D1 Girls Lacrosse Preview: Bishop Guertin looking for 3rd straight title

The Bishop Guertin High School girls lacrosse team moved up to Division I in 2015, and since then, the Cardinals have been to the final so many times, they could put it on their schedule at the start of the year.

The Cardinals have played in four of the last five D1 title games, winning three, including the last two in 2018-19. Going into this season, Bishop Guertin is the clear favorite to make it three in a row.

There will be no shortage of teams looking to knock the Cardinals off. Pinkerton, which lost in the 2019 final, and Souhegan, which one it all in 2017, should be first in line to challenge Bishop Guertin, while Bedford and Londonderry should also be top contenders.

Concord, with a solid and experienced core returning, could be in the mix while Manchester Central and Nashua South will try to build on recent success with a younger roster.

Favorite

• Bishop Guertin: This version of the Cardinals could be one that goes down as one of the top teams in state history. Bishop Guertin has 16 players who will continue playing in college, including everyone in the senior class. That includes senior captains Mimi Piercy (midfield), Lindsay Hult (midfield) and Maddy Keating (attack), along with seniors Emma Hayhurst, Frida Turriza and Delaney Ramalho on defense. Senior Teagan McInnis will join the defense and junior goalie Makenna Reekie returns. Junior Rylee Bouvier also returns at midfield, while senior Kate Simpson will also step in at middie. Juniors Nat Coutu, Katie Campel and Stephanie Reap and sophomore Tess Prunier will round out the attack along with senior Tannah O’Neil-Blake, who returns from injury.

Challengers

• Souhegan: The Sabers have a pair of experienced seniors returning to lead at opposite ends of the field, with Abby Hawkes back on attack and Eva Stine on defense. Stine will be joined by junior Sierra Kimball and goalie Shannon Hargreaves on defense. Joining Hawkes on attack will be junior Cali Bishop, while junior Mackenzie Cretsinger will see time at attack and midfield for Souhegan, which will also have a new coach. Former Saber standout McKinley Curro Sbordone takes over for Maren Petropulos.
• Pinkerton: Last year’s senior class was one of the most talented in the program’s history but the Astros return a solid group that will be tough to beat this year. Leading the way will be senior captains Caroline Daziel (attack), Abby Jowett (attack) and Justine Doyle (midfield), all of whom are playing in college. Senior Amy Quigley and junior Caitlin Seleny also return at attack while freshman Isabella Pinardi will see some on offense as well. Junior Allison Lamphere also returns at midfield while junior Tatum Howe will join the mix and junior Peyton Knowlton (attack/midfield) and sophomore Lilyanne Jeans (defense/midfield) will see tiem as well. Goalies Lauren Sweeney (junior) and Naomi Menczywor (senior) return to lead the defense, along with junior Kristina Packowski. Juniors Liz Fournier, Erin Tewksbury and Emma Thompson and freshman Emma Madsen will also see time on defense.

Contenders

• Londonderry: The Lancers will enter the year with great senior leadership behind captains Jenna Stowell, Katie McCudden and Rylee McGrath. Also back are juniors Abigail Whitley and Caroline Leone. Londonderry also has a handful of freshmen who will have a shot to contribute on varsity, including Kiara Edmunds, Ashleigh Leone, Lilah Melia, Victoria Savage and Natalie Washington.
• Bedford: The Bulldogs will have a talented group returning, led by seniors Alex Doldo, Natalie Rago and Emily Ulmer and junior Julian Bell.

Dark Horses

• Concord: The Crimson Tide will be led by returning seniors Maria Armaganian, Grace Leonard and Teylor Green and juniors Mary Martinson, Kaitlyn McKinnon, Colette Brochu and Danielle Lemay. They’ll be joined by sophomore Greta Norton and freshman Sofia Payne.
• Nashua South: The Panthers have a strong junior class, led by Olivia Johnson and Kaitlyn West on attack. Also back are senior Cate Harrington and juniors Kylie Dawe and Soleil Dubois. Freshman Ella Benzekri and Audrey Mullaney will also be looked to contribute.
• Manchester Central: The Little Green will return seniors Sophia Leonard and Hannah Shackford and sophomore Zoe Demers at midfield while senior Ellie Marr will lead on attack. Senior Sam Vega and sophomore Coriann Hoag will be key on defense along with junior goalie Lilly Tague-Bleau, who is new to lacrosse, but has been the goalie for Central’s field hockey and girls ice hockey teams.

Keep an Eye On

• Nashua North: The Titans will be led by a pair of returning senior middies, Lily Brooks and Kiley O’Brien while senior Kaitlyn Laurendi will see time at defense and midfield. Senior goalie Samantha Canto also returns and junior Keira Sice will be looked to lead on attack.
• Salem: The Blue Devils have a strong core returning, led by senior Amy Murphy on defense and juniors Emily Wilson and Ariana Lakos at midfield. Sophomore Ava Donahue and freshman Kelsey McGibbon will also play key roles on defense while sophomore Chloe Stone will be a contributor on attack.

Rest of the Field

• Dover
• Exeter
• Keene-Monadnock
• Merrimack

Editor’s Note: With an open playoff divided into regional brackets, instead of predictions for who will make the playoffs and the final, below is a projected top five and a prediction for the championship game.

Top Five

1. Bishop Guertin
2. Pinkerton
3. Souhegan
4. Bedford
5. Londonderry

Championship

• Bishop Guertin over Pinkerton

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Rylee Bouvier, Bishop Guertin

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Sweeney, Pinkerton

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