OREGON GIRLS LACROSSE ASSOCIATION

The Team to Beat: Lakeridge

The Pacers enter the 2010 season with one of the most talented teams in program history. Lakeridge has three players who have already committed to play NCAA lacrosse, and two of those will be playing at the Division I level.

Lakeridge graduated five seniors off last year’s state semifinalist team, and the Pacers anticipate having eight starters back, led by St. Mary’s College-bound senior attack Allie DeBruhl and UC Davis-bound senior middie Meghan Jordan. DeBruhl is a scoring machine. She fired home 10 goals during Lakeridge’s state semifinal loss to Oregon City last season. Jordan, meanwhile, registered 71 points on 32 goals and 39 assists.

The Pacers also have a strong supporting cast. Savannah College of Art & Design-bound senior attack Haley Fauvelle, senior middie-attack Sarah Seals, senior defender Caity Clark, senior middie-defender Kelly Bartz and junior goalie Allison Schrader will all make big contributions.

Contenders: Lake Oswego, Wilson, Oregon City

Lake Oswego graduated two seniors and returns 10 starters, including several top players that helped lead the Lakers to the 2009 state championship game. In all, Lake Oswego has four players that participated on last summer’s prestigious Oregon Elite club team, more than any other school in the state. Senior middies Kendall Guthrie and Megan Swindells, who both played for Oregon Elite, are both returning second-team All-State selections. Senior middie Amy Schlesinger and junior defender Dana Kilsby will also be major impact players.

Wilson graduated just five seniors and brings back eight starters from last season’s playoff team, and the Trojans are in it to win it this season. Wilson brings back starters from throughout its lineup, including two of the state’s top players in senior attack KK McCaslin and junior middie Fiona Dearth. McCaslin and Dearth were both second-team All-State selections last season, and they’ll be joined by senior middie Emily Zweber and senior defender Carson Whitehill.

Defending state champion Oregon City ran roughshod over the competition last season, but after graduating seven key seniors the Pioneers aren’t quite as strong. Still, Oregon City has a lot coming back, with three players returning who played for Oregon Elite. Junior middie Holly Cisneros, junior attack Tessa Keuler and junior middie Shelly Bohrer will ensure the Pioneers stay competitive, and senior goalie Amanda Willis and senior attack Stephany Starr will also contribute.

Sleeper: Century

The Jaguars graduated seven seniors, but just four starters, from their 15-3, state quarterfinalist team of a year ago. Despite having eight returning starters, few people mention them among the top tier. Century did graduate three first-team All-Conference players, but it brings back one of the state’s best in senior middie Tracey Steinmetz.

NCAA Division I Recruits: Allie DeBruhl, Att., Lakeridge (St. Mary’s); Meghan Jordan, MF, Lakeridge (UC Davis).

DeBruhl has started every game since her freshman season, she was a first-team All-State selection as a junior and sophomore and she was the state’s leading scorer in 2009. Last season, DeBruhl registered 115 points on 99 goals and 16 assists.

