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By Marc Poust
TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 2/17/15
The TopLaxRecruits.com Western Preseason Rankings:
1. Regis Jesuit (CO) 18-1
The Raiders started off hot, winning 13 games to start the season. A 10-7 loss to Cherry Creek was used for motivation for Jim Soran and his team. They reeled off 5 straight wins, including a 14-7 victory over Cherry Creek in the State Championship. Matt Soran, A junior attackman committed to Drexel, looks to lead a strong senior class in another battle for the state championship. The Raiders will host La Costa Canyon in a highly anticipated matchup on April 9th.
2. Mountain Vista (CO) 14-3
Coach Jake Herman, a former defensive coordinator at Regis Jesuit, has built the Golden Eagles into a legitimate contender in two short years. This year they look to challenge for a state title. They do lose a few key cogs, including Alec Womack, who scored 50 goals last season, and Shane McKenna (Christopher Newport). However, offensive coordinator Jamie Munro will have plenty of talent to work with. Mountain Vista is stocked with D1 talent. Senior Bryan Hancock (Hobart) will lead a promising senior class on offense, while ace sophomore attackman Colin Munro (UNC) looks to prove why he is one of the top players in the class of 2017. Look for the Golden Eagles to compete for the state championship. The stage is set for Mountain Vista to travel to Aurora to face Regis Jesuit on March 21st.
3. Santa Ana, Foothill (CA) 21-1
Last year was a year to remember for Jon Fox and the Santa Ana program. The Knights went 21-2 en route to a CIF Southern Championship. Their sole loss was a 13-12 defeat to a talented Torrey Pines team. Although losing a trio of players to the next level, They return All-Star Nate Marano, who had a record breaking 111 points, including 87 goals. Sean Maloney, a Hofstra commit, is a player to watch this year at midfield. He has elite shooting ability with a crafty style of play. The Knights will visit Torrey Pines in a late season grudge match on April 24th.
4. Cherry Creek (CO) 15-4
The Bruins’ season ended with a loss at the hands of Regis Jesuit in the State Championship. This year, legendary coach Bryan Perry hopes the season will end with a different outcome. While finishing 15-4, they won a handful of notable games, including a pair of 10-9 victories over Kent Denver. Although they lost star LSM Matt Goettelman to Army, They return a warrior in attackman Henry Adams, a small savvy attackman, capable of avoiding double teams with speed. Dylan Johnson, a defender committed to Denver, has the capability of locking down most opponents. Cherry Creek will take a trip to the east coast to matchup with New Jersey powerhouse Bergen Catholic on April 2nd.
5. La Costa Canyon (CA) 16-6
La Costa Canyon proved to be a premier team in the San Diego area once again, by collecting a 6-5 win over Cathedral Catholic in the SD CIF Championship. The Mavericks lose Avocado League Player of the Year Cameron Zeigler to Bryant. They do return a handful of legitimate contributors, including lockdown defender Nick Pfieffer. They will compete with Torrey Pines for a league championship. A late matchup with Coronado, a team who beat them last year, is set for May 8th.
6. Torrey Pines (CA)
Jon Zisso and the Falcons fell a game short of the State Championship, and lost some key starters. However, he will turn to a pair of talented juniors, including Beau Botkiss, a 2nd team All-Avocado LSM committed to Harvard. Henry Hollen returns to the midfield to pair with Spencer Small, a Syracuse commit, to bolster a team that opens up with Cathedral Catholic on March 6th.
7. J Serra Catholic (CA) 17-5
Head Coach Kyle Harrison and the Lions finished the season 17-5 last year, losing in the Southern CIF Championship to Santa Ana. After losing four D1 players to graduation, the reigns are being handed to a strong senior class, including Hofstra commit Jimmy Yanes. Look for Scott Barger, a talented LSM committed to Towson, to have a breakout year. Mark your calendars for April 2nd, as the Lions visit the Knights of Santa Ana.
