Main Line girls lacrosse teams aiming for glory again this spring

The perennially powerful Main Line high school girls’ lacrosse scene, which includes two teams that went all the way last spring – PIAA 2A state champion Villa Maria Academy and PAISAA state tournament champion Agnes Irwin – looks strong again in 2019, as many local squads are off to strong starts this spring. Here’s an early-season preview of the Main Line high school girls’ lacrosse teams:

Academy of Notre Dame
Head coach: Xan Zimatore, fifth year.
Last year’s record: 13-7 overall, 7-5 Inter-Ac.
Key returnees: senior attack Hannah Gillespie, senior midfielder Maggie O’Brien, senior defender Belle McHugh, senior midfielder Claire Gola, senior defender Lindsay Barnes, senior defender Lily Allen, senior midfielder Caitlyn Mullen, senior attack Anna Grace Coyne.
Others to watch: junior midfielder Georgie Gorelick, junior midfielder Riley Gillin, junior attack Mikayla Dever,junior defender Morgan O’Brien, junior midfielder Grace Bleckley.
Outlook: Zimatore said, “With 16 upperclassmen leading the way, we are confident we will have our most competitive season yet. We’ve been working hard in the off season to prepare for an extremely challenging schedule.”

Agnes Irwin
Head coach: Lauren Wray, second year.
Last year’s record: 19-6 overall; 11-1 Inter-Ac (co-champions), PAISAA state tournament champion.
Key returnees: senior attacker Emily Wills, senior defender Emily Coyne, junior midfielder Natalie Pansini, junior midfielder Kacy Hogarth, junior midfield/attack Julianne Carey.
Others to watch: senior defender Grace Bartosh, senior defender Lauren Rader, sophomore goalie Paige Crowther, sophomore attacker Brynn Ammerman.
Outlook: Wray said, “We graduated a large and talented senior class last year, so we come into this season with many new faces in the lineup. The team’s strength is our speed in the offensive and defensive end and our ability to play fast in transition. With so many new faces, we continue to work on our communication and chemistry both offensively and defensively. Keys to success for this season are playing confidently, sharing the ball on offense and playing aggressively defensively.”

Archbishop Carroll
Head coach: Lorraine Beers, 20th year.
Last year’s record: 19-3 overall, 12-0 Catholic League (champions), District 12 champs.
Key returnees: senior attack Alex Almonte, senior defender Liza Dellarata, senior goalie Julia Dellarata, senior midfielder Amber Germer, senior midfielder Maddison Henry, senior midfielder Kelli Ann Matey.
Lost to graduation: Rachel Matey, Katie Detwiler.
Outlook: Beers said, “We are working hard to win the Philadelphia Catholic League and District 12 to get another shot at PIAA state championship.”

Baldwin School
Head coach: Regan Marscher, first year.
Last year’s record: 9-11.
Key returnees: senior midfielder Sean Tuckman, senior midfielder Lila Tuckman, senior goalie Olivia Tornetta, freshman attack Clara Page.
Others to watch: senior defender Celia Page, senior defender Lauren Bracken.
Outlook: Marscher said, “Our team has outstanding leadership and experience in the senior class as well as some fresh faces. Our biggest challenges will be competing against in-conference powerhouses Episcopal Academy and Agnes Irwin. Our key to success will be our maturity level and hustle.”

Conestoga
Head coach: Amy Orcutt, 10th year.
Last year’s record: 11-6 in regular season.
Key returnees: senior midfielder Sydney Sloan, senior attack Nia Scott, senior defender Hailey Klinger, junior midfielder Cameron Evitts, junior attack Julia Littlewood, junior midfielder Rachel Clark.
Others to watch: junior defenders Emily Lortz, Megan Marengo and Alex Aufiero.
Outlook: Orcutt said, “We have a talented team with a lot of depth and look to make a solid run in the playoffs.”

