Here are the 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Lacrosse All-Scholastics
TAUNTON— Another high school girls lacrosse season has come and gone in the Greater Taunton area.
Dighton-Rehoboth (11-7) were the top local team again, qualifying for the postseason and making it to the Division 3 Round of 32, where it fell to No. 12 Old Rochester while Bristol-Plymouth (10-9) made both the MIAA Division 3 and MVADA tournaments, falling to No. 31 Greater Lowell Tech in the preliminary round and falling to Essex North Shore in the MVADA Championship. Bridgewater-Raynham (7-13) had some strong points, including winning five out of six games at one stretch, while Taunton (2-16) earned a season sweep of Stoughton.
With the spring season now in the rearview, here's a final look back at the Greater Taunton area girls lacrosse players who stood out among the crowd to earn their spot as 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Lacrosse All-Scholastics.
Player of the Year
Karina Bosco, Dighton-Rehoboth
Though just a sophomore, the attacker has already established herself as the Falcons' all-time leading scorer and added 76 more goals to her tally to bring her to 168 career goals with two more varsity season left to play. Praised for her knowledge of the game and on-field leadership, she has been the engine driving the D-R offense from controlling the draw to scoring goals. Some of her most notable performances of the spring include seven goals, seven draws and two ground balls against Greater New Bedford, seven goals and 11 draws against Taunton and six goals, 13 draws, three ground balls and an assist against Apponequet.
A South Coast Conference All-Star, Bosco was also named the 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year and is a key member of the field hockey team. Already the program's all-time leading scorer, expect her to only continue to grow and improve as an athlete over the next two years at D-R.
First Team All-Scholastics
Cali Melo, Taunton
The junior midfielder and captain was once again the heart and soul of the Tiger attack, recording a team-high 41 goals as well as 11 assists and 12 draw controls. Some of her most notable performances this spring include five goals and two assists against both Stoughton and Oliver Ames and four goals and an assist against both Attleboro and Sharon.
A Hockomock League All-Star, Melo was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Basketball All-Scholastic and is also a valuable member of the soccer team. Expect her to continue to grow and improve as an athlete in all three sports heading into her senior year.
Emily Keefe, Bridgewater-Raynham
The sophomore midfielder and captain had a breakout season for the Trojans, recording 77 goals and 27 assists for 104 points, leading B-R's offensive efforts while also assisting on defense and taking the draw. Coach Bill O'Connell praised Keefe for her work ethic and goal scoring prowess, noting she had hat tricks in 14 out of 20 games this spring and score five or more goals eight times. Some of her most notable performances of the spring include eight goals and two assists against Mashpee, five goals and three assists against Attleboro and six goals and an assist against Barnstable.
An Southeast Conference All-Star, Keefe was also named a 2022-23 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Indoor Track All-Scholastic and looks set to be a major part of both teams' success over the next two years.
Ashley McLaren, Bridgewater-Raynham
The sophomore attacker was praised by O'Connell for her consistency in front of goal, tallying 43 goals and six assists for 49 total points, placing her second on the team in points total for the second straight year. Some of her most notable performances this spring include four goals each against Attleboro, Dartmouth and Falmouth and three goals and an assist against Dighton-Rehoboth.
A Southeast Conference All-Star, expect McLaren to continue to grow and improve as an athlete and play a key role in the Trojans' success over the next two years.
Sophia Perry, Bridgewater-Raynham
The senior captain moved back to the midfield from the attack this spring where she played an instrumental role in the transition between offense and defense while recording 38 goals and eight assists to finish her high school lacrosse career with 93 points. Some of her best performances this spring include five goals and two assists against Mashpee, five goals against Plymouth South and three goals and an assist against Attleboro.
A Southeast Conference All-Star, Perry was also a member of the cheerleading squad and her leadership and abilities will be missed by the Trojans next year.
Mackenzie O’Leary, Bristol-Plymouth
The senior midfielder and captain wrapped up her strong high school lacrosse career with her best season to date, recording 70 goals and eight assists, with a grand total of 141 career goals. Some of her most notable performances this spring include seven goals against Fontbonne Academy and five goals each against Greater New Bedford, Old Colony and Greater Lowell Tech.
A Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star, O'Leary's leadership and abilities will surely be missed at B-P next year as she continues her academic career at UMass.
E Bradford, Bristol-Plymouth
The senior goalie and captain led the way on defense for the Craftsmen, wrapping up their strong high school lacrosse career with 447 saves while also adding four assists this spring. One notable performance from this past season was a 23 save outing against Tri-County.
Bradford's leadership and abilities will surely be missed at B-P next year as they continue their academic and lacrosse career at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Angela Gabriel, Dighton-Rehoboth
The freshman defender started off the season as a backup midfielder before coaches Bosco and Mikayla Seavey noticed her strong ground-ball scooping, control and ability to force turnovers and she quickly established herself as the Falcons' best defensive asset. Some of her most notable outings this spring include five ground balls against Seekonk, four ground balls and an assist against Greater New Bedford and four ground balls and two caused turnovers against Bridgewater-Raynham.
A South Coast Conference Honorable Mention, expect Gabriel to continue to grow and improve as an athlete over the next three years at D-R.
Lily Nees, Dighton-Rehoboth
The senior captain and midfielder wrapped up her high school lacrosse career as the "heart and soul of the team," according to coach Kara Bosco, recording 64 goals and 31 assists for a grand total of 141 career points. Some of her most notable performances this spring include six goals and three assists against Seekonk, six goals and two assists against Taunton and five goals and an assist against East Bridgewater.
A South Coast Conference All-Star, Nees won both the team's Most Improved and MVP and was also named a 2022 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Soccer All-Scholastic. Her abilities and leadership will surely be missed at D-R next year as she continues her academic and lacrosse career at UMass Dartmouth, where she'll be the first former Falcons girls lacrosse player to compete collegiately.
Olivia Thibert, Dighton-Rehoboth
The sophomore midfielder was praised by coach Kara Bosco as the Falcons' most consistent player and for her quick skills on the draw. She recorded 23 goals and 14 assists while also showing off her defensive skills and playing a key role in transition. Some of her most notable outings this spring include three goals, a draw and a ground ball against Greater New Bedford, two goals, two assists and four draws against Taunton and a goal, two assists, two ground balls and two draws against East Bridgewater.
An SCC All-Star, Thibert has been named a captain for the 2024 season and should continue to grow and improve as an athlete over the next two years at D-R.
Second Team All-Scholastics
Mel Jesus, Taunton
Kate Lambert, Bridgewater-Raynham
Erin Rennie, Bridgewater-Raynham
Brooke Drass, Bristol-Plymouth
Emma Ericson, Bristol-Plymouth
Lauren Marcotrigiano, Dighton-Rehoboth
Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: The 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Girls Lacrosse All-Scholastics