8. St. Ignatius Prep (CA) 15-5
After losing a pair of star players in Joe Lang (Harvard) and Cyrus Scott (Colgate) to graduation, you would think the Wildcats would take a step back. Coach Chris Packard looks to take a step forward from a year where they beat Bellarmine Prep 10-6 in the WCAL Finals. Henry Hinds, a Colorado College commit, looks to step in for Scott in the cage for the Wildcats. The midfield is bolstered with Division 1 talent, including Peter Aliman, a Fairfield commit. The Wildcats have some tough games on slate for this year, including a battle with D.C powerhouse Gonzaga.
9. Bellevue (WA) 20-2
Ten years ago, the Wolverines finished the season 3-13 and at the very bottom of the Mountain League. Fast forward to 2015, where John Baumann finished his 20-2 season with statement wins over Eastside Catholic (8-7) and Issaquah (8-0) en route to a state championship. The team lost a few key contributors, including attackman Hank Bethke (OSU). They return a solid midfielder in Augie Fratt (Boston). Look for them to compete for a 4th straight state championship.
Tie 10. Cathedral Catholic (CA) 19-3
The Dons are coming off a 19-3 season, but their record still doesn’t show how talented this team was. They lost a few 1-goal games, including a nail biter to La Costa Canyon, 6-5. Michael Kay (Drexel) has graduated, and junior Ryan Fazio (Marquette) is looking to take his role. The Dons have a great two-way midfielder in Noah Assaraf (Maryland) who will look to make his impact this year between the restraining lines. The Dons will have a tough slate of games to start the season, with 5 of their first 7 games against teams in the Regional top 10.
10. Eastside Catholic (WA) 17-1
Gordon MacIlvennie was named the interim coach last year after changes in the coaching staff, and ran with it. He led the Crusaders to a 17-1 record and looks to improve this year. Losing talented midfielder Colin MacIlvennie to graduation is a tough task, but they are looking to battle for another championship. They return the goalie duo of hard-working Cameron Gronk (NJIT) and highly touted Josh Matte (Denver). Also returning for the Crusaders is Arend Broekmate, an LSM who swapped commitments from Lafayette to Division III powerhouse Tufts. The Crusaders have a key matchup with Corner Canyon, an up-and-coming team from Utah, on March 19th.
Honorable Mention:
Arapahoe, CO (13-6); Bellarmine Prep, CA (16-3); Brighton, UT (18-1); Claremont School, BC/Canada (9-1); Coronado, CA (13-5); Corona Del Mar, CA (15-2); De LaSalle, CA (14-6); Desert Vista, AZ (19-0); Issaquah, WA (19-4); Kent Denver (CO) 12-5; Mercer Island, WA (19-3); West Linn, OR (20-1)
Girls
1. Amador Valley (CA) 22-1
Coach Richard Murphy could not be more proud of his girls. The Lady Dons went 22-1 and finished with a NCS Division I title. They hope to continue this success through 2015. The Lady Dons hope to reload in 2015. Coach Murphy will be missing some faces, including extremely talented goaltender Allie Dacar (Stanford) and experienced midfielder Evan Murphy (Oregon). However, they return senior Jackie Gilbert, a USC-bound midfielder who is a part of the U19 U.S national team. Jackie, along with goalie Amanda Stapp (San Diego State), will lead the Lady Dons in hope of going the distance. Amador Valley will host Carondelet in a highly touted rematch on April 17th.
2. Air Academy (CO) 17-2
Chelsea Beal has some big shoes to fill. She is the new coach of the Kadets, taking over for coaching great Sean Harmon, who led them to a championship last spring. She will be missing some familiar faces, including star sisters Natalie and Jessica Beal. They will also be without senior goalie Jaycee Davis, after moving to Texas with family. However they return Madeline Jahelka (California), who will bolster the offense along with Libby Miller (Iona). Look forward to another matchup with Creek Creek.
