TEXAS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL LACROSSE LEAGUE DIVISION I

The Team to Beat: St. John’s

The Mavericks have fallen short in the state championship game the last two seasons, but St. John’s now appears to be ready to reclaim its spot at the top of the Lone Star State. St. John’s graduated just five seniors and returns eight starters from last year’s overachieving team. Last season was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but the Mavericks’ young guns proved they were better than people thought.

This year’s team will be led by junior middie Jessica Carroll, senior middie Catherine Franklin, senior attack Joan Scheirman, senior attack Lacey Rybarczyk, junior goalie Kelsey Duncombe-Smith and senior defender Krissy Incavo, all of whom were big contributors last season.

Contenders: Hockaday School, Houston Episcopal, Cy-Fair, St. Andrew’s Episcopal

Two-time defending state champion Hockaday School graduated a couple outstanding seniors, but the Daisies still have a lot coming back. Hockaday is expected to be the class of the North District again behind the play of several returning standouts, junior middie Allie Kirchhofer, senior middie Hanna Lucas, sophomore attack Maggie Fobare and junior attack Caroline Moore. The Daisies will also get a boost from the return of senior middie Tori Rutherford, who sat out her junior year because she was in a study-abroad program.

Houston Episcopal has a new head coach in former Duke goalie Regan Bosch, and the 23-year-old recent graduate has a lot with which to work. Bosch’s squad, the only team to knock off state-champion Hockaday School last season, brings back nine starters. Top contributors will be senior attack Elizabeth Strange, junior attack Leigh Lausen, senior attack Annie Langford, junior goalie Kitty Benson, junior middie Kimberly Khourie, junior defender Brooks Leavell, and senior middie Drew Cowan.

Like Hockaday, Cy-Fair graduated a couple top-notch seniors off last year’s team. But although they are young, the Ironmaidens are still expected to be very competitive. Junior middie Emily Newstrom, junior middie Delaney Fisher and sophomore middie Casey McCarthy are the cream of the crop for this group.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal has won seven Central District titles in the last eight years, and with a large group of players coming back from last year’s team, the Crusaders’ sights should be set a little bit higher this season. St. Andrew’s brings back 11 starters, including four first-team All-State selections in Goucher-bound senior middie Erin Reifsnyder, junior attack Margaret Heck, junior middie Katherine Stegmann and senior middie Catherine Wilson. Meanwhile, junior goalie Rachel McCarthy, who was an All-District selection last season, has transferred to St. Andrew’s from Bowie.

Sleeper: Cedar Park

The Timberwolves could be a major player this season. Cedar Park graduated just four seniors and returns 10 starters from last season’s competitive 9-7 team. Cedar Park has two returning All-State selections in senior middie Molly Eckert and senior attack Mary Liz Tuttle and two returning All-District selections in senior goalie Brittany Anderson and senior attack Meagan Ernst.

NCAA Division I Recruits: Claire Durham, Def., Southlake Carroll (Presbyterian).

Other Top Players: Haydyn Anigian, MF, Highland Park; Daniella Arboleda, Def., Memorial; Kitty Benson, G, Houston Episcopal; Jessica Carroll, Att.-MF, St. John’s; Allison Cook, Att., Ursuline; Skylar Dabbar, G, Kinkaid; Lexus DeLoach, MF, Coppell; Jackie Echavarria, G, Westwood; Molly Eckert, MF, Cedar Park; Rachel English, MF, Westlake; Maggie Duffy, Att., Ursuline; Kelsey Duncombe-Smith, G, St. John’s; Delaney Fisher, MF, Cy-Fair; Maggie Fobare, Att., Hockaday School; Catherine Franklin, MF, St. John’s; Kyle Fraser, Att., Trinity; Kristen French-Kim, Att., The Woodlands; Brittany Gavula, MF, Bellaire; Emily Glidden, Att., Memorial; Chloe Gray, MF, Austin; Margaret Heck, Att., St. Andrew’s Episcopal; Ashley Helms, MF, Memorial; Krissy Incavo, Def., St. John’s; Allie Kirchhofer, MF, Hockaday School; Annie Langford, Att., Houston Episcopal; Leigh Lausen, Att., Houston Episcopal; Sarah Levin, MF, Coppell; Dylan Lofland, Def., Ursuline; Hanna Lucas, MF, Hockaday School; Sarah Mann, Att., Westwood; Michaela Marziale, Att., The Woodlands; Casey McCarthy, MF, Cy-Fair; Jennifer Merritt, MF, Bowie; Caroline Moore, Att., Hockaday School; Tully Moorehead, MF, Southlake Carroll; Emily Newstrom, MF, Cy-Fair; Sarah O’Neill, MF, Westlake; Alessandra Quaroni, MF, St. Andrew's Episcopal; Kayla Rainey, MF, Memorial; Erin Reifsnyder, MF, St. Andrew’s Episcopal (Goucher); Tori Rutherford, MF, Hockaday School; Lacey Rybarczyk, MF, St. John’s; Joan Scheirman, Att., St. John’s; Cara Selleman, Att., Bellaire; Allie Sheftall, MF, Bowie; Katherine Stegmann, MF, St. Andrew’s Episcopal; Elizabeth Shaw, MF, Coppell; Katherine Shepherd, Def., Dallas Episcopal; Emma Sims, MF, Ursuline; Hannah Smith, MF, Dallas Episcopal; Kenner Smith, MF, Kinkaid; Abby Spalding, MF, Kinkaid; Morgan Stamm, MF, Trinity; Elizabeth Strange, Att., Houston Episcopal; Mary Liz Tuttle, Att., Cedar Park; Madeline Walton, MF, Dallas Episcopal; Haleigh Williams, MF, Memorial (Millsaps); Catherine Wilson, MF, St. Andrew’s Episcopal.

Preseason Top 10: 1. St. John’s, 2. Hockaday School, 3. Houston Episcopal, 4. Cy-Fair, 5. St. Andrew’s Episcopal, 6. Memorial, 7. The Woodlands, 8. Cedar Park, 9. Dallas Episcopal, 10. Westlake.

Notes: The South District and Central District will break up into Division I and Division II before the season, and the North District will determine which teams fall where after the regular season in 2010....In the South District, St. John’s, Cy-Fair, Memorial, Houston Episcopal, The Woodlands, Bellaire and Kinkaid will make up Division I. Kingwood, Clear Lake, Lamar, Klein, Westchester, Houston Christian, St. Agnes and the Village School will participate in Division II....In the Central District, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, Cedar Park, LBJ, Westwood, Austin, Bowie and Westlake will play in Division I. Georgetown, Leander, McNeil, Stony Point, McCallum/Anderson, Roosevelt, St. Michael’s and St. Stephen’s will compete in Division II....In the North District, Allen, Colleyville and Irma Rangel will field varsity programs for the first time....Westlake brings back five players who were either All-State or All-District in 2009....Dallas Episcopal returns five starters....Ursuline Academy graduated 10 seniors....Memorial has six starters returning, and it picked up senior middie Haliegh Williams, who transferred from Division II Westchester.