Watch list: The ‘28 girls having the biggest impacts in prep

Sophomore attack Peyla Carcaterra, left, has been a standout player for Sacred Heart-Greenwich this spring. (Courtesy photo)

While their counterparts in the senior class are counting down the remaining weeks of their prep careers, and their counterparts in the junior class are advancing or cementing their plans for college, the region’s sophomores are approaching the most important summer of their recruiting window.

Several of those players from the Class of ‘28 have been impressive for their prep school teams this spring.

Whether scoring goals, orchestrating offense or stopping shots, sophomores are making big contributions — and likely will be for years to come.

Here are six prep players that college coaches will have on their radars this summer. Players are listed with position and school.

Peyla Carcaterra, A, Sacred Heart-Greenwich

On a strong Sacred Heart-Greenwich team that typically has six to seven different scorers in a game, Carcaterra is one of the biggest threats, with great stick skills and a vision for the game. Her five goals spearheaded a 9-6 win over Noble and Greenough last month. The daughter of ESPN analyst Paul Carcaterra, she’s been named by at least one outlet as the top attacking player in the national Class of ‘28, and she’s done nothing to tarnish that label with the Tigers this spring.

Ashley Dimnaku, M, Phillips Andover

What makes Dimnaku’s situation interesting is that lacrosse might not even be her best sport. In fact, lacrosse coach Heidi Wall and the school’s varsity soccer coach, Lisa Joel, describe her play with many of the same phrases – “technically strong” and “sees the field well” and “plays well beyond her years.” A speedy end-to-end player, she’s been a consistent scorer and distributor on an undefeated Andover team that owns the No. 1 spot in our regional prep rankings.

READ MORE: Prep school girls power rankings

Murphy Holden, G, Pingree

At over 6 feet tall, Holden fills up the cage with her size and length, and is a formidable presence. But she can also get low to stop shots. She’s been a big reason that Pingree has won 11 of its first 12 games, the most impressive of those being one-goal wins over Deerfield – where she stopped 12 of 19 shots – and Holderness, a game where she also made some key saves.

Toni Lally, A, Buckingham Browne & Nichols

More than one Independent School League coach has recognized the play of Lally this season. She has produced 30 goals and 28 assists heading into her team’s next game against Middlesex on Saturday, and is a big reason why BB&N is 8-6 overall, 6-5 in the league and set to play in the championship tournament again. “She has been a huge voice on the offensive end and such a leader as a sophomore as well,” said BB&N coach Taylor Clancy.

Maeve O’Reilly, A/M, Noble and Greenough

O’Reilly has taken a huge step forward in her sophomore season. She’s scored at least one goal in every one of her team’s games, and leads the Bulldogs with 52 goals on the season. The last four of that total came in Wednesday’s comprehensive win over Governor’s, a top ISL challenger, ensuring that four-time reigning champion Nobles will again assume the No. 1 seed for the league’s championship tournament. She and her teammates can reaffix the targets to their backs.

Anne Marie Zukauskas, M, Thayer

Described by an opposing coach as “a smooth player whose work ethic is unmatched,” Zukauskas is a key player in a very good sophomore class that makes the future bright for Thayer. The present isn’t too bad either, as the Tigers are 11-3 overall and in second place in the ISL. Zukauskas has chipped in 19 goals and 15 assists, and collected enough groundballs to fill a shallow well.

@MikeZhe603
mzhe@laxjournal.com