Other Top Players: Natalie Ancona, MF-Att., Lincoln; Shelby Anderson, MF, Sherwood; Simone Anter, MF, Southridge; Breanna Backous, Att., Forest Grove; Kelly Bartz, MF-Def., Lakeridge; Sadhya Bhaske, MF, Oregon Episcopal School; Shelly Bohrer, Def., Oregon City; Elly Brophy, MF, Southridge; Erin Burns, Def., Grant; Susanna Cai, MF, Sunset; Holly Cisneros, MF, Oregon City; Caity Clark, Def., Lakeridge; Kymee Costello, MF, Hood River; Fiona Dearth, MF, Wilson; Claire DeVoe, Def., Lincoln; Sierra Edgerly, MF, Glencoe; Morgan Einwaller, Def., Liberty; Haley Fauvelle, Att., Lakeridge (Savannah College of Art and Design); Kassee Flint, Def., Sherwood; Annie Friar, MF, Oregon Episcopal School; Alejandra Gonzales, Def., Crescent Valley; Monica Gorciak, MF, St. Mary’s; Marie Grove, MF, Southridge; Kendall Guthrie, MF, Lake Oswego; Emily Hacker, MF, Marist; Nicole Hamburger, MF, Sherwood; Jackie Haynes, Def., Southridge; Lauren “Sparky” Hektner, G, Southridge; Sohayla Horani, MF, Tigard; Alissa Johnston, Att., Lake Oswego; Rachel Kessler, MF-Def., Lincoln; Tessa Keuler, Att., Oregon City; Dana Kilsby, Def., Lake Oswego; Rachel Kolling, Att., Grant; Lindsey LeMay, MF, Corvallis; Ali Loeb, G, Liberty; KK McCaslin, Att., Wilson; Melissa Moore, G, Century; Keara Moyle, MF, Century; Morgan Nance, MF, Hood River; Julia Ohman, MF, Sunset; Dianne Namgung, MF, Westview; Lauren Pedersen, Att., St. Mary’s; Emma Pierce, Def., St. Mary’s; Morgan Plew, Att., Lincoln; Zoe Potts, Def., Lincoln; Ariel Puckett, Def., Sherwood; Nicole Rose, Def., Sunset; Stephanie Scarbrough, G, Glencoe; Amy Schlesinger, MF, Lake Oswego; Allison Schrader, G, Lakeridge; Mary Schubert, Att., Westview; Sarah Seals, MF-Att., Lakeridge; Stephany Starr, Att., Oregon City; Tracey Steinmetz, MF, Century; Alison Stone, Def., Tigard; Megan Swindells, MF, Lake Oswego; Rachel Teeters, Att., Tualatin; Paige Timberg, MF, Lake Oswego; Amanda Tomlinson, MF, Century; Jacqueline Wagner, Att., Portland Jesuit; Helen Walters, Att., Marist; Kayla Warfield, Att., Oregon Episcopal School; Carson Whitehill, Def., Wilson; Lacey Williams, Def., Liberty; Amanda Willis, G, Oregon City; Emily Zweber, MF, Wilson; Katie Zweber, Def., Portland Jesuit.

Preseason Top 10: 1. Lakeridge, 2. Lake Oswego, 3. Wilson, 4. Oregon City, 5. Century, 6. Sunset, 7. Portland Jesuit, 8. Lincoln, 9. Southridge, 10. Oregon Episcopal School.

Notes: There will be an all-time high of 38 teams in the OGLA this season with the addition of Newberg....This year’s playoffs have expanded to 16 teams, with top three teams from all five conferences qualifying for the tournament. The 16th team will come from the conference which won the previous year’s state championship. For this season, that means the powerful Three Rivers League will get a fourth playoff berth....Former Mercer Island head coach Meg Elston has taken over for Allister Bunch at West Linn....The following players participated with the 2009 Oregon Elite club team: Southridge senior middie Simone Anter, Lakeridge senior middie-defender Kelly Bartz, Oregon City junior defender Shelly Bohrer, Oregon City junior middie Holly Cisneros, Wilson junior middie Fiona Dearth, Lakeridge senior attack Allie DeBruhl, Lakeridge senior attack Haley Fauvelle, Lake Oswego senior middie Kendall Guthrie, Tigard junior middie Sohayla Horani, Oregon City junior attack Tessa Keuler, Lake Oswego junior defender Dana Kilsby, Liberty senior goalie Ali Loeb, Wilson senior attack KK McCaslin, Lake Oswego senior middie Amy Schlesinger, Century senior middie Tracey Steinmetz, Lake Oswego senior middie Megan Swindells and Oregon Episcopal School senior attack Kayla Warfield....Portland Jesuit graduated seven seniors and brings back seven starters from a team that reached the state quarterfinals. Senior defender Katie Zweber and junior attack Jacqueline Wagner are two players to watch....Marist had five players earn first-team All-Conference honors last season, but three of them graduated. Senior attack Helen Walters and senior middie Emily Hacker will be back to lead the defending South Conference champs....Southridge returns seven starters from last year’s lineup and will be led by its lone regional team representative, senior middie Simone Anter. Strong play from senior goalie Lauren “Sparky” Hektner will be also be critical to the team’s prospects.