Coach: Alex Keenan-Gallagher (5th year)
League: Independent School League
Last year's record: 12-3.
Graduation losses: Seven, including Transcript All-Stars Mark Gormley and Alex Rokicki.
Returning starters: C Chase Davenport (Sr.); P/1B Andrew Bishop (Jr.); SS Andrew LoRusso (Jr.).
Returning letter winners: P/OF Rick Goode (Sr.); OF/1B Mike Turcotte (Sr.); C/INF Todd Haylon (Sr.); OF Andrew Leonard (Sr.) OF Matt Bezreh (Sr.); 3B Jeff Leach (Sr.); IF/OF Bobby Kelly (Jr.).
Top Newcomers: Matt Grape (Sr.); Devan Luster (Jr.); Ben Knott (Jr.); Will Randle (Jr.); Nate Ellis (So.); Ben Wiggins (So.); Mark Hourihan (So.); Henry Mauck (So.).
Strengths: Winning attitude, defense.
Weaknesses: Inexperience around the diamond and on pitching staff.
Outlook: The Bulldogs have made a meteoric rise from the depths of the ISL to one of the league’s top program the last few years, including the program’s first ISL title two years ago. But with the loss of some major star power and a massive overhaul of both the pitching staff and the lineup, the question is can the Bulldogs remain in the upper echelon to stay.
Nobles will have to look at the few veterans that remain to lead the way. LoRusso, Davenport and Bishop are the meat of the order, with Davenport one of the ISL’s best backstops, but the rest of the lineup is unproven as the Bulldogs will be looking at Luster and Haylon to get things going at the top. After sporting one of the best starting combos in the league last year in Gormley (Brown) and Matt Karis (Gettysburg), Bishop and Goode will take on much bigger roles in moving from the bullpen to the rotation. Consistency may be the key issue this spring as the Bulldogs have alternated wins and losses so far in a 3-3 start.
Coach: Jim Swift (2nd year)
League: Independent School League
Last year's record: 9-5.
Graduation losses: Two, including Transcript All-Star Liz Barry. Also, Marissa Gedman will miss the season with wrist surgery.
Returning starters: 2B Hannah Roman (Jr.); 3B Hannah Graham (So.); 1B/P Tori Goyette (So.); OF Kristina Giandomenico (Jr.)
Returning letter winners: OF Yara Tercero-Parker (So.); OF Sarah Roman (Fr.); OF Yannelis Mestre (Fr.); C Katherine Sanger (8th)
Top newcomers: CF Sarah Duncan (So.); SS Nora Kelly (So.); 1B Michelle Picard (Fr.), C Katie Puccio (Fr.).
Strengths: Meshing of new and old talent.
Weaknesses: Reliance on young and inexperienced players.
Outlook: Without a senior on the roster this squad still may seem young on paper but with the Bulldogs going with a youth movement in Swift’s first year there is a deceiving amount of experience on the this squad, which has shown early on as Nobles has yet to lose in ISL play, including a big win over frequent nemesis and defending ISL co-champion Brooks.
The loss of hurler Barry is big, but Goyette has done a nice job taking over in the circle after being unavailable to pitch because of injury and wields a potent bat in the middle of the lineup. The big story so far has been the spark the four new faces have provided as Kelly, Picard and tablesetters and Duncan and Puccio, who has been a fantastic replacement behind the plate for the valuable Gedmen, as run producers have made an immediate impact in the Bulldog lineup to go with the veterans Roman, Graham and Giandomenico.
Coach Swift: `It’s still a young team, other than two its all sophomores and freshman but the talent level is higher than it was last year and so far we have played very well. I’m happy where we are.”
Coach: Michael Herring (13th year)
League: Independent School League
Last year's record: 12-4.
Graduation losses: Five, including Transcript All-Star Rob Owen
Returning starters: ATT Robbie Schlesinger (Sr., capt.); D T.J. Weyl (Sr., capt.); MID Michael Griffin (Sr., capt.); D Chris Steele (Sr.); G Bo Harrington (Sr.); MID Greg White (Sr.); MID Jonah Fay (Sr.); MID Mike Clarke (Sr.); G Emmett Mercer (Jr.); D McCallum Foote (Jr.); MID Gus Young (So.); ATT Sean Shakespeare (Fr.).
Returning letter winners: MID Nick Rafone (So.); MID Rich McCormick (Jr.); MID Pat Noone (Sr.); ATT Will Kiplinger (Jr.); ATT Tyler Parsons (Jr.); D Rob Spalding (Jr.); D Nick Rezor (Sr.).
Top newcomers: ATT Billy Arnold (Fr.); ATT Jarred Lackey (So.); MID Geoff Genova (Fr.); MID/ATT Alex Owen (Fr.); MID Peter Owen (Jr.); MID Gordie Bailey (So.).
Strengths: Overall athleticism, defensive unit.
Weaknesses: Generating offense from midfield.
Outlook: Nobles figures to one of the more athletic teams in the ISL, and figures to be as aggressive defensively as possible in an attempt to force turnovers and give the offense extra possessions. The Bulldogs figure to be in the mix toward the end of the season, but have already suffered a setback to highly regarded Middlesex, while Governor’s visits in a couple of weeks. Nobles currently stands 5-1 in the ISL and is showing once again they are a contender year in and year out.
