By Russ Waterman
MaxPreps.com
It's far too early to predict which boys lacrosse team will assume the top spot in Division I competition with so many high-caliber players from a year ago moving on, including four high school All-Americans and most of last year's outstanding group of All-Staters.
But in the six-team Division I, defending state champ Bishop Hendricken has already made two solid early-season statements, first an 11-3 victory over Barrington, and then with a 10-1 conquest of a familiar foe, Providence Country Day, whom they beat in the 2007 finals.
Ross Ahlborg and Patrick LaCrosse have sparked the Hawks offensively with five goals each. Max St. Sauveur, a second team All-State selection has added three goals and three assists. Returning second team All-State defender Kevin Marchand, a versatile and intimidating 6-foot-6 presence, along with other defenders and goalie Ian Garrahy have also been dominant in allowing just four goals overall.
LaSalle Academy (2-0) could also be a force on the Ocean State lacrosse scene. Winning its first two games by a combined score of 32 to 9, the Rams are anchored by first team All-State defender David Porcaro and second team All-State returnees, goalie James McAllister and Connor O'Donnell. O'Donnell has scored eight times while Brendan Rabideau has six goals and six assists with McAllister continuing his dominance in front of the net.
And the state's lacrosse fans will get an early treat Monday when the Rams and Hawks confront each other at the Hendricken campus in Warwick.
North Kingstown (2-0) returns two first team All-Staters, including midfielder Greg Fallon, who scored 32 goals and 19 assists last season, and Matt Maroni. The Skippers, who've scored 16 times overall but allowed just nine goals in their two wins, will likely need a booster shot on offense when they travel to Hendricken on Wednesday. Fallon scored five times in an 11-5 win over Barrington.
The Prout School (1-0) won't be able to defend its Division II state title, but with the continued expansion of lacrosse, should still be a major player in moving up to the newly-created Division I-A.
Meanwhile Narragansett and Wheeler School each have 2-0 marks.
Mount St. Charles Academy (3-0) has the upper stick right now in Division II North, compiling 32 goals and allowing just six, including a 7-1 victory over second-place Scituate (2-1).
What could be the best regular-season rivalry is in Division II South. East Greenwich (3-0) is on top as the only unbeaten team, but had to pull out an 11-10 victory over second-place Middletown (2-1).
Other boys standouts include Alex Patinkin of Providence Country Day, who has scored five goals in two games thus far and Portsmouth's Chris Palmer, whose defensive efforts almost helped the Patriots overcome the Skippers in a 4-3 loss last week.
In the meantime, J.J. Gilbane of Providence Country Day and the state's leading scorer the past two years, is further honing his skills this year at Deerfield Academy (Mass.).
Girls
Similar to the boys, which lost outstanding players to the college ranks, several of the best 2007 players have moved on to the college ranks, including three high school All-Americans; Emily Abbood, midfield, Moses Brown (California); Lily Posner, midfield, Westwood, Mass./St. George's School, R.I. (Penn), and Julie Ruggieri, midfielder, Barrington, R.I. (Providence College).
That doesn't mean things have changed much in the upper echelons (Division I) of Ocean State girls lacrosse. Displaying the depth that has carried them to seven-straight state titles (capturing every crown since 2001 when competition started), Barrington already has had at least eight different players score a goal or record an assist in its two victories over LaSalle Academy and East Greenwich. Caroline Gordon, Hilary Salander and Hilary Anderson are the leading scorers, each recording four-goal efforts.
North Kingstown (2-0) has taken more of a tightrope path in its two wins, 13-12 over Moses Brown and 8-6 versus Portsmouth. Taylor Bastien is currently the state's leading scorer with 10 goals and two assists,
including eight in a furious comeback win over the Quakers. But it's not a one-star show as several of her teammates have contributed, including Syndney Ferguson, Rebecca Tiernan, Anya Colucci and Meg Coughlin.
The Skippers will get a golden chance to see if they can seriously compete with the Eagles' juggernaut squad when they travel to Barrington in a matchup on Monday (April 14).
Also in Division I, Moses Brown (1-1), despite its loss against North Kingstown, can't be overlooked. The Quakers still have midfielder Chloe Schmitz, an honorable mention All-American and All-Stater, while Leah Saris has taken some of the scoring burden off Schmitz with nine goals thus far.
A three-way early tie for first place in Division I-A with Cranston West, Mt. Hope and The Prout School all knotted at 2-0, should be broken this week. Mt. Hope is at Prout on Monday (April 16), on Wednesday Cranston West hosts Prout and then Cranston West travels to Mt. Hope on Friday.
And in the 13-team Division II, South Kingstown (outscoring opponents by 47-16), Middletown and St. Mary Academy-Bay View have all posted 3-0 records, Scituate is at 2-0 and Cranston East and Tiverton each have 2-1 marks.
Unfortunately, lacrosse fans won't see as much of another past standout this season with the Portsmouth Abbey team, featuring Stephanie Perez, moving to the Eastern Independent League of prep schools. Perez has been recognized as a player to watch in the March, 2008 issue of the New England Lacrosse Journal. A 2007 honorable mention high school All-American in 2007 and three-time Rhode Island All-State selection,
Perez is headed to Tufts University in the fall.
Russ Waterman covers Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the New England Preps for MaxPreps.com. He may be reached at rwathoop3@aol.com.