3. Cherry Creek (CO) 12-7
Cherry Creek and Air Academy have won the last 9 state championships, and have produced very successful NCAA prospects. 2015 is no different. Making up for the talent lost from Colby Goettelman (Boston College) and Blair Sisk (Colorado) departing for graduation is no easy task. Plus, former assistant Kathryn Ames will be taking over Brianne Tierney, daughter of Denver University men’s lacrosse coach. However, she will have some building blocks to work with, including a pair of talented junior midfielders in Holly Sutherland (Colorado) and Regan Kinney (Lafayette). Look for Cherry Creek to continue this run in 2015
4. Lake Oswego (OR) 20-1
Lauren Anderson and the Lakers had another great year, finishing the season 20-1 and with a state championship – their third in four years. They lost a strong senior class, including U.S All American Lexi Cheetham (Louisville), but return midfielder Madeline Reese (Oregon) and sophomore goalie Riley Hertford (USC). The Lakers will be tested on April 4th, where they will travel to Amador Valley to challenge the Dons.
5. West Linn (OR) 17-2
Head Coach Meg Elston’s team is coming off a 17-2 record, with both of her losses coming to eventual state champions Lake Oswego. The Lions rolled through the competition this year, and hope to overcome the Lakers for the title. They lose all-league midfielder Mariah Gatti (Oregon) to graduation, who has been a focal point for their recent success. They return Jessica Weinhart and Natalie Byrne, a pair of all-league girls who will take over for the skill lost from Gatti. Look for West Linn to battle for another state title.
6. Carondelet (CA) 14-7
Corinne Lafayette (San Diego State) scored 6 goals in the NCS title game against Amador Valley. Unfortunately, The Cougars still came out on the wrong end, losing 8-6. Luckily, Lafayette is back and ready to carry the Cougars in her senior season. They lost a few great players, including Madison Castelein (OSU). A pair of departures on defense, which limited high-powered offenses like Amador Valley to 15 goals in two games, will hurt the Cougars. Look for Amanda Barton, a Colorado Mesa signee, to turn some heads this year. Former Coach of the Year Rick Jeffrey will lead Carondelet when they open up with Novato, an up-and-coming team, on March 7th.
7. La Costa Canyon (CA) 17-4
The Mavericks look to reload after posting a 18-4 record, and winning the San Diego Section Open Division title. Coach Casey Rector will look forward without San Diego Player of the Year Bridget Grubb (California). Genesis Lucero, a Stanford-bound midfielder, will look to lead the way for the Mavericks after achieving all-league accolades. La Costa Canyon will play rival Canyon Crest Academy on April 3rd.
8. Centaurus (CO) 16-2
When Bob Kline found out that former coach Genny Horning had resigned as the head coach of the Warriors, he jumped at the opportunity. Centaurus posted a record of 13-5, with two of their losses coming to Cherry Creek. Luckily for Kline, the Warriors will have a solid nucleus returning. Quinn Trudell, a defender who signed with Jacksonville, will lead the defense. Sarah Myres, a talented attacker, is a player to watch to lead the Warriors on offense.
9. Marin Catholic (CA) 22-3
Robert Salmon and the Wildcats went on to post a 22-3 record, eventually falling to Carondelet in the playoffs. They lose MCAL Player of the Year Madeline Spiess, as well as attacker Tory Salmon. They return some key players, including junior duo of midfielder Caitlin McCarthy and attacker Kate Graham. The Wildcats will host #1 Amador Valley on March 10th, a rematch of last year where Marin Catholic lost 16-7.
10. St. Ignatius Prep (CA) 11-7
The Wildcats played the state’s toughest non-league schedule last year, facing off with Mid-Atlantic powers John Carroll (MD), St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (VA) and Georgetown Visitation (DC). This year the ‘Cats, who feature 2017 Stanford commit Emma Knaus, will play Colorado Academy, St. Stephen’s, Illinois powers Loyola Academy and New Trier and DC-area’s Holy Cross and St. Anne’s-Belfield.
Honorable Mention:
Acalanes (CA) 16-6; Arapahoe, CO (12-4); California HS, CA (15-5); Chatfield, CO (17-1); Colorado Academy, CO 15-3; Denver East, CO 14-3; Novato, CA (17-7); Canyon Crest Academy, CA (18-3); Issaquah, WA (11-2-1); Kent Denver, CO (9-8); Los Alamitos, CA (15-6); Monte Vista, CA (13-6); Oregon Episcopal, OR (15-3); Palmer Ridge, CO (13-2); Park City, UT (15-0); Pinnacle, AZ (14-1); San Ramon Valley, CA (15-7).
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