March 3, 2009
by Mike Zhe/
Courtney Bennett of Connecticut’s Darien High will join her sister at Dartmouth College next season.
Sometimes, the trail you’re intent on blazing is one that’s already been trampled down a bit.
When Courtney Bennett was in the early stages of choosing where she wanted to play in college — and she had a healthy list of Division 1 suitors — Dartmouth wasn’t near the top of the list. After all, that’s where her older sister — midfielder Eliza Bennett — was playing.
Sibling rivalry? Not really. For the younger Bennett, it was more of a desire to follow her own path.
“Actually, she and I get along great. I was just looking for my own place and my own thing,” Courtney said. “But I fell in love with Dartmouth.”
Before she joins her sister in Hanover, N.H., in the fall, Bennett will first try to help a loaded Darien High School team win a third straight Connecticut Division 1 championship. The Blue Wave only lost three starters from a 19-4 team, and the team-to-beat label draped on them is a comfortable fit.
Last year, the only game the Blue Wave lost in state was to New Canaan, 15-14 in the Fairfield County semifinals. This year, if possible, they have their sights set even higher.
“I have a very experienced team back for this season,” coach Lisa Lindley said.
That team is led by Bennett.
The center midfielder and captain has good size (5-foot-10) and runs both ends of the field relentlessly, but her biggest asset might be her competitiveness. That was never more evident than at the start of last year’s Division 1 final against Wilton.
Playing without Bennett’s teammate and classmate Amy Marchesi, who had broken her jaw after getting hit with a shot in practice, the Blue Wave took the field with all kinds of motivation. The 20-7 win was proof, and the goal Bennett scored just eight seconds in set the tone.
“We all dedicated that game to [Marchesi],” Bennett said. “We were all so excited. I just remember going out onto the field so motivated to play. I remember drawing it, seeing it go to my stick, and then it was just off to the races.”
She knew exactly what she wanted to do in that game. But getting named a high school All-American, one of just three juniors in the state to receive that honor, was something she didn’t see coming.
“Completely. No idea,” she said. “My coach pulled me aside to tell me. I was just dumbfounded.”
What also surprised her was how much she loved her summer visit to Dartmouth.
The second-oldest of four children, of two parents — Jay and Mary — who played lacrosse in college, Bennett has always been an athlete. Twice she earned all-state honors in soccer.
“I always planned on playing sports in college,” she said. “I love soccer and I love lacrosse, but if you’re a respected [lacrosse] player in Fairfield County, you’re a respected player anywhere. I decided I was going to play lacrosse forever.”
The recruiting heat came at the start of her junior year. By the end of that year she’d narrowed it down to Princeton, Duke and — yes — Dartmouth, where Eliza (who captained Darien in 2006) was coming off a sophomore season in which she scored 25 goals and specialized in draw controls.
But it was what Courtney saw off the field during her visit that left the biggest impression.
“It was the chemistry of the team there,” she said. “I went up to the camp and had so much fun. I was working hard and playing hard.”
That left a situation she hadn’t really considered — following a trail blazed by her older sister.
“The coaches were very clear that if going there was a serious option, I had to discuss it with my sister beforehand,” Courtney said. “We had to make sure it was going to be a good fit for both of us.”
Dartmouth coach Amy Patton praised Bennett’s competitiveness, calling her “a tenacious and confident athlete who is aggressive both defensively and throughout the midfield.”
And one who is not shy about letting people know it.
“If I lose the ball, I’m going to get it back,” Bennett said. “If someone’s chasing me, I’m going to beat them.”
With consecutive Division 1 titles, and only three starters from the 2008 team gone, Darien (19-4) is again the clear team to beat.
In addition to Bennett, offense should come from a variety of sources: Sam Stevenson (headed to Richmond), Clemi Little (California), Amy Marchesi (Hamilton), Cali Ceglarski, Liz Calby, Ann Fucigna, Corrine Sommi and Paige Gasperino.
The defense is anchored by Kat Nestor (Gettysburg), Cat Thomas, Chloe Drimal (Yale), Cory Vernon and Jenny Joy, along with goalies Phoebe Maglathlin (Duke for volleyball) and Alex Hamill.
Wilton (15-3-1) found itself on the losing end of a state final for the second straight year, and will again be a player thanks to individuals such as Dartmouth-bound defender Kyra Hansson. Greenwich (13-2-1) is another team that has a Dartmouth recruit — midfielder Hana Bowers — and annually has shown it can play with the best, as it eyes its first crown since 2005.
