Coach: Marianne Murphy (7th year)
League: Bay State Herget
Last year's record: 21-1-1 and Herget Division champs. Lost in Division 1 state semifinals to Acton-Boxboro.
Graduation losses: 13, including Transcript Player of the Year Kim Cunniff and All-Stars Nicole Panciocco, Emily Charpentier and Deirdre Quinn.
Returning starters: MF Emily Painten (Sr. capt.); F Taylor Silvestro (Sr. capt.); D Kellie Sullivan (Sr. capt.); MF Liz Malone (Jr.).
Returning letter winners; G Cori Cisternelli (Sr.); D Jordan DaSilva (Sr.); MF Jessica Caron (Sr.); F Susan Conroy (Sr.); D Kelly Burke (Jr.); MF Amanda Waldron (Jr.).
Newcomers: F Kate Lavelle (Jr.); F Jen Walsh (Jr.); MF Amanda Higgins (Jr.); G Hannah Rockwood (Jr.); D Kellie Duffy (Jr.); MF Shelby Guisti (Jr.); F Stephanie Frye (Jr.); D Christine Carty (Jr.); MF Michelle Lennon (So.); MF Hannah Feeley (So.); F Lauren Whitmore (So.); F Caroline Malone (So.).
Strengths: Depth of program.
Outlook: The Porkers continued to be one of the state’s most consistently dominant programs last year, posting a second straight unbeaten regular season and winning a fourth consecutive South sectional crown.But Walpole still measures success in terms of state titles so the Porkers will be out to erase the memories of last year’s defeat to the Colonials, despite a massive loss of talent in both quality and quantity, and have yet to show the effect of losing seven starters during a 5-0 start.
While there will be less star power than a typical Porker team, Walpole appears to have rebuilt on the fly well. The nifty Silvestro brings a big-time scorer back to the center of the front line while Frye and Conroy have already shown a finishing touch in stepping into the wing spot. Another high-powered forward Painten drops back from the center forward spot manned by Panciocco (UMass), with Waldron and Malone on the wings.
With the latest great Porker center halfback Cunniff off to Quinnipiac, Burke has big shoes to fill in the middle of the defense. The only returning defensive starter, Sullivan, shifts back to sweeper, with DaSilva and Duffy on either side. Goal is one of the many spot the Porkers need to fill this fall, with Cisternelli getting the call.
Assistant coach Jen Quinn: ‘I don’t think that it ever changes much in Walpole, we are going to be expected to win and are going to have high expectations of ourselves.’
Coach: Dina Spiropoulos (3rd year)
League: Bay State Herget
Last year's record: 13-6-1. Lost in Division 2 South quarterfinals to Canton.
Graduation losses: Seven, including Transcript All-Star Jenny Boudrow.
Returning starters: MF Michelle Totino (Sr.); G Lindsay MacDonald (Sr.); MF Rachel Nash (Sr.); D Kelli Timmins (Sr.); MF/F Meaghan McDonald (Sr.); F Kelly Celata (Jr.).
Returning letter winners: D Julia Hasenfuss (Jr.); G Sarah Mosca (Jr.); F Becky Cormack (Jr.); MF Meghan Dwan (So.).
Newcomers: F Courtney Noris (Sr.); D Erin Briscoe (Sr.); MF/F Tyla Goyette (Sr.); F Melissa Wadman (Sr.); D Christina Maccia (Jr.); D Kayla Matta (Sr.); D Taylor Donovan (So.)
Strengths: Athleticism, goalkeeping.
Weaknesses: Adjusting to new positions.
Outlook: The Marauders have stayed among the best squads both in the BSC and in Division 2 South in Spiropoulos’ two-year tenure but have had their season end at the hands of state finalist Canton both years. While the Marauders have some holes to fill this fall, a solid veteran core should have Dedham bound for the tournament once again and battle-tested once they get there.
The Marauders will rely on the combination of Totino and Meaghan MacDonald to power the offense. The athletic Totino moves into the center midfield spot where she will be flanked by Nash and Cormack on the wings. MacDonald will play some forward and midfield as Dedham will use more four-forward looks this fall, with Noris and Goyette joining the veteran Celata up front.
Timmins is the only Marauder to return in the back as she shifts to the center of the defense, with Hasenfuss and Maccia plugged into to rebuild the unit, with Donovan also seeing time. MacDonald is one of the league’s best in the cage and the Marauders showed they had a more than capable backup in Mosca early in the season as MacDonald recovered from a hamstring injury.
Coach Spiropoulos:.`In this league there aren’t any easy wins any more, its developed pretty well. You still have the Walpoles and Wellesleys that you are going to struggle against but you have to play hard every game, you can’t count on any wins.’
Coach: Allison Parks (3rd year)
League: Bay State Herget
Last year's record: 7-9-2
Graduation losses: Six, including Transcript All-Star Christine McKay.
Returning starters: F Kim Clougher (Sr. capt.); F Kristen Walsh (Sr.); MF Liz Greeley (Sr. capt.); D Pam Devaney (Sr.); D Katie Lang (Sr.).
Returning letter winners: F Michaela Burtman (Sr.); F Isabelle Jones (Sr.); F Michelle Nolan (Sr.); F Kelsey Smith (Sr.).
Newcomers: F Jill Walsh (Jr.); F Gina Mancini (Jr.); MF/D Keri Gallagher (Jr.); MF Maeve Finneran (Jr.); MF Jessica El Bach (Jr.); D Katherine Millin (Jr.); MF/D Christina Pugliano; D Meghan Harrington (Jr.); GK Emily Whitney (Jr.).
Strengths: Veteran talent.
Weaknesses: Team speed.
Outlook: For the second straight year the Mustangs tourney fate came down to the final game last fall and this time Norwood fell short, making for a rare postseason absence. There’s no doubt the Mustangs primary focus will be rectifying that fact and a nice mix of experience and promising new faces has Norwood on schedule to do just that after a 3-2 start to the year.
Norwood brings a little bit of experience to each of their units. Both Clougher and the elder Walsh have two years starting under their belt while Jones, Mancini and the younger Walhs give the forward line plenty of depth. Greeley anchors the middle, moving over from a wing to the spot vacated by standout McKay, with Finneran and El Bach on either side.
Lang returns at sweeper and Devaney at a back to help solidify the defense, which has Harrington take over the critical center spot and Millin also in back. Whitney will be given a BSC trial by fire in the cage in her first year on the varsity and has looked up to the challenge in the early going.
Coach Parks: ‘Definitely the main goal is to make it back to the tournament. The key is winning games we are capable of winning. I look at Walpole and Dedham as the game that you want to win, but the teams that you really feel that you can compete with you have to take advantage of those opportunities.’
Coach: Angela Wilson (3rd year)
League: Tri-Valley League
Last year's record: 9-8-3. Lost in Division 2 South first round to Harwich.
Graduation losses: 14, including Transcript All-Star Mary Connors.
Returning starters: F Betsy Groton (Sr.); G Abbie Brown (Sr.); D Lauren Hillberg (Sr.).
Returning letter winners:F Kathleen Lally (Sr.); MF Julie Moloy (Sr.); MF Lauren Kareh (Sr.); F Kerri Harrington (Jr.).
Top Newcomers MF Kara Wiggins (Sr.); D Mia Augis (Jr.); F Nastsha Casale (Jr.); G Cara Henderson (Jr.); D Ann Sheehan (Jr.); MF Riley Cachelin (So.); MF Ani Derderian (So.); F Justina Germano (So.); MF Anne Lally (So.); D Alanna Leahy (So.); D Andrea Winn (So.).
Outlook: Not only did the Wolverine snap nearly a decade-long tournament drought last year’s but proved themselves worthy of the berth in the tournament with a preliminary round win and 1-0 lost to the sectional finalists. With just a trio of starters back from that squad, the impetus this fall will be to show that it was no flash in the pan, with early indications positive after wins in their first three games.
The Wolverines should still have some firepower up front as Groton is a proved scorer and the three new starters in the four-forward attack – Lally, Germano and Harrington -- have all shown the ability to find the back of the cage. Moloy, Cachelin and Derderian will be getting the ball from the midfield.
In back, the Wolverines are blessed with one of the league’s top weapons in the big-hitting Hillberg, a two-way force, but the rest of the back in inexperience, with Sheehan and Augis expected to play big roles. Brown, a state title winner in net for the lacrosse team, gives the Wolverines a reliable presence in the cage.
Coach Wilson: ‘We had fantastic senior leadership out of the field last year, which is hard to replace. But if any group can do it is this group of seniors. They are very smart and have come in so prepared.’
