Northeast Florida high school girls lacrosse preview: 5 teams to watch in 2023

Clayton Freeman, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read

The Florida High School Athletic Association's 2023 spring girls lacrosse season begins Monday. The Times-Union looks ahead to teams to watch across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Bartram Trail

The first two-time state champion in Northeast Florida lacrosse history, the Bears have their eyes set on elusive back-to-back Florida High School Athletic Association titles. That feat gets a lot easier with a goal-scoring force like Florida-committed junior Ryann Frechette, who returned from a knee injury to rack up 94 goals in 2022. Also back will be All-American goalie Maddie Stevens, Adri Ferrara and Samantha Michlitsch in midfield on a lineup that could be special in 2023.

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Episcopal

Episcopal midfielder Brooke McCoy (2) lines up a shot, which resulted in a goal against Menendez in a 2022 game.
Episcopal midfielder Brooke McCoy (2) lines up a shot, which resulted in a goal against Menendez in a 2022 game.

A final-four squad last year in Class 1A, the Eagles have a lot of talent to replace but should be ready to challenge once more. Ella Parker, committed to Coastal Carolina, leads the midfield, while goalie Sophia Bailey is headed to Colorado Mesa and Maeve O'Neil (50 goals, 12 assists, 20 ground balls) and Lilly Melograna (19 goals, 21 assists, 29 ground balls) lead the attack. Defense is in safe hands, too, organized by multi-sport athlete Kate Burhyte.

Menendez

For the Falcons, the answer to a lot of questions is Cassidy Vandermark. As a freshman in 2022, she was everywhere, putting up outstanding statistics (56 goals, 27 assists, 32 ground balls, 98 draw controls) and leading Menendez into the playoffs. They'll also bring back a seasoned goalie in Amelia Fuentes as they build on last year's 12-6 record.

Ponte Vedra

On paper, the Sharks might be the top challenger for Bartram Trail's St. Johns County crown. The Sharks are loaded with skill across the field, beginning with top seniors: goalie Ava LaManna (92 saves, .442 save percentage), along with Ruby Lynch, Anna Taraboletti, Emma Toole and more. LaManna and Taraboletti (77 goals) are both on course for Vanderbilt. Add in junior USF commit Lily Mosser, who scored 32 times last year, and the pieces are in place.

St. Augustine

A 16-5 regional finalist in 2022 before Episcopal ended their run, St. Augustine is staking its own claim in St. Johns County. Almost all of the Jackets' top performers from last year are back for another run, a list that includes a pair of excellent all-around attackers in Katie Cotter and Skylar St. John (59 goals, 35 assists) and defenders Neely Taylor and Kendal Weber.

2023 FHSAA girls lacrosse districts

District 2-2A: Atlantic Coast, Fletcher, Mandarin, Nease, Sandalwood.

District 3-2A: Bartram Trail, Buchholz, Creekside, Flagler Palm Coast, Ocala Forest.

District 2-1A: Bolles, Episcopal, Paxon, Riverside, Stanton, Wolfson.

District 3-1A: Beachside, Fleming Island, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, St. Joseph, Tocoi Creek

District 4-1A: Alachua Santa Fe, Gainesville, Gainesville Eastside, Gainesville Oak Hall, Matanzas, Menendez.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school girls lacrosse 2023: Jacksonville's top teams, players to watch