All-America midfielder Amber Casiano will try to help South Windsor (9-5) make strides in the standings. New Canaan (14-4) was the only in-state team to beat Darien last spring, while Glastonbury (14-3-1) boasts a pair of threats in Sarah Allen and Sarah LaRose.
In Division 2, high-scoring Danbury (16-4) is hoping to defend its championship, even after saying goodbye to Princess Livingston, the program’s all-time leading scorer, and Kate McKinley, who pumped in 85 goals. Junior Kate Keckeisen, who tallied 64 goals a year ago, leads the returnees.
Northwest Catholic (17-2), which finished first in the regular season but lost to Danbury in the semifinals, is back strong, and runner-up Suffield (17-3) also should be in the mix.
Branford (10-6) may not be good enough to challenge for a title, but All-America goalie Melissa Villano is a big asset in net.
Lincoln-Sudbury and Framingham met in the Division 1 North final a year ago, and both teams should have visions of getting back to that round this year.
Start with Lincoln-Sudbury, which boasts two of the state’s most dangerous finishers. Midfielder Jessica Griffin put up 78 goals and 65 assists a year ago and owns 345 career points, while attack Alexa Rozelle scored 104 goals.
The Warriors (20-2) lost just twice: once to Framingham in the regular season and once to Framingham in the playoffs.
Framingham’s two-year reign atop Division 1 came to an end with a loss to eventual champion Westwood in the state semifinals. But the Flyers may not be down for long, not with players like junior All-America midfielder Moira Barry.
Westwood said goodbye to six starters but boasts one of the state’s best attackers in junior Kelly Rich, whose six goals sparked the 10-7 state championship win over Longmeadow. She finished with 91 goals and 47 assists.
Andover (16-6), the team to beat in the Merrimack Valley, boasts a star in junior midfielder Cat Gross, who scored 36 goals and led her team in ground balls and draws. Wellesley (18-1-1) returns standout midfielder Blake Dietrick, who scored 60 goals as a freshman. Needham (19-4-1) and state runner-up Longmeadow also bear watching.
“When I look at the teams and who had what coming back, I think (Division 1) is going to be sort of fun,” Westwood coach Leslie Frank said.
In Division 2, reigning champ Winchester lost 10 seniors, including Notre Dame recruit Meg Sullivan, but not its optimism. Suzanne Ontso’s club has good talent back, led by UConn-bound Kelsi Tucci and Boston College-bound Caroline Martignetti.
“We graduated 10 seniors, but I’m optimistic for this spring,” Ontso said.
Runner-up Norwell (13-9), Duxbury, North Andover and Weston should win their share of games as well.
Moses Brown’s first year competing in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League was a smashing success: The Quakers, formerly of the Southeast New England Prep sorority, ended Barrington’s seven-year reign atop Division 1 with a 14-9 victory in the championship game.
Following that up doesn’t look to be easy, but there are reasons for optimism.
Start with senior midfielder Leah Saris, who in her first year after being moved from attack led the team with 60 goals, including three in the state title game.
Lauren O’Brien, also a senior, is another threat, while goalie Caroline Burke is coming off a strong freshman season.
Barrington doesn’t figure to take last year’s final defeat lying down, especially not after handling Moses Brown twice during the regular season. Like its foe, who lost an All-American in midfielder Chloe Schmitz, the Eagles head into battle minus departed All-America midfielder Hilary Salander.
One year after winning just two games all season, Mt. Hope walked off with the title in Division 1-A in 2008. The Huskies’ path to a repeat will likely go through Cranston West (12-3), the top team during the regular season.
In Division 2, champion Scituate and runner-up St. Mary Bay View again are the two teams to watch.
With the Maine Principals’ Association crafting a schedule that incorporates two years of past performance, there should be more good battles among the heavyweights in 2009.
The reigning champions are Brunswick (Class A) and Waynflete (Class B), but there will be many competitive interdivisional battles in the year ahead.
Brunswick returns the core of its attack in Leila Mills and Cecilia Kjellman, last year’s leading scorers, as well as top defenders Maddie Wilgus, Anna Holmblad and Eliza Halmo.
Senior Paige Montgomery steps into the starting goalie role, trying to fill the big shoes left by departed All-American Stephanie Fisher.
“And we’ll have some great newcomers who can make an immediate impact for us,” Brunswick coach Beth Caputi said.
Coming off a second straight state final loss, Kennebunk looks primed to get another shot. The Rams return 12 players, including dangerous attacker Jamie Spang (Bowdoin), midfielder Jennifer Bryant and back Lindsay Ostrander.