Episcopal Academy
Head coach: Josie Tomaino, sixth year.
Last year’s record: 18-7 overall, 11-1 Inter-Ac (co-champions).
Key returnees: senior midfielder Olivia Dirks (Penn State), senior defender Izzy Rohr (Penn), senior defender Annie Rau (Denison), junior midfielder Devon Whitaker (Virginia), junior defender Jayne Morley (Harvard), junior attack Caroline Burt (Yale), junior midfielder Ali McHugh (Notre Dame), sophomore attack Sarah Groark.
Others to watch: senior attack Scottie Crockett, junior defender Sophia Garino, junior defender Kelsey Richter, junior attack Lola Quigley (La Salle), sophomore midfielder Madison Vetterlein.
Lost to graduation: Katie Crager (Georgetown), Olivia Tuma (Cornell), Phoebe Christos (Villanova), Olivia Cunningham (Lafayette), Lilly Emery-Baum (Virginia), Bridget Boyle (Drexel), Ally Marino (Franklin & Marshall), Lauren Rodio, Tess McMullin.
Outlook: Tomaino said, “Having lost a strong class to graduation, our biggest challenge will lie in many players across all positions stepping up to compete on a daily basis. We certainly have a ton of individual talent but our greatest strength will still be in our ability to play well and work together as a team. We have a small, but strong senior class that is captained by Olivia Dirks and Izzy Rohr. I’m confident in their ability to bring this young group together and lead us to our program’s 20th Inter-Ac title.”

Friends’ Central
Head coach: Ann Vesco, first year.
Last year’s record: 8-7 overall, 4-3 Friends’ Schools League.
Key returnees: junior center/midfielder Brynne Menen, senior midfielder/attack Benna Berger, senior midfielder/defender Jess Horenstein.
Others to watch: junior midfielder/attack Lindsey Schweitzer, junior attack Thea Volpp, senior midfielder/defender Phebe Guenther, junior attack Aliza Sall.
Outlook: Vesco said, “Our team’s biggest stregnth is its willingness to learn. Our biggest challenge is learning to be disciplined. We need to go hard on every drill, communicate on the field and learn to work team strategy.”

Harriton
Head coach: George Dick, 12th year.
Last year’s record: 12-5 overall, 9-2 Central League.
Key returnees: senior attack Allie Schwab, senior attack Katelin Williams, junior midfielder Maddie Henderson, senior midfielder Emily Stewart, junior midfielder Lucy Dwyer, senior attack Amelia Coursen, senior attack Lauren Binnion, senior defender Mikayla Braver, senior defender Abby Tevis, senior defender Reilly Short, senior defender Cara Margolis, senior goalie Morgan McElhenney, junior defender Kat Berberian, junior midfielder Liv Conrad, junior goalie Alex Turner.
Others to watch: sophomore defender Ashton Odiorne, sophomore defender Alexia Louca, freshman midfielders Grace Dwyer and Annie Aspesi.
Outlook: “With the majority of our team from last year returning, we hope to work hard and be competitive in the Central League, Districts and States,” said Dick.

Haverford High
Head coach: Nancy McGoldrick, 34th year.
Last year’s record: 9-9.
Key returnees: senior midfielder and captain Sydney Corcoran (committed to Old Dominion for field hockey), senior midfielder and captain Carly Gannon (committed to Penn State for field hockey), senior midfielder and captain Julia Klein (committed to Virginia Commonwealth University for lacrosse), junior midfielder Mia Ciancio (committed to Temple for lacrosse), junior defender Paige Corcoran, junior attack Willa Hetznecker, junior goalie Lauren Johns, junior defender/midfielder Abby Rowland.
Others to watch: senior defender Erin Doherty (committed to Catholic University for basketball), sophomore defender Joey Miller, sophomore midfielder Grace Hetznecker, senior defender Theresa Brown, senior defender Orla Fay, freshman midfielder Jackie Heinrich, freshman defender Emma Rowland, junior attack Sarah Daly, senior attack Sara Walsh (committed to Scranton for basketball).
Outlook: McGoldrick said, “We want to make it back to be a playoff contender after missing last year by one slot. We play in the strong, very talented Central League, and every opponent is like a playoff game. We are looking forward to a successful year.”

