burke. “Thomas’s deep roots in the local lacrosse community, combined with his stellar playing background and his coaching experience at the collegiate level, make him the perfect fit to build this program from the ground up. His passion, energy, and vision align perfectly with our department's commitment to student-athlete excellence. We are ready for this exciting new era, and we can’t wait to see Thomas hit the ground running.”
Along with his coaching duties, Moorshead will also work as the athletics recruiting coordinator. Moorshead officially starts on July 6.
“I couldn’t be more excited and I know it’s going to be stage-building,” said Moorshead, a 2012 Oakmont Regional graduate. “You can see what the university is trying to do to make this sport a success here. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s going to be incredible in the short term and the long term. I can’t wait to start.”
Moorshead is ready to put his stamp on the first-year varsity program. The Falcons are set to debut in the spring of 2027.
“If you want to play here, I just care that you want to come here and work hard,” said Moorshead. “I can always take a hard-working player and make them great. You can’t always take a great player and make them hard-working. Those things show in the twilight minutes when that kid is running after a ground ball. The one who is talented but doesn’t want to work hard already gives up, and the other guy jumps like a maniac and makes the right play at the right time. Anyone who is willing to work hard, I can coach them up.”
In April, Fitchburg State announced the expansion of its intercollegiate sports portfolio with the addition of varsity men’s lacrosse. This move brings the university’s total varsity offerings to 19 programs, further solidifying the Falcons' commitment to student-athlete growth and campus engagement.
The Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr. Michael Fiorentino Jr., unanimously approved the creation of the team in April, paving the way to begin competitive play in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC).
The launch of a men’s varsity lacrosse program gives aspiring student-athletes a new opportunity to compete at the NCAA level and marks a significant and continued commitment to growing athletics on campus.
Men’s collegiate lacrosse has solidified its status as a regional powerhouse, with an impressive high-school-to-NCAA advancement rate of nearly 15% fueling the sport's expansion. This growth is most prominent at the Division III level, where the high density of New England programs provides a robust competitive landscape and serves as a primary driver for student-athlete recruitment.
Fitchburg State supported a club lacrosse team that competed in the Continental Lacrosse Conference.
Fitchburg State added its 18th varsity sport with the addition of varsity women’s ice hockey, which is set to hit the ice for the 2027–2028 season. Rebecca Brown was named the first head coach of the newly established women’s varsity ice hockey program.