HS Preseason Outlook

(PER westsidelax.com)

CIF-SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION GIRLS

The Team to Beat: Oak Ridge

After splitting the Sacramento Valley Lacrosse Conference title with St. Francis last season, the Trojans are stacked and ready to win one for themselves. Oak Ridge graduated six seniors, including its top scorer and standout goalie. But it still has a lot coming back.

The Trojans return two 60-goal scorers, three first-team All-Conference players and two team captains. Junior attack-middie Danielle Trapani and senior attack-middie Kristina Reyes will give Oak Ridge quite a one-two punch on offense.

Trapani scored 63 goals during her sophomore season, and Reyes, a returning captain, scored 62 last year. Both were first-team, All-Conference selections, as was returning captain and senior defender Carmen Gaddini. Also on the defensive end, Oak Ridge welcomes back senior defender-middie Leanne Aroyan, the younger sister of graduated Oak Ridge star Cassie Aroyan.

Contenders: St. Francis

The Troubadours return one superstar, and she will be pressed to rally the troops in a big way. George Washington-bound senior middie Samantha Bauer will be the unquestioned leader of a program in transition. St. Francis graduated nine seniors, including four first-team All-Conference players, and the program also lost head coach Kristy Wilson, who stepped down in December.

Offensively, aside from Bauer, St. Francis will need senior attackers Rachel Reed and Elizabeth Brown to step up their game. Reed and Brown combined to score 30 goals and dish 26 assists last season. Defensively, senior middie Gabrielle Desgeorges picked up 32 ground balls last season, which tied Bauer for third on the club.

Sleeper: Bella Vista

The Broncos look like they could take a step forward this season after graduating just five seniors from their 2009 team. Bella Vista returns seven starters, including two first-team All-Conference players in junior attack Missy Fackler and senior middie Shannon Keene. The Broncos will also look for big contributions from senior defender-middie Aleah Lawson, senior attack-middie Imani Russell, sophomore middie Cheyenne Frost and junior defender Natasha Taylor.

NCAA Division I Recruits: Samantha Bauer, MF, St. Francis (George Washington).

Bauer is a strong two-way player who is a threat to score and set up goals on offense and can do the job on defense. Last season, she finished with 38 points on 26 goals and 12 assists, making her the second-leading point producer on the team. Defensively, she picked up 32 ground balls, tied for third highest on the squad.

Other Top Players: Leanne Aroyan, Def.-MF, Oak Ridge; Elizabeth Brown, Att., St. Francis; Gabrielle Desgeorges, MF, St. Francis; Missy Fackler, Att., Bella Visa; Cheyenne Frost, MF, Bella Vista; Carmen Gaddini, Def., Oak Ridge; Becca Gandler, Att.-Def., Granite Bay; Shannon Keene, MF, Bella Vista; Aleah Lawson, Def.-MF, Bella Vista; Rachel Reed, Att., St. Francis, Imani Russell, Att.-MF Bella Vista; Kristina Reyes, Att.-MF, Oak Ridge; Natasha Taylor, Def., Bella Vista; Shelby Tooley, Att.-MF, Granite Bay; Danielle Trapani, Att.-MF, Oak Ridge.

Preseason Top 5: 1. Oak Ridge, 2. St. Francis, 3. Bella Vista, 4. Granite Bay, 5. Christian Brothers.

Notes: Granite Bay won just one game and finished last in the league last season, but it should be better this year after graduating just four seniors. A lot will depend on who comes back for the Grizzlies, but two of the team’s top scorers last year were underclassmen. Junior attack-middie Shelby Tooley scored a team-high 26 goals, and senior attack-defender Becca Gandler had 17 goals, good for third on the club.