Lacrosse has long had a presence in Amherst, N.H. Even so, over the past year, the sport has begun to explode to another level.
Souhegan High School, which serves students from both Amherst and neighboring Mont Vernon, first established its varsity lacrosse programs some 20 years ago as original league members of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, the body that governs high school sports in the state.
Those Souhegan programs continue to play at the Division 1 level today, even as most of the school’s other varsity teams compete in Div. 2.
This past spring, Maren Petropulos — in her 22nd season as coach there — led her girls team to the state title, the program’s third overall. Her formula for winning was simple: a deadly combination of superior fitness and skills.