“All 12 players have had a lot of playing time in the 2008 season, so they should feel right at home on opening day,” Kennebunk coach Annie Barker said.
Mt. Ararat and Oxford Hills are two teams to watch in Eastern Maine.
In Class B, Waynflete’s bid to defend its title starts with midfielder Mariah Monks, an All-American last year.
A challenge will come from North Yarmouth Academy (12-3), which is rebuilding its defense but looks strong up front. Senior attackers Bugsy Clemetson, Rachel Darby and Lucy Gerrity all are scoring threats, and Abigail Moss is an asset in goal.
“We hope to have a repeat performance and make it to the state final again this spring,” North Yarmouth coach Julia Littlefield said.
Yarmouth (10-5), a loser by one goal in the regional final last spring, takes the field with motivation and a solid corps of experienced seniors, including goalie Kelly Kasper, defender Lexi Wing, midfielders Tess Beem and Lanier Bolmer, and attackers Hannah Coleman and Lara Watterson.
Division 1 bridesmaid Londonderry is geared up for a title run in 2009. The Lancers lost just one senior and return a talented cast led by honorable mention All-America midfielder Dana Boyle.
Boyle and fellow junior Kayla Green, at attacker, combined for 112 goals for the young Lancers, who fell 15-7 to a veteran Souhegan team in the championship game but may head into this season as the team to beat.
Defending champ Souhegan is tasked with replacing four Division 1 players, including All-Americans Tyler Petropulos (Harvard) and JoJo Curro (New Hampshire).
Nashua North, Pinkerton Academy and Concord are three other schools expected to challenge.
In Division 2, Bow and midfielder Ali Meagher are eager to regain the crown they lost when Hanover upended them in the final, 12-9. Meagher, who earned All-America honors last year, is a two-way player for the Falcons, who have played in all seven Division 2 championship games.
Hanover is a good bet to get back there, too. In five of seven years it’s been Hanover vs. Bow for the title, with the Falcons winning three.
In Division 3, Portsmouth heads into the season with a 33-game win streak. The Clippers have won each of the last two league titles.
Middlebury Union has captured state titles in eight of the last 11 years. To do it again in Division 1, it will have to find a goalie to replace Laura Barber.
After backstopping the Tigers to a 10-5 win over top-seeded Mt. Mansfield in last year’s final, Barber took her talents to the University of Vermont, where’s she’s battling for a starting job. Filling her shoes is priority No. 1 for a team that went 15-4 last year.
In Division 2, Burr and Burton used a late-season surge to claim the championship, winning nine of its last 10 games and upending previously unbeaten Chelsea, 11-10, in the final.
Even better, none of the girls who scored goals in last year’s final were seniors: Kristen Palmer, Emma Provenzano, Sarah Shehadi and Tess Montague all had multiple tallies.
All across New England high school champions were crowned in 2010.
For the Boston Cannons, selecting Max Quinzani (Duxbury, Mass.) in the 2010 Major League Lacrosse draft was an easy decision.
Cannons defender Chris Passavia juggles his roles as a lacrosse player and lawyer.
© 2010 Seamans Media
Contact Us | Advertise | Report a Problem | Privacy Policy/Terms
Hockey Journal.com Ski Journal.com Baseball Journal.com Lax Journal.com
Designed by 13Nomad Creations, LLC
Laxjournal.com is the place for New England Lacrosse. Along with the New England Lacrosse Journal magazine laxjournal.com brings you stories, photos, and listings for every aspect of lacrosse in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut. College Lacrosse, Prep and High School Lacrosse, both Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse. Professional Lacrosse both on the Field and Indoor with extensive coverage of the Boston Cannons of the MLL and Boston Blazers of the NLL. Equipment Buyers Guides with Lacrosse Helmets, Lacrosse Protective Equipment, Lacrosse Gloves, Shafts and Heads from Lacrosse Retailers like Warrior, Brine, STX, Adidas, Reebok and more. New England Lacrosse Recruiting and Commitments, Lacrosse Summer Camp and Lacrosse School Listings for Camps across New England, and the best Tournaments are all here. Need to find a place to play lacrosse, read a review of the latest gear, or watch the hottest Lacrosse Video? Check out the latest Training Tips for Division I and the Pros and the game’s top New England coaches. For everything Lacrosse in New England, from Pro to Prep School, College to High School www.laxjournal.com is your connection to New England Lacrosse.
