23 Seacoast boys lacrosse players to watch from 10 high schools in 2024
A new season is here for high school boys lacrosse in New Hampshire and Maine.
Here are 23 players to watch on Seacoast high school teams in New Hampshire and southern Maine in 2024:
Zac Amend, Portsmouth High School, senior, midfielder
Despite being a marked man, Amend had 69 goals and 32 assists last season and was named Division II Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. Amend also came up with 58 ground balls as he helped the Clippers reach the Division II final for the third straight year.
In addition to scoring, Amend is also known for his stamina and elusiveness,
“I’ve never seen anybody run as much as he can run,” said coach Chad Vischer. “He wants to score. He wants to play defense. He wants to get ground balls. He works hard at his game. I’ve never seen anybody who can run with him. It’s fun to watch.”
Noah Andronaco, Winnacunnet, senior, goalie
Winnacunnet goalie Noah Andronaco hopes to build on a strong junior season as the Warriors last line of defense.
“He has spent a lot of time getting ready in the offseason and has looked strong in practice thus far,” coach Patrick Snow said. “Noah is a skilled goalie that will play at Curry College next year.”
Ethan Bernich, Exeter, senior, goalie
Bernich, who will play lacrosse at Rochester Institute of Technology, has been one of the key anchors of the Exeter defense.
Bernich was all-state first team in 2023. He made 18 saves in a 5-4 win over Pinkerton last year in a Division I battle.
"When he's on, he's lights out," Exeter head coach Matt Brewster said. "He sees the ball really well and sees the defense ... Ethan is going to be great. We look to him to lead us from the pipes out."
Lukas Botnick, Winnacunnet, junior, midfielder
Winnacunnet’s Lukas Botnick is a junior midfielder who can play anywhere on the field and makes his teammates better. He finished with 16 goals and seven assists last season.
The Warriors will look for Botnick to produce offensively even more this season. He was honorable mention all-state last season in D-II.
“He is a savvy player who can create for himself and the other five around him on offense,” said coach Patrick Snow. “We will look to him to help the offensive success after losing a number of players on the offensive side of the ball.”
Jon Buteau, Oyster River-Newmarket, senior, defense
Oyster River-Newmarket’s Jon Buteau is one of the anchors of a defense that is expected to be a team strength this season.
“Jon is a defender who is just as good off the ball as he is on the ball,” said coach Ruppy Hailey of the senior co-captain. “He’s always a threat to put the ball on the ground when defending one-on-one. He’s also very good off the ground and in transition.”
Tyler Callander, Oyster River-Newmarket, sophomore, attack
Coming off his freshman campaign, Oyster River-Newmarket’s Tyler Callander has developed an array of moves and is expected to play a key role in the team’s offense this season. He is also one of the club’s co-captains, a rare honor for a sophomore.
“Tyler Callander is a player who has a great balance of size and speed, and he knows how and when to use both,” said coach Ruppy Hailey. “He’s equally effective with both hands and has a deadly shot from the outside combined with the ability to finish inside.”
Dom Chalifour, Dover, senior, goalie
Dover’s Dom Chalifour is chasing history. The senior goalie enters the season with 646 career saves which are only 53 shy of the state record of 699, according to his coach. He made second-team all-state last year and helped the Green Wave earn a playoff berth.
“The kid is super athletic,” said Dover coach Chris Ketcham. “Dom is fast on his feet. He’s got fast hands. He works super hard at the position. In the years that I’ve been around the sport I don’t think I’ve even seen anybody that works as hard as he does and cares more about the game.”
Chalifour is also an inspiration for his teammates.
“Dom takes command back there and works his tail off,” Ketcham said. “He communicates with the rest of the team really well. Everybody kind of feeds off Dom’s energy. With his attitude and his mindset, that’s what everybody wants to follow.”
Finley De Tolla, St. Thomas Aquinas, junior, midfielder
STA’s Finley DeTolla is a junior midfielder and third-year varsity player who received all-state recognition in D-II.
“Finley is a two-way midfielder that can contribute at both ends,” said coach Scott Singer. “He has a very deceptive first step that allows him to create separation and draw slides.”
