It was a championship spring for Windham girls lacrosse a year ago, when the Jaguars took home the Division II state title — the program’s fourth championship overall.
But this season presents a whole new challenge.
Windham has moved up to Division I for the 2025 season, and confidence is high on Mount Jaguar — even with a brand new head coach.
“Coming off of a DII championship, the team is excited to compete at the highest level of girls lacrosse in New Hampshire!” said first-year coach Samantha Murray, a longtime Pinkerton Academy JV coach and varsity assistant, who replaces Jordyn O’Boyle.
The Jaguars graduated plenty from last year’s squad, including Eagle-Tribune All-Stars Chloe Hall, Sophia Ponzini and Paige Carboni. But the cupboard isn’t bare.
Windham returns four-year varsity starting midfielder Darby Madden (27 goals, 42 points last spring), three-year varsity midfielder Sophie Manchester — a senior who was an Eagle-Tribune All-Star in field hockey in the fall — along with junior attacks Ella Gallinelli (16 goals) and Anna Hartmann.
Lisauskas leads Astros
It’s already been a record-setting career for Hannah Lisauskas. But the two-time Eagle-Tribune All-Star is still missing one accomplishment — a state title.
The Astros have the potential to made a run at their 10th state championship game appearance — including four titles — with eight starters back from last year’s Division I quarterfinalists.
They’re led by Lisauskas, who became the program’s all-time leader in assists with 135 — to go with 124 goals. Others back include goalie Sara DiClemente (.512 save percentage), sophomore attack Delaney Summers (27 goals) and Francesca Doyle (15 goals). Parker Knowlton and Lexi Last return to lead the defense.
“The team has a strong drive and is working as a cohesive unit while having fun and pushing to new levels,” said coach Katie Blair.
Timberlane looks to take next step
Timberlane fell one win short of its first ever trip to the state title game in program history last spring, falling to eventual state champion Windham in the Division II semifinals.
A year later, the Owls are back for more.
“We will be solid again this year, always chasing a playoff run,” said head coach Helena Bird. “We hope to compete hard and continue to make noise in Division II again! I am lucky to have a group that’s been tight-knit from the beginning.”
Timberlane’s top returning scorers are sophomore Rylee Donahue (27 goals) and senior Ella Watts (21 goals). Senior midfielder Ella Lampron does it all (18 goals last year), and is a three-sport Eagle-Tribune All-Star honorable mention (soccer, basketball, lacrosse), one of the many three-sport athletes on the team. Another is top defender Emma Norcott. Plenty is expected of sophomore goalie Kayla Apitz, a varsity newcomer.
Salem ready to rebound
After a pair of two-win seasons, Salem feels ready for more in 2025.
The Blue Devils return some intriguing talent — led by attack Katie Wood (45 goals, 11 assists last season). Also back is the impressive duo of goalie Zeynep Yildirim (.483 save percentage) and goalie/defender Olivia Schoenrock (.417 save percentage).
Midfielder Lily George is coming off an Eagle-Tribune All-Star girls basketball season, while midfielder Grace Hoover was an Eagle-Tribune All-Star for the Blue Devils girls ice hockey team that she led the charge to establish.
“The competition will be fierce, but we will fight hard,” said coach Erica Weber. “The future of Salem High lacrosse is very bright.”
Duprez takes over Pelham
It’s a new era for Pelham lacrosse, with Alesha Duprez taking over as head coach, replacing John Fichera, the Pythons’ coach since 2016.
Duprez — an engineer — was a star at Shawsheen Tech (class of 2018), then played club lacrosse at UMass Lowell, where she earned her Master’s degree in 2022. She previously coached as an assistant at Shawsheen.
“This is my first year at Pelham, and I’m already impressed with the team’s overall skills and enthusiasm,” said Duprez. “I believe our team is going to grow and achieve our goals this season.”
Top scorers returning for the Pythons include sophomore Jessica Phillips (24 goals, 24 assists) and Katharine Carroll (12 goals). Addison Breault returns as goalie, while Cassidy Harrington and Morghan Swiniarski are keys on defense.
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