Lower Merion
Head coach: Maria Bio, first year.
Key returnees: senior defender Euna Carpenter, junior attack Olivia Ruth, senior defender Maddie Canter, junior attack Ellen Stickney.
Others to watch: sophomore defender Bridget McCann, sophomore Ella Geers, freshman Eliza Rudy, freshman Francesca Froio.
Outlook: Bio, a former player from Saint Joseph’s University, said, “Our players are eager to learn, and I think that their biggest challenge is their lack of consistency in the program, learning from multiple coaches with various coaching styles can be hard for players to understand year by year. Although I do like to win games, we are looking to mold our players into great people as well as great athletes, sports teach us more than what’s on a scoreboard. We as a team live by our 3 P’s – purpose, positivity and persistence, and because of that I believe that we will see a lot of success this year.”

Merion Mercy
Head coach: Gretta Ehret, second year.
Last year’s record: 9-9, qualified for District 1 playoffs.
Key returnees: senior defender Victoria Steinmetz, junior midfielder Alex Lavelle, junior midfielder Emily Hauck, senior midfielder Grace Binck, senior attack Sonja Bjornson.
Others to watch: sophomore midfielder Nora Burns, freshman midfielder Brynn Donnelly, sophomore goalie Kristin Rake.
Outlook: Ehret said, “We are a young team with only four returning varsity starters from last season. We have a lot of athletic players and are working to develop our stick skills, attacking schemes, explosive speed and competitive edge.”

Radnor
Head coach: Brooke Fritz, ninth year.
Last year’s record: 19-6, advanced to PIAA Class AA state semifinals.
Key returnees: senior attack Cate Cox, junior attack Ellie Mueller.
Others to watch: Fritz said, “We are returning 17 varsity letter winners from last year.”
Outlook: “Our strength is our experience and speed,” said Fritz. “Our biggest challenge will be our tough Central League rivals. We have a lot of talent and girls who enjoy playing together. It should be a fun spring.”

Sacred Heart
Head coach: Sarah O’Doherty, second year.
Last year’s record: 7-10 overall; 5-9 AACA.
Key returnees: senior midfielders Danielle Santora and Julia Flood, senior goalies Maddie Connors and Emma Winner.
Others to watch: sophomore attacks Zoe Bounds and Aubrey Connors.
Outlook: O’Doherty said, “We have a young team but it is being lead by some strong seniors. Our freshman class have all been players for years so it adds some more depth to the bench for varsity. Our two goalies are extremely strong and have not stopped working on their skill. Danielle Santora is going to be our standout goal scorer but is also someone who will push our other offensive players to score.”

Shipley
Head coach: Iris-Louise Williamson, first year.
Last year’s record: 7-6 overall, 6-1 Friends’ School League, FSL semifinalists.
Key returnees: senior goalie Grace Donnelly, senior midfielder Elizabeth Talluto, senior midfielder Kate Scutt.
Others to watch: sophomore midfielder Katie Bergen, senior defender Grace Gordon, sophomore defender Abby Aughe, senior midfielder Elie Shapiro.
Outlook: Williamson said, “Because we are young, a team comprised of freshman and sophomores, we have a lot of growth and fundamentals to work out. That’s an exciting challenge to seek to overcome, though, as a first year coach.”

Villa Maria
Head coach: Allie Sweeney, third year.
Last year’s record: 23-2 overall, 12-0 AACA, PIAA Class AA state champions.
Key returnees: senior defender Kristy Kucia, senior midfielder Abby Walheim, senior midfielder Adele Iacobucci, junior attack Hannah Young, junior attack Bridget Finley, sophomore attack Margie Carden.
Others to watch: junior attack Jacki Murray, sophomore goalie Kyla Branco, junior defender Maggie Powers.
Outlook: Sweeney said, “This year our strengths include our composure in big games; after our successes last season we know how to play in the biggest games. Another strength is with our draw controls and attack. We have one of the premier draw controllers, Abby Walheim, on our team and this gives us the edge to have the ball down in our attacking end. Our biggest challenge will be in the defensive zone. We graduated many defenders and our goalie. We have the potential for success this season but that will be determined by how hard we play each game. This includes limiting stupid mistakes and turnovers and coming up with more 50/50 balls than our opponents. We have to be ready to go and not think about anything but one day at a time.”