MaxPreps 2015 New York high school girls lacrosse preview

With wintry weather lasting through the end of March, some girls lacrosse players, fans and coaches have to be wondering if it's a spring sport, after all.

But with the first games of the season now in the books, things should be heating up soon enough.

With a new season now off and running, here are some interesting storylines as we work our way toward the state semifinals and finals June 5-6 at SUNY Cortland.

Manhasset, Garden City gear up for title chase

The annual boys lacrosse showdown between the tradition-rich Manhasset and Garden City is known as the "Woodstick Classic."



The schools' girls teams have enjoyed plenty of classics of their own.

Defending state champion Manhasset won the teams' meeting last year 9-8 after beating Garden City in the 2013 Nassau County title game after losing an overtime game to the Trojans during the regular season. This season, the teams won't meet until the eve of the playoffs – May 2 at Manhasset.

Both squads have plenty of talent in their quest for the county championship..

Garden City is led by Johns Hopkins University-bound senior defender Morgayne Rix and senior midfielder/defender Kristen Adams, a returning All-American.

Manhasset attack Linsey Ronbeck scored 70 goals last season. Midfielder Kathryn Hallett, also a senior, is headed to Princeton. Classmate Kellen D'Alleva, an attack, will play at Dartmouth. Junior midfielder Erin Barry, a quick and skilled defender, is a returning All-American.

Northern Westchester players get their points across

Northern Westchester County, in Section 1, has an array of offensive stars among the best in the state.
Johns Hopkins University-bound Nicole Demase of Somers (Lincolndale) had 66 goals last season. A senior midfielder from neighboring Yorktown (Yorktown Heights), Emily Concialdi, looking to earn All-America honors for the third-straight year, is coming off a 40-goal season.



Another senior, Molly Fitzpatrick, from Yorktown's crosstown rival Lakeland-Panas (Shrub Oak), has scored close to 80 goals each of the last two seasons.

University of Michigan-bound Amanda Flayhan of John Jay (Cross River) had 58 goals and 22 assists in 2014.

New look at West Genesee

West Genesee's (Camillus) 20-1 season ended with a 13-game win streak and Class A state title in 2014. But if the Wildcats are to repeat that championship feat, they will have to get big contributions once again from their senior class. Last year's experience-laden squad was led by its seniors, including Hannah Elmer, the daughter of head coach Bob Elmer. Elmer, now playing at SUNY Cortland, was MVP of the state final, with four goals and five assists in a 15-10 win over West Islip.

Suffern's senior stars eye state title

There's no substitute for experience – and Suffern has it in spades. The Mounties have six Division I-bound seniors. The group includes 80-point scorer Caitlin Leary (UConn), 60-goal scorer Dana Gisonno (Rutgers), feeder/finisher Baley Parrott (Ohio State) and defender Tonianne Magnelli (Boston University).Tonianne Magnelli



Cold Spring Harbor's dynamic duo

Few Class C teams in the state sport the one-two senior punch that Nassau County power Cold Spring Harbor does.

The Seahawks’ twosome is comprised of midfielder Holly Logan, a versatile player who excels on both offense and defense, and midfielder/defender Brooke Jensen, who has a combination of good size and speed.

Logan, a returning All-American, is headed to Johns Hopkins. Jensen is bound for the University of Connecticut.

Multimedia news and sports editor and producer Joe Lombardi is director of media initiatives and managing editor of the DailyVoice.com, as well as the primary author of the most recent edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies." Follow Joe on Twitter @Joe_Lombardi or e-mail jlombardi@dailyvoice.com