Division II

D2 Girls Lacrosse Preview: Portsmouth will try for a fourth title in a row

Joe Marchilena

— 4 min read
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D2 Girls Lacrosse Preview: Portsmouth will try for a fourth title in a row

Over the last three seasons that were played, Division II girls lacrosse has been dominated by one program, with a couple of others challenging but unable to reach the top.

Portsmouth has won three straight D2 titles, but even the Clippers, who have been to the final seven times since 2010 and won five titles, are heading into the year with a lot of uncertainty.

Of the five programs who have played for the division title, and are still in the division, only one (Hollis Brookline) still has the same head coach from two years ago. Winnacunnet, Hanover and Windham have all had coaching changes since the last time they were on the field.

But still, all five of those programs will have a shot at making a run this year, along with a handful of other teams in a division that should be highly competitive.

Favorite

  • Portsmouth: It’s hard to say the Clippers are the clearcut favorite in the division, but they will be the team everyone wants to beat. New coach JoJo Curro, who played at the University of New Hampshire and won a title at Souhegan in 2007, took over the program going into the 2020 season. The Clippers will be led by captains Sophie Campbell (senior, defense), Deja Srimousksavanh (senior, defense), Arden Griffin (junior, goalie) and Mia Smith (junior, midfield). Also returning are juniors Julia Roeloff (midfield/attack) and Ellie Seefried (attack), who will be key on offense. Maggie Parker, Ophelia Suttie and Maggie MacDonald also return for Portsmouth, while newcomers Annie Parker, Annie Campbell, Sadie Alati, Avery Ruhnke, Charlotte Marston, Sally Collins, Emily Kumph and Kellsie Flint will be looked at to contribute.

Challengers

  • Winnacunnet: The Warriors have a familiar face leading the way, as Colleen Farias makes the move from assistant coach back to head coach. Winnacunnet will be led by senior goalie Lainey Parrott, who has been the starter since her freshman year, while senior Tessa Knapp and junior Anna Carlino will be key on defense. Seniors Brenna Bushe and Serena Kollmorgen and junior Palen Kelly are back at midfield while sophomore Julia Edgar will be looked at to step up at attack.
  • Windham: Russ Perkins takes over as the Jaguars head coach this year after previously serving as an assistant. While Windham graduated a lot from the class of 2020, there are several strong players returning, led by senior Paige DeVries and junior Maria Turriza on defense and junior Morgan Ross at attack. Senior Alex Perkins returns in goal for the Jaguars while Bella Connelly (midfield), Jenna Hollinger (midfield) and Payton Furnari (defense) also are back.

Contenders

  • Hollis Brookline: The Cavaliers saw a talented class graduate last season, but return enough to keep them among the division’s top teams. That includes senior middie Abbey Magnuszewski, juniors Ellie Maxwell and Morgan Broadhurst on defense, and seniors Sydney Reichard and Brooke Allanach at attack.
  • Hanover: The Marauders have a new coach from the last time they took the field, with Sarah Martin having stepped in before last season. Hanover graduated a large senior class from 2020, including Maddie McCorkle, who is now playing at Duke University. Senior Wylie Lucas (defense) and junior Caroline Adams (midfield) will serve as captains with senior Emma Taylor also returning on defense. Seniors Lily Colberg, Sienna Curtis and Macy Demara will be looked to contribute.

Dark Horses

  • Oyster River-Newmarket: The Bobcats will co-op with Newmarket for the first time this season and will look to a trio of seniors to lead the way. Callie Vincent (attack), Arianna Alcocer (attack) and Annalise Lanoue (defense) all return for the Bobcats while junior Tess Pueschel will be key on defense and junior Annika Kell will step in at midfield. Sophomores Waverly Oake-Libow (midfield/attack) and Sophie Royal (midfield) should also contribute.
  • Goffstown: The Grizzlies return one of the division’s top players in senior attack Gracie Pierce, who will continue playing at Springfield College next year. Also returning are junior middie Katryn Maley and senior goalie Madeline Sage.

Keep an Eye On

  • Alvirne: The Broncos return four seniors who got varsity experience as sophomores, including captains Hailey Ramalhino and Erin Baker. Also back are seniors Charlotte Maloney and Allison Nazario. Alvirne also has seven juniors who played as freshmen two years ago, including Madison Nicolosi, Halle Miller (captain) and Elsa Ferullo.
  • ConVal: The Cougars don’t have a lot of players with varsity experience returning, but they have two in key spots. Senior attack Madelynn Plourde, who was ConVal’s leading scorer in 2019, returns, as does junior goalie Sarah Holdredge. Plourde will serve as a captain, along with seniors Perrine Holmberg (defense/midfield) and Anna Taylor (midfield). Senior Julia Donovan will help lead at midfield while senior Ella Dishong will also see time at middie. Seniors Emily Donovan and Libby Ewing will step in on defense and juniors Caitlin Beal and Molly Dishong will see time at attack.
  • John Stark: The Generals six players on their roster who are new to lacrosse, but have a solid group of returners, led by senior defender Andra Dagenais. Also returning on defense is senior Olivia Dame and juniors Emma Edwards and Paige Hamel. Freshman Elizabeth Hatfield will be a key contributor for John Stark as well.
  • Merrimack Valley: The Pride enter the year with 10 seniors on the roster, seven of whom had previous varsity experience. Sarah Bodien and Alexa Prewitt will lead at attack, along with Emily Koufos, who will also see time at midfield. They’ll be joined by junior attack Anya Dinger, while seniors Caitlyn Fortier and Kaylee Magoon return at midfield. Leading the defense will be senior goalie Aurora Rollins and defender Ayden Rollins. Junior Kendelye Prive, sophomore Abby Forbes and freshman Colby Magoon will also contribute as will seniors Kileigh Davis, Lilly Furtkamp and Ryleigh Goodwin.
  • Spaulding: The Red Raiders will have a lot of new players on this year’s roster, but will be led by the return of senior middie Morgan White. She’ll be joined by seniors Zoey Cormican (goalie), Brielle Garcia (midfield), Bella Olsen (midfield) and Lauren Ouellet (midfield/defense).

Rest of the Field

  • Kennett
  • Kingswood
  • Coe-Brown
  • Pembroke
  • Manchester Memorial-West
  • Timberlane

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. Portsmouth
  2. Winnacunnet
  3. Windham
  4. Hanover
  5. Hollis Brookline

Championship

  • Portsmouth over Winnacunnet

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Gracie Pierce, Goffstown

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Lainey Parrott, Winnacunnet

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