Girls lacrosse: 2024 Section 1 tournament previews, predictions and players to watch

The Section 1 girls lacrosse playoffs will launch Tuesday with first-round games in classes B and C.

All four Section 1 class championships will be held at Lakeland High with B and C playing May 23 and A and D May 24.

Below are Journal News/lohud lists of teams we believe have a chance to be serious contenders for a class title and, with that, a potential pathway to a state championship.

Also listed are our predictions for which teams will claim the titles, as well as the names of top, potential game-changing players.

Note: While the area has a slew of talented players (more than 160 already committed to play for college teams), the game-changer list is not an all-star list and only includes players from squads believed here to have a shot at playing for a title.

Class A

Built to win it all: It's always easy to go with the No. 1 seed but 12-3 Suffern, whose only loss to a Section 1 opponent was to Class C second-seed Rye, is the team to beat.

Good enough to go deep: Two teams fit this category. Start with No. 3 North Rockland, since it fell by only one goal to Suffern a month ago. The Red Raiders started the season with two close losses but ended up 12-4. They carry a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs and, as any sports fan knows, momentum is a nice thing to have. The other team is No. 2 Wappingers, which didn't play either Suffern or North Rockland but whose 13 wins can't be ignored. It might not have had the toughest schedule, but it also wasn't heavy with easy-to-beat squads. And Wappingers' last loss was April 1. A semifinal showdown between these two teams seems likely with North Rockland, despite its seeding, perhaps having a slight edge.

Not going down without a fight: The Mamaroneck Tigers might take the inconsistency crown, if one were awarded. They enter the playoffs at 8-8 and off two straight losses. Mamaroneck only fell by one goal to North Rockland and by three to Wappingers. In fact, five of its losses were by three or fewer goals. The up and down nature of this team probably rules it out as a title contender but Suffern would be wise to take the Tigers seriously if it faces them in the semifinals.

The game-changers: Lucy Bevilacqua, Fr., A, Mamaroneck; Olivia Castaldo, Jr., MF, North Rockland; Michaela Fay, So., MF, Suffern; Kristen Javenes, Sr., MF, North Rockland; Caitlin Ruggiero, Sr., MF, Suffern; Gabby Sosa, Jr., MF, Mamaroneck; Lexi Suman, So., MF, Mamaroneck; Jillian Terlizzi , Jr., G, Suffern; Mackenzie Velsmid, Sr., MF, Wappingers; Haley Washall, Fr., MF, Wappingers

And the winner is: Suffern. It's the defending champion and is, as a result, used to pressure. It may not steamroll opponents, but it's defense is solid and it should have enough offensive firepower to get the job done.

Class B

Built to win it all: Any team that can fall behind Nyack 6-1 in the first quarter and end up falling just 10-7 is a team that should be respected. There are also many other reasons to like top-seed Yorktown, the defending Section 1 B champion. An absolutely dismal performance against talented Rye (like, Nyack, a Class C team) was the only significant blemish during a 12-4 season. This team's defense is better than most and seems to still be improving -- unwelcome news for the rest of Class B.

Good enough to go deep: Little more than a week ago, this spot would have belonged to Ursuline. But the Koalas have gone into a slump at a very inopportune time. An obvious second choice is No. 2 Fox Lane. And the 13-3 Foxes could make the final. The only qualms with that team, which has a couple of very talented players and a strong ensemble, is schedule strength. Fox Lane played only one team currently listed in The Journal News/lohud top 10. That was John Jay-Cross River and Fox Lane fell 13-6, although that was five weeks ago.

Not going down without a fight: Like Mamaroneck in Class A, Horace Greeley, which is 10-6 and the third seed, is a bit unpredictable. Its