Jackson Estes, St. Thomas Aquinas, junior, midfielder
St. Thomas junior captain Jackson Estes is a two-time, first-team, all-state selection in Division II. The midfielder is dangerous at both ends of the field and possesses “great speed” and a “good motor,” according to coach Scott Singer
The versatile Estes has already committed to playing lacrosse at Bryant University.
“Jackson is your true old-school, two-way midfielder,” Singer said. “He could be the best D middie and also the best scoring middie.”
Terry Gagner, Traip Academy, senior, defender
Traip Academy’s Terry Gagner is a two-time all-state defender in Class C of the Western Maine Conference.
“He’s a kid that has a motor that doesn’t stop,” said co-head coach Tim Roberts. “He’s just a great leader who leads by example. He’s a kid that’s always the first one on the field ready to go. He’s just a great role model for all the kids around him.”
Gagner is vital to the Rangers transition game and typically draws the toughest defensive assignment.
“He’s just a great overall kid,” Roberts said. “He’s the player we put on the top attack or midfielder. He has good stick skills and the overall ability to move on the field is amazing for what he can do.”
Wil Godbout, Spaulding, senior, attack
Spaulding’s Wil Godbout is a senior attackman and co-captain who was the Red Raiders' leading scorer last season.
“He’s a strong, shifty, left-handed attackman,” said assistant coach Ben Gregoire. “He knows how to create offense. He can shoot either over-hand or side-arm. He has a very strong stick in his hand.”
Jackson Hamilton, Marshwood, junior, midfielder
Expectations are high this season for Jackson Hamilton as Marshwood attempts to fill the holes created by graduation from last year’s playoff club. The Hawks hope to take advantage of the junior midfielder’s accurate shot.
“He’s going to be our outside shooter and one of our big goal scorers this year,” said coach Matt Moreland. “He can shoot from the outside and also gets inside up close. He has a fast, hard shot.”
Mike Hanlon, York, junior, defensive midfielder
As a sophomore attack last season Mike Hanlon turned out to be quite a revelation for York and emerged as a key contributor for the Wildcats who captured the Class B state title.
“He stepped up big last year,” said York coach Bill McNamara. “Down the stretch he played a ton of minutes for us. He was like our fourth attackman. In the semifinal and the state championship game he was all over the field.”
Hanlon, now a junior, proved to be so versatile the Wildcats found multiple ways to get him on the field.
“We knew he was a good player and a good athlete,” McNamara said. “After three starts at attack we said, ‘Let’s try the kid out playing defensive midfield.’ We tried to get him on the field as much as possible.”
Hanlon turned out to be York’s version of the Swiss Army Knife.
“He’s athletic,” McNamara said. “He’s tough and scrappy and not afraid to mix it up and do the dirty work. From attackman he made the switch to defensive midfielder. He made a big impact on the field and we’re counting on him to help us this year big-time.”
Brody Johnson, Traip Academy, senior, attack
Senior Brody Johnson is a three-year starter at attack for Traip Academy who earned honorable mention, all-state accolades in Class C of the WMC a year ago.
“When he’s on he’s almost unstoppable for defenders to shut him down,” said co-coach Tim Roberts. “He single-handedly won a couple games for us last year by taking over the offense.”
Johnson had four goals and three assists in one game last season and two years ago scored six goals in a game.
“He’s very difficult to defend,” Roberts said. “He’s a good dodger and has a great ability to score when needed and at will at times.”
Micah Krick, Dover, senior, midfielder
Micah Krick was one of Dover’s leading scorers last season, and the senior midfielder will be expected to help power the offense once again this year.
“Micah’s a big, tall, athletic midfielder,” said coach Chris Ketcham. “He’s got a really great right-handed shot. He’s a hard, downhill dodger. He’s one of the leaders on the team that the underclassmen definitely look up to. He’s got the right attitude. He sees good come out of everything.”
Krick’s positive outlook is contagious.
“He’s a great guy to coach his teammates up rather than coach them down,” Ketcham said.
Jake Magri, Winnacunnet, senior, defense
Winnacunnet’s Jake Magri helps anchor the Warriors defense and made second-team all-state last year in D-II. He played both long-stick midfield in 2023 and close defense long pole.
