LebCo Girls & Boys Lacrosse Season Outlook: 2023

Girls Lacrosse

     Cedar Crest Falcons 

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1

Head Coach: Tony Sinico, 6^th season

Key Returning Players: Emma Brooks (Sr., Attack); Hailey Newmaster (Sr.,Goalie); Nicki Wise (Sr., Defense); Halle Smith (Jr., Defense); Brynn Gundrum (So., Midfield); Bri Koehler (So., Midfield)

Key Losses: Jaden Hardy (Flagler College)

Outlook: A 3-15 record in 2022 did not tell the whole story, as the Lady Falcons lost five games by two goals or less and they competed hard in every game.  Since then, they have graduated LL League All-Star Jaden Hardy, who was one of the LL’s top offensive threats.  With that said, Crest will return several talented young ladies who bring another year of training with them onto the field.  Nicki Wise leads that group, as she was a League All-Star in 2022 and will anchor the defense this season.  There will also be an influx of younger talent thanks to the CC Youth Girls Lacrosse Club that was established two years ago and currently has eighty-eight girls involved.  These younger varsity players will need to pick up on the lessons being taught to them by their more experienced teammates.  They may have to use their overall athleticism to get by until they can learn to execute and play a complete game.  This will require a process of continual growth, one which may result in turning some of those close games in their favor.

   Palmyra Cougars

Mid-Penn Conference – Keystone Division

Head Coach: Nikki Lloyd, 4^th season

Key Returning Players: Anna Edwards (Sr., Defense); Avery Russell (Sr., Midfield); Olivia Kirkpatrick (Sr., Defense); Katie Lintz (Sr, Attack); Morgan Courville (Jr., Goalie); Morgan Lantz (Jr., Midfield)

Key Losses: Two starters

Outlook: Last season, the Lady Cougars lost in the District 3 quarterfinals to York Catholic.  Coach Lloyd’s team has since graduated two starters from the 2022 group, but have found replacements she feels will make for a seamless transition to another competitive year.  If you look at the roster, many of these players are athletic stars in other sports and bring that high level experience with them to lacrosse.  Now that some of those top-end leaders are seniors, it will be interesting to see how far Palmyra can go.  For now, their goal is to make it to the Mid Penn Championship game, while also qualifying again for Districts.  If there is any indication from their early play this season, the goals may soon be shifting to qualifying for States.

Boys Lacrosse

     Cedar Crest Falcons 

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1

Head Coach: Jack Wuori, 3^rd season

Key Returning Players:  Bryce Culp (Sr.); Erik McLaughlin (Sr.); Josh Trovinger (Sr.); Bryce Craig (Jr.); Connor Rowe (So.)

Key Losses: Trevor Moore (LVC); Jake Wolfe; Quentin Nolan

Outlook: The Falcons are looking to improve upon their successes from last year as they return several key pieces from a season ago.  This includes senior long-stick midfielder Erik McLaughlin, who was a Section 1 – 2^nd Team All-Star in 2022, and also their veteran goalie, senior Josh Trovinger.  As lacrosse is a game that requires communication, the key will be for Coach Wuori’s team to play as a unit, especially as their schedule will be packed with some perennial powerhouses.

   Palmyra Cougars

Mid-Penn Conference – Keystone Division

Head Coach: Dave Ondrusek, 8^th season

Key Returning Players:  Brady Ward (Sr., Attack); Ben Bell (Sr., Defense); Kadin Jones (Jr., Defense); Ryan Kowalski (So., Midfield); Eli Rose (So., Midfield); Collin Ward (So., Goalie)

Key Losses: Jase Jones; Richie Kowalski; Devin Richards; Manny Rose

Outlook: In 2022, the Cougars finished the season 10-8 and made an appearance in the District 3 Tournament, losing in the first round. With a fairly young squad this year, Coach Ondrusek is hopeful that not only can the 2023 edition match the win total from last year, but also make a deeper push into the postseason.  Much of this will depend upon the play of the sophomores who will be starting for Palmyra, although talent can help to close the experience gaps quite quickly.  If this occurs, look to see a lot more regarding Palmyra Lax.

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