ARIZONA GIRLS LACROSSE ASSOCIATION DIVISION II

The Team to Beat: Phoenix Country Day

The Eagles graduated five seniors and return nine starters from the team that lost to Xavier in last year’s Division II state championship game. Although one of those starters was a first-team, All-State selection, PCDS still appears to be the top dog.

Junior goalie Arianne Price is probably the top cage-minder in Division II, and in front of her stands a defense that returns completely intact from last season. Senior defender Maude LaBelle anchors the back line. Up front, senior attack Diana Schron will be looked at to add some scoring punch, and a lot is expected from sophomore Zoe Simon in the midfield.

Contenders: Horizon II, Pinnacle II, Chaparral II, Desert Vista

This year will be the first in which Division I powerhouses Chaparral, Horizon and Pinnacle field Division II teams, and it is a mystery how they will fare. All three teams will be made up of players who fail to earn a spot on the Division I team, but they will be allowed to use seniors who are ineligible for JV. Programs in other regions in the West have had a similar set up, with mixed results.

Horizon would appear to have the best chance at success among the three, because there are a large amount of seniors in the program this season.

Desert Vista brings back 10 players off last season’s varsity team, including its top scorer in senior middie McKell Parkinson, who scored 29 goals. Parkinson’s little sister, junior attack Hallie Parkinson, is also a threat in the offensive end, as is junior Emily Nichols.

Sleeper: Mountain Pointe

The Pride returns half its starting lineup from the team that won a school-record five games last season. Mountain Pointe will hope to continue its success behind junior middie Lindsey Wilson and junior goalie Sarah Amaro.

Top Players: Sarah Amaro, G, Mountain Pointe; Brianna Eklund, G, Tucson; Bailey Katz, Att., Notre Dame Prep; Jane Kraus, MF, Tucson; Maude LaBelle, Def., Phoenix Country Day; Emily Nichols, Def., Desert Vista; Emily O’Neil, Def., Notre Dame Prep; Hallie Parkinson, Att., Desert Vista; McKell Parkinson, MF, Desert Vista; Arianne Price, G, Phoenix Country Day; Diana Schron, Att., Phoenix Country Day; Zoe Simon, MF, Phoenix Country Day; Delaney Stratton, Def., Desert Vista; Lindsey Wilson, MF, Mountain Pointe.

Preseason Top 8: 1. Phoenix Country Day, 2. Horizon II, 3. Pinnacle II, 4. Chaparral II, 5. Desert Vista, 6. Mountain Pointe, 7. Notre Dame Prep, 8. Tucson.

Notes: Former Gilbert head coach Brittany Bingold will be the first head coach for Chaparral II....Former players Michelle Quach and Grace Kim have taken over for Tara Tibbott and Claire Hubbell at Desert Vista....Tucson will have about a dozen players back from last year’s team and will be much more experienced, head coach Zach Brink said.