Wet fields delay start of spring seasons; BG, Souhegan among lacrosse title contenders.
By Roger Brown
MaxPreps.com
So far, the spring season hasn't had much to offer New Hampshire's high school sports fans.
Heavy snowfall last winter has left many athletic fields soggy and unplayable. Most teams have had the start of their season delayed, and many have yet to practice outside.
Last week the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association extended the high school baseball and softball seasons by one week.
"Due to the ongoing problems related to the heavy snowfall from the past winter, the NHIAA has made some initial modifications to the seasons (and) tournament schedules for baseball and softball," NHIAA executive director Patrick Corbin said. "As of this time all other spring sports remain unchanged. In each case, schools will undoubtedly be forced to alter existing regular-season schedules due to lack of playable fields (and) facilities."
The last day to play regular season baseball and softball games is June 1. Londonderry athletic director Mike Kobilarcsik said schools should avoid waiting until the final week to schedule make-up games.
"If we have postponements we'll try to get them in as quickly as we can, not move everything to the final week," Kobilarcsik told the Nashua Telegraph. "Obviously the schools with big issues are the ones up North (that) still have three feet of snow and ice on their fields."
Boys Lacrosse: BG Chasing Another Title
Experience may make Bishop Guertin the team to beat in Division I lacrosse this season. The Cardinals, who are seeking their first championship since 2005, have 20 seniors on their roster, 14 of whom are being recruited to play college lacrosse.
Midfielders Eric Harries, Pat Daley and Kyle Curry combined for 157 points last season. Harries led the way with 41 goals and 21 assists.
The Cardinals also return goaltender Brent Lyskawa, who was the team's No. 1 goalie last spring.
BG's toughest challenge may come from Pinkerton Academy, which has won 10 state championships since the NHIAA first sanctioned lacrosse in 1994. The Astros will be led by senior midfielder Bobby Datillo, who will play lacrosse at the Division I level (Hobart) next season.
Division II: Although five All-State players from last year's team have graduated, St. Thomas is the clear favorite to win this year's Division II championship. The Saints are attempting to win their third consecutive title.
St. Thomas has three seniors on its 23-player roster, but will rely heavily on a strong junior class.
Division III: Portsmouth returned 10 players from a team that lost to Merrimack Valley in last year's Division III championship game. Defenders Reed Spiller and Paul Harvey, midfielders Ashton Braun and Reed Brown and long-stick midfielder Andrew Ricker are among the battle-tested seniors on the Portsmouth roster.
Girls Lacrosse: Souhegan Has Star-power
No Division I team has higher expectations than Souhegan, which returned seven starters - including three Division I recruits - from last year's team.
The Souhegan roster is highlighted by midfielders Tyler Petropulos (Harvard) and Danielle Pelletier (University of Massachusetts), and attacker JoJo Curro (University of New Hampshire). Those three accounted for 191 points last season, when they were Souhegan's top three scorers.
Division II: Bow graduated 13 players from the team that beat Hanover in last year's Division II championship game, but it's unlikely anyone is feeling sorry for the Falcons. Bow has 12 players with varsity experience on its roster, including four-year starters Abigail Leach (attack), Kiley Corson (midfielder) and Jackie Leboe (defense).
Bow has reached the Division II championship game in each of the last six years, and won the title in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Division III: Portsmouth, which was 18-0 last season, is an overwhelming favorite in Division III this year. The Clippers retained all but two starters from their title team.
Portsmouth will be led by senior Molly Duprey (midfielder), junior Hannah Khin (defense) and junior Sam Whitney (attack). All three were first team all-state selections last season.
