25 CIAC GIRLS LACROSSE PLAYERS TO WATCH CIAC GIRLS LACROSSE GAMES TO WATCH
Raegan Bailey, Sr., A, Cheshire:
The senior attack collected 52 goals and 21 assists as a sophomore and will again be key for the Rams’ offense this spring. She is a returning All-State second team and All-SCC first team selection.
Kate Bellissimo, Sr., MF/D, Darien: The threesport star will help anchor the Wave’s defense. She will play lacrosse at Stanford next year, joining an impressive line of players who have joined the Cardinal.
Isabelle Casucci, Jr., A, St. Joseph: An impact offensive player as a freshman, she’ll take on an even bigger role as a junior captain. She has verbally committed to play for Marquette.
Caroline Cirilli, Sr., A/MF, Ludlowe:. Emerged as the Falcons’ leading scorer during her sophomore year, showing a knack for playmaking creativity. An All-State second team selection that year, she will play at USC next season.
Heather Clark, Jr., MF/D New Fairfield: The UMass commit provides the Rebels with a strong presence in the midfield and on defense.
Catherine Dineen, Jr., D, Wilton: A speedy defender with solid stick skills. She has committed to Bucknell.
Shea Dolce, Jr., G, Darien: The state’s top returning goalie was the MVP of the 2019 FCIAC championship game and an All-State and GameTimeCT first teamer as a freshman. She has verbally committed to Boston College.
Maddie Epke, Jr., MF, Guilford: The junior has become one of the SCC’s premier players in field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse. A speedy midfielder who excels on draw controls, she has verbally committed to play at James Madison in two years.
Samantha Forrest, Jr.,
Darien at Wilton (Lilly Field), Thursday, 6:30 p.m.: Two of the top FCIAC programs in an early-season clash. The road to a championship always runs through Darien, which grabbed the FCIAC and Class L titles in 2019.
Cheshire at Guilford (Kavanaugh Turf), Tuesday, April 20, 3:45 p.m.: A rematch of the electric 2019 SCC final, which featured Guilford winning its first-ever league championship 11-10 in OT. The Grizzlies and Rams are contenders again and could be playing for the title one more time in late May.
Wilton at New Canaan (Dunning Field), Tuesday, April 20, 4 p.m.: Wilton gets the top two FCIAC powerhouses in back-to-back games. Up next, a meeting with rival Ridgefield on April 24.
Darien at New Canaan (Dunning Field), Thursday, April 22, 4 p.m.: A likely No. 1-vs.-No. 2 matchup as the Wave and Rams have practically owned the top two spots in the state coaches poll during the past few seasons. They’ll play a second time on Monday, May 3, in Darien.
Staples at Greenwich (Cardinal Stadium), Thursday, April 22, 4:30 p.m.: This will be the opener for the Cardinals, who had the start of their season delayed with the team in quarantine. To start, they’ll get a Wreckers
MF, Glastonbury: The returning middie is ranked 15th in the 2021 recruiting class by Inside Lacrosse, and will look to lead the Guardians to their 13th consecutive CCC title.
Kaleigh Harden, Jr., MF, New Canaan: The younger of New Canaan’s two Harden sisters is a speedy and dynamic player who provides offense and defense. She has committed to play at North Carolina alongside her sister McKenna in two years.
McKenna Harden, Sr., MF, New Canaan: The threesport captain will be part of a strong Rams’ midfielder. She was a CHSCA and GameTimeCT All-State selection as a sophomore, and had committed to play at North Carolina next year.
Amelia Hughes, Jr., G, Wilton: The Princeton commit has been a star performer at every level, and gets her shot with a strong Warriors’ team this spring.
Chloe Humphrey, Soph., A, Darien: The latest Humphrey sister to play for the Wave is the No. 1 recruit in the country for the 2023 class according to Inside Lacrosse. Unfortunately for the Wave, she’ll be sidelined to start the season with a stress fracture in her back.
Nelle Kniffin, Sr., MF/D, Darien: The Colgate commit has been a leader for Darien’s soccer and ice hockey teams, and will headline a midfield which will again be a Wave strength.
Claire Mahoney, Jr., G, New Canaan: An aggressive and athletic goalie, the junior is taking over as the starter after gaining some varsity experience during her freshman season. She has committed to play for Brown.
Molly McGuckin, Jr., A, Darien: The senior with varsity experience will be a key cog in Darien’s offense this spring.
squad that is coming off a terrific 2019 campaign and returns All-State attack Shira Parower.
New Fairfield at Pomperaug, Saturday, April 24, 5 p.m.: Many of the names have changed from New Fairfield’s dominating 22-1 campaign two seasons ago, but the Rebels are still deep with talent. Pomperaug is also a prime SWC contender and this could be a preview of the league final.
Cheshire at New Canaan (Dunning Field), Saturday, May 1, 1 p.m.: The Rams take on the Rams. An intriguing inter-conference matchup between two of the state’s most consistent programs.
East Catholic at Canton, Saturday, May 1, 7 p.m.: Two annual Class S playoff contenders meet in a Saturday
Hollis Mulry, Jr., A, New Canaan: A strong all-around player who can score and distribute. She has verbally committed to play for USC.
Juliana Pagano, Jr., MF, Masuk: A multi-faceted middie who takes draws and scores. She’s committed to play for Bucknell.
Shira Parower, Sr., A/MF, Staples: Developed into a top scorer for the Wreckers in 2019, when she earned AllState first-team honors. She has committed to James Madison.
Dillyn Patten, Jr., A, New Canaan: An impact player as a freshman in 2019 and a speedster with a nose for the goal. She has verbally committed to play at Cornell.
Ceci Stein, Jr., MF, Darien:
The midfielder is a solid two-way player, providing offense and defense. She’ll play Div. I lacrosse at Michigan in two years.
Regan Tenaglia, Sr., MF, New Fairfield: A starter on the Rebels’ state championship team in 2019, she returns as a top weapon in the midfield. She will play for the Army lacrosse team next year.
Hannah Tiller, Sr., A, Guilford: The three-year starter helped Guilford win its first-ever SCC championship in 2019, and will be an important offensive weapon this spring. She has committed to play at Boston University.
Sydney Widlitz, Jr., G, Guilford: As a freshman she was named the SCC tournament MVP after making 11 saves in Guilford’s 11-10 overtime win against Cheshire in the final. She provides the Grizzlies with a strong and steady presence in the net.
Ashley Young, Jr., Barlow:
The Lehigh commit was a leading scorer as a freshman for the Falcons, and is a top threat again this spring.
night contest. Each of their last four meetings has been decided by one goal, and has included two overtime games with East Catholic winning 8-7 in 2 OTs in the 2018 Class S semifinals.
Daniel Hand at Glastonbury, Saturday, May 8, 4 p.m.: Another inter-conference contest pits perennial SCC contender Daniel Hand against Glastonbury, which has won 12 straight CCC titles, and is led by midfielder Sam Forrest, a North Carolina commit.
Ridgefield at Ludlowe (Taft Field), Tuesday, May 11, 4 p.m.: Ludlowe took a big step forward in 2019, and returns a few varsity players from that squad. This game is a true test as both teams are in the FCIAC playoff mix.