Preview the season’s top players and teams
North Penn, PW and Upper Dublin could all contend for conference titles
Is Abington for real? With a pair of All-Americans on hand, the Ghosts seem to be one of the area’s top programs as the scholastic girls lacrosse season got underway last week.
About a week into the year, the Ghosts are ranked in most folks’ top 15 and with good reason.
Abington returns a pair of All-Americans – Samantha McGee and Casey McCallister – and a wealth of talent that includes varsity experience in just about every area of the field.
Look for talented North Penn, PW, Upper Dublin and Wissahickon to each contend in the SOL.
Pennridge and Souderton could surprise a few teams as well.
Elsewhere, the area is a mixed bag of solid programs and wanna-bes, the struggling and the eternally optimistic.
Bishop McDevitt, Mount Saint Joseph and Gwynedd Mercy are seeking private school riches while Academy of the New Church, Germantown Academy and Phil-Mont Christian are in search of non-PIAA hardware.
The rest of the area field is looking for that one glimmer of hope.
But first, it appears, they’ll have to go through Abington to get it. ABINGTON Coach: Amanda Kammes Last Year’s Record: 16-4, 7-1 SOL National Key Losses: Rachel Morris (M); Emma Garg (M); Mikki Raymond (D). Key Returnees: Sam McGee (A); Casey McCallister (A); Kiki Brasher (GK); Cathy Staerk (A); Jules Greco (A); Lindsey Baer (A); Maddie Sjoholm (D). Analysis: The Ghosts are the team to beat among the area’s non-private
schools seeking attention and glory come postseason time. The perfect combination of offense, defense and experience could lead the Ghosts to a neck of the woods rarely seen among SOL schools. Outlook: It will take some doing and some hutzpah for the Ghosts, but once they get into the teeth of the playoffs they‘ll have to take it up a notch or two, or suffer the consequences. GERMANTOWN ACADEMY Coach: Brooke Watson Last Year’s Record: 5-14 Key Losses: Elizabeth Prezioso (Harvard), Key Returnees: Ali Crump (M); Belle McMahon (A); Isabelle Jacobs (M); Olivia Doody (M) Analysis: The Patriots are serious about improving on last year’s disappointing and enjoyed success on a training trip to Florida in the early season. The ultimate goal is to get back to the days when GA and Episcopal dueled for Inter-Ac supremacy, but those days might be over. Outlook: Respectability and teamwork are the goals, but the Patriots may have to wait a season or two for those goals to be attained. GWYNEDD MERCY Coach: Deb Lawlor Last Year’s Record: 11-7 Key Losses: Maddie Meagher. Key Returnees: Danielle Senour; Hailey Durkin. Analysis: The Monarchs aren’t yet in the position of challenging for a AACA championship, but Senour and Durkin should produce enough goals to keep the Monarchs in range for a playoff spot. Outlook: The Monarchs have gotten off to a slow start this season, but should improve as the team plays together more frequently. LANSDALE CATHOLIC Coach: Alexis Setley Last Year’s Record: 11-5 Key Losses: Sarah Opkyke Key Returnees: Jacqui Jester (Rutgers). Analysis: The Crusaders have found a good home in the PCL, where their optimism is often rewarded – as long as they’re not facing Archbishop Carroll – and their brand of play has been successful. Can that trend continue? It would appear so, especially as long as players such as Jester continue producing big numbers. Outlook: The Crusaders should remain competitive in the PCL, although a championship would be a reach. METHACTON Coach: Laurie Markle Last Year’s Record: 12-8 Key Losses: Sara Hughes. Key Returnees: Alana Cardaci; Daria Lucchesi; Audrey Hazlett; Jackie Cerchio; Rachel O’Toole. Analysis: Are the Warriors ready to mix it up with the Boyertowns and Spring-Fords of the PAC world? It would appear so, especially after an early-season win over the Bears. Methacton has the right mixture of returning players and seem confident enough to enter the PAC’s upper echelon. Outlook: Don’t look for overwhelming success, but Methacton should contend for a berth in the conference’s Final Four. NORTH PENN Coach: Heather Mellow Last Year’s Record: 11-8 Key Losses: Chloe Novak (M); Michelle Dyck (GK); Jenna DeLongis (A); Emily Suzuki (D). Key Returnees: Bri O’Donnell (A); Kaitlyn Phifer (M); Julia Keffer (A); Kelly McNamara (M). Analysis: The Maidens need to see where they’ll fit into the National Conference puzzle behind perennial favorite Central Bucks West. Outlook: The early returns have been strong as the Maidens have enjoyed some early-season success. But the Maidens need to stay consistent, if they’re to make the inroads they are hoping to make. PENNRIDGE Coach: Karen Schnurr Last Year’s Record: 12-6, 6-4 Key Losses: Kelly McNulty. Key Returnees: Jen Rodzewich (M); Grace Loughery (M); Casey Hefner (M); Alexa Machaldo (GK); Katie Ziegler (A); Maddie Dachowski (A). Analysis: The Rams are motivated by last year’s near-miss of qualifying for the postseason, and seem to have a good mix of returnees and young talent to make another run this year. Outlook: The Rams will need a few things to go right if they’re to climb into postseason contention again, but they would appear to have a good foundation from which to attempt to try. PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH Coach: Ellen Reilly Last Year’s Record: 17-3 Key Losses: Monica Dresnin (Rutgers); Maddie Berman; Aurora Mills. Key Returnees: Cate Golden (D); Sam Ward (D); Victoria Betterly (A); Ali Diamond (A); Sophie Kolkka (M); Sarah Putsch (M). Analysis: This could be one of the Colonials’ best teams in years, but it still may not win a conference title thanks to the brilliance of Abington, which is in revenge mode after being topped by the Colonials a season ago. Outlook: The Colonials will fit into the postseason picture somewhere, but with glamour matchups with the aforementioned Abington, Upper Dublin and Wissahickon, they’ll need to be at the top of their game almost every time out. SOUDERTON Coach: Nancy Offner Last Year’s Record: 9-9 Key Losses: Julianna Ofalt; Leah Goodwin. Key Returnees: Carlie Doughty (M); Megan Walbrandt (M); Riley McGowan (A); Sarah Goodwin (M); Lauren Scott (GK). Analysis: The Indians look to get back into SOL relevance under new coach Offner and a mix of experienced and promising newcomers. It won’t be easy to attain that relevance immediately, but Offner and the Tribe are optimistic it can be done over the next couple of seasons. Outlook: As with any new coach, the Indians will take some time to gel. But the talent level is above average and the Indians could mature faster than expected. UPPER DUBLIN Coach: Dee Cross Last Year’s Record: 10-8 Key Losses: None. Key Returnees: Hannah Reape (A); Shannon Reape (D); Caroline Wall (M); Lindsey Schreiber (A); Jess Grodsky (M); Sarah Heckenroder (GK). Analysis: Cross returns after a year in retirement to see if she can guide the Cardinals back to respectability after a rare down season. It’s said she couldn’t stay away, but is there enough magic left to take on the likes of Abington and PW? The answer will be the determining factor in the rise or fall of the program this year. Outlook: Even Cross can’t make that big a difference as the Cards butt heads with a stacked Abington team and a very good PW squad. WISSAHICKON Coach: Patti Kovacs Last Year’s Record: 10-6 Key Losses: Shannon Stagliano (A); Marie Dickson (D); Talia Abrahams (D). Key Returnees: Emily Vervlied (M); Carolyn Wilde (M). Analysis: The Trojans have a solid team, but not one that’s likely to challenge Abington, Plymouth Whitemarsh or Upper Dublin. Too bad. In other years this is a playoff team. Outook: At their best, the Trojans are a borderline playoff team. But with losses likely against Abington, PW and Upper Dublin, Wissahickon is going to need help the reach the district playoffs.