Most girls lacrosse teams in the country have yet to start playoff action.
But down in Florida, Vero Beach has completed its season perfect for a second straight year.
The Fighting Indians wrapped up a 22-0 campaign by beating Winter Springs, 20-3, in the FHSAA championship game on Saturday.
Vero Beach will start the 2012 season with an astonishing 60-game winning streak overall and 70-game win streak against Florida opponents.
The last time the Fighting Indians lost a game was on March 6, 2009, when they dropped a 14-9 decision to Archbishop Spalding of Maryland. They went 21-0 last season, with their final game being a narrow 10-9 victory over Lake Brantley in the state championship game.
McDonogh (Md.) wraps up the regular season this week hopeful of extending its winning streak of 48 games.
Emily McGrail of No. 15 Westwood.
Photo by Mike Braca
Ridgewood (N.J.) saw its 38-game win streak end in a 19-11 loss to St. Anthony's (N.Y.). Ridgewood won a pair of state titles during that streak.
Farther up the East Coast, Garden City won its much-awaited showdown against rival Manhasset, 13-6, as Trojans netminder
Kelly Weis made 12 saves.
In New York's Hudson Valley, sophomore midfielder
Molly Malone of
Ossining (N.Y.) enjoyed one of the most impressive single-game, individual scoring performances of the season. Malone scored 13 goals in a 21-13 victory over Sleepy Hollow to tie the state record held by several players for second-most goals scored in a girls varsity game. The state record for goals in a game is 15.
MAXPREPS XCELLENT 20 NATIONAL GIRLS LACROSSE RANKINGS
1. Garden City (N.Y.), 13-0: Alexandra Bruno (four goals, one assist) and
Mikaela Rix (three goals, two assists) ignited the offense in the aforementioned victory at Manhasset. (Last week's ranking: No. 1)
2. McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.), 16-0: Bryn Mawr (Md.) and Roland Park Country (Md.) both lost to the Eagles by two goals – McDonogh's closest games of the season. (Last week's ranking: No. 2)
3. Farmingdale (N.Y.), 11-1: Kimberly Kolodny registered six goals and an assist in the Dalers' most recent win, 18-7 over Darien (Conn.). (Last week's ranking: No. 4)
4. Vero Beach (Fla.), 22-0: Caitlyn Miller made 15 saves in the aforementioned state title game triumph. (Last week's ranking: No. 5)
5. West Genesee (Camillus, N.Y.), 13-0: Emily Tripodi has a team-leading 84 points, including 55 assists, for the Wildcats. (Last week's ranking: No. 6)
6. St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.), 10-2: Kerrin Maurer had seven goals and five assists and in the aforementioned triumph over Ridgewood (N.J.). (Last week's ranking: No. 8)
7. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.), 24-2: Besser Dyson had five goals and an assist in an 18-5 win over Holton-Arms (Va.). (Last week's ranking: No. 9)
8. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 18-2: Kelly Lechner had four goals and three assists in a 21-3 win over O'Connell (Md.). (Last week's ranking: No. 10)
9. Ridgewood (N.J.), 13-1: Sally Jentis had three goals and two assists and
Jess Miller had three goals in the aforementioned 19-11 loss to St. Anthony's (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 3)
10. New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), 15-2: The Trevians' four-game win streak ended with a 12-11 loss to Loyola Academy (Ill.). (Last week's ranking: No. 7)
11. Northport (N.Y.), 11-2: Shannon Gilroy had six goals in a 20-3 win at East Islip (N.Y.) that preceded a 17-7 setback to No. 1 Garden City. (Last week's ranking: No. 11)
12. Wantagh (N.Y.), 12-2: Colleen Lovett had five goals and three assists in a 15-11 win at Mount Sinai (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 13)
13. West Morris Mendham (Mendham, N.J.), 13-1: Big tests are coming up against Ridge (N.J.) and Chatham (N.J.). (Last week's ranking: No. 14)
14. Fox Lane (Bedford, N.Y.), 14-0: Sydney Stern's goal with five minutes remaining gave the Foxes an 11-10 win against New Canaan (Conn.). (Last week's ranking: No. 12)
15. Westwood (Mass.), 13-0: Emily McGrail had three goals in a 14-10 triumph over Hopkinton (Mass.). (Last week's ranking: No. 15)
16. Alta (Sandy, Utah), 13-0: The defending state champ Hawks have won 41 straight. (Last week's ranking: No. 16)
17. Milton (Ga.), 17-1-1: The Eagles scored 22 or more goals in each of their four games since an 11-11 tie against Summit (N.J.). (Last week's ranking: No. 17)
18. Londonderry (N.H.), 9-0: The Lancers extended their win streak to 43 straight. (Last week's ranking: No. 18)
19. Bryn Mawr (Baltimore), 15-2: An 11-9 loss last week to No. 2 McDonogh shows the Mawrtians can play with anyone. (Last week's ranking: No. 19)
20. Hauppauge (N.Y.), 13-0: Taylor Ranftle had six goals and two assists in a 16-4 win over Comsewogue (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 20)
Dropped out: None
Joe Lombardi writes the "Lax with Joe" blog at LaxLessons.com and is an analyst for the MSG Varsity Television Network. He is also the primary author of the new edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies," which was released last year. He may be reached at joe@laxlessons.com.