The defense figures to be the strong suit, and has been to date conceding just 7.25 goals a game, and have gone six games without a team scoring more than eight. T.J. Weyl is coming off a torn ACL injury and is joined in the back by mainstays Chris Steele and McCallum Foote with Nick Rezor seeing significant minutes. Michael Griffin is the midfielder that the offense runs through and he has two very good scorers to find in Robbie Schlesinger and Sean Shakespeare. Also figuring to help work the ball around are Jonah Fay and Mike Clarke, who are strong leaders to a promising group of underclassmen like Gus Young. Greg White is the Nobles top defensive midfielder and typically draws the tough assignments. Emmett Mercer and Bo Harrington have made great strides in the cage and have formed a solid platoon system.
Coach Herring: ‘I don’t think we’re as skilled as the teams that we’re going to try to win a championship against, but I think we’re certainly as athletic, or more athletic. So we’re going to try to put the ball on the ground and play very aggressive defense, in particular the riding game, and try to create the turnovers that will give us the extra possessions that we need to be able to beat teams. We’ve done that pretty well so far this year.’
Coach: Meghan Cleary (2nd year)
League: Independent School League
Last year's record: 15-0 and ISL champions
Graduation losses: Nine, including Transcript All-Star Broghan Culley.
Returning starters: MID Sarah Plumb (Sr. capt.); MID/ATT Julianne Bishop (Sr., capt., Westwood); MID Stephanie Gill (Sr., capt.); MID Kelly Cook (Jr.); MID/ATT Casey Griffin (Jr.); D/MID Brett Hayes (Jr.); ATT Hanna Atwood (Jr., Dedham); D/MID Lauren Martin (Jr.).
Returning letter winners: ATT Meghan Weiler (Sr.); MID Corey Stearns (Jr.); MID Tory Cameron (Jr.).
Top newcomers: ATT Tana Bertino (Sr.); D Karoline Perdios (Sr.); D/MID Kirsten Karis (So.); MID Denna Laing (So.); ATT Kerrin Smith (So.); G Jackie Young (So.); G Taylor Blake (Fr.); D Riley Foote (Fr.); ATT Chelsea Landon (Fr.); D Molly Parizeau (Fr.).
Strengths: Overall athleticism, transition offense, intangibles.
Weaknesses: Inexperience in goal.
Outlook: The Bulldogs ran the table a year ago for the first time in school history and have continued that run this seasons, taking the first six contests in the year including Brooks, coming back from a 7-3 halftime deficit. There is no reason Nobles can’t go back-to-back in the ISL having already defeated Brooks and Thayer. With a big class of juniors and mix of sophomores and freshmen, the future beyond this year looks extremely bright for the Bulldogs.
The three captains are all very strong with midfielder Sarah Plumb being named an All-American and on her way to a collegiate career at Dartmouth. She is joined in the midfield by fellow captains Julianne Bishop of Westwood and Stephanie Gill. Casey Griffin provides a strong scoring punch along with Hanna Atwood of Dedham and emerging freshman Chelsea Landon as part of an attack that has scored nearly 15 goals per game. The defense has Lauren Martin and Brett Hayes back from a year ago and is seeing a mix of newcomers being integrated in. Taylor Blake and Jackie Young have improved over the course of the season, easing the big question mark coach Meghan Cleary had entering the season.
Coach Cleary: ‘They don’t take any of their wins for granted, they work one day at a time and one game at a time. I think they know (the winning streak) could end on any given game and they really don’t take it for granted. They are all really good friends, too, and I think when you have fun you play better.’
Coach: Kate Blake and Vivi Duke (1st year)
League: Independent School League
Last year's record: 8-4
Graduation losses: Two.
Returning starters: Ana Alvarado (Sr.); Katie Helfgott (Jr.); Meghan Borden (So.); Gigi Anderson (8th).
Returning letter winners: Eliza Dawson (Jr.).
Top newcomers: Julia Hermann (So.); Julia Downs (Fr.).
Strengths: Experience.
Weakness: League strength.
Outlook: With the stockpile of USTA-ranked players in the ISL it’s exceeding difficult to crash the party of the league’s elite but the Bulldogs have consistently placed themselves in the top half of the league recently with a nice mix of proven returners and some promising new blood there is no reason to think that this year will be any different under a pair of new coaches, even after a 2-2 start that has featured a pair of tight 8-7 wins.
Alvarado and Helfgott slide up to the top two spots with the graduation of No. 1 Kaitlin Raymond, giving Nobles some experience to lead off the ladder, while two other veterans, Anderson and Borden, wrap around newcomers Downs and Herman in the 3-6 position. The Bulldogs will have some continuity in the doubles as the top two teams, Alvarado and Helfgott and Anderson and Borden, played together last year, while Dawson’s return after missing last year with injury gives an added boost of depth to the doubles.
Coach Blake:' It’s amazing the range of levels that we have from seniors to eight graders. It’s a really good group of girls that have meshed together well.’