Magri, who will play lacrosse at St. Joseph’s College in Maine next year, led the team in ground balls last season and played a key role in the Warriors transition game.
“He is a leader of the defensive unit and a great communicator,” said coach Patrick Snow. “He can turn defense into offense.”
Quinn Maguire, Marshwood, junior, attack
Marshwood returns only a handful of players from last year with substantial varsity experience, and the Hawks will look to Quinn Maguire to help close one of those gaps.
The junior attack is expected to play an integral role in the team’s offense whether it be feeding or scoring. Marshwood graduated all three of its starting attackmen from last season.
“He’s going to be controlling the offense from our attack,” said coach Matt Moreland. “He missed some time last year. I know what he can do. He didn’t get a ton of game time.”
Jackson Morgan, Spaulding, senior, defense
Senior co-captain Jackson Morgan is a staunch defender who led Spaulding in ground balls last season and welcomes the physicality of the game.
“On the defensive end of the field he’s a very vocal and dedicated athlete,” said assistant coach Ben Gregoire. “Last year he led the team in ground balls and knockdowns. He’ll use his wrestling background to force people away from the ball and work back toward the offensive zone.”
Masi Shone, Portsmouth High School, junior, defense
Shone will likely take on an expanded role on the back end this season for Portsmouth with the graduation of defensive stalwarts Max Diep and Gunner Jackson.
“He’ll be a key back there,” Portsmouth coach Chad Vischer said. “Masi is intelligent. He knows when people are going to the goal and when they’re not. He’s getting stronger. He’s got good technical skills. He’s tough to beat one-on-one. He’s a good leader back there on defense.”
Shone, who made second team all-state in Division II last season, finished with 20 caused turnovers and 32 ground balls. He also had some offense to his game with six assists.
More Seacoast boys lacrosse: What to know about every local team, key players
Nick Smith, Portsmouth High School, senior, midfielder/faceoff
Smith made first team all-state in Division II Iast season after winning 83% of his faceoffs. He won 269 of his 326 draws.
Smith also contributed offensively with 25 goals and 21 assists. Smith, who has committed to play lacrosse at Quinnipiac University, also led the Clippers with 89 ground balls.
“Nick’s scrappy, very fast on the ground balls,” Portsmouth coach Chad Vischer said. “He’s quick. Where Nick is really good is when the ball squirts out of a faceoff he’s gone before the other player is out of his stance. He’s very quick and fast. He gets beat up. Guys line up and take swings at him.”
Tanner Smith, Exeter, senior, defense
Smith turned in a nice junior season that saw him receive all-state honorable mention recognition. Smith is one of the key pieces on the Exeter defense, along with goalie Ethan Bernich.
A starter since his sophomore year, Smith has put in the work to be recognized as one of the better defenders in the state, and is one of the senior captains for the Blue Hawks.
Smith is committed to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level at Saint Anselm College next Spring.
"Very good communicator and leader," Exeter head coach Matt Brewster said. "We expect him to really anchor down our defense, continue to be that leader and continue to make the right plays."
Bradley Wentworth, Marshwood, senior, midfielder
Following heavy graduation losses Marshwood will look to several returning players to shoulder the load this season and senior Bradley Wentworth is at the top of the list.
The senior long-stick midfielder was among the Hawks’ leaders last season in causing turnovers and winning ground balls.
“He’s ruthless in the midfield, on faceoffs and one of the wings,” said coach Matt Moreland. “He’s going to be a big key as a returning player. If we’re losing the faceoff he’s out there causing a turnover and getting the ball back.”
Owen Williams, Exeter, senior, attack
Williams, is another three-year varsity player for the Blue Hawks, giving the team plenty of experience, which they’ll need given a challenging schedule to open the season that includes three games against teams from Massachusetts, two vs. two-time defending D-I champion Bishop Guertin and one with D-II power Portsmouth in the first 10 games.
In 2023, Williams was selected to All-State Second-Team and will play at Jacksonville University in college next spring.
"He's grown a lot as a player and a person, he's one of our captains this year," Exeter head coach Matt Brewster said. "He's really done a good job of accepting and embracing that role. He's one of those guys that our offense, they look up to him."
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 23 Seacoast NH, ME high school boys lacrosse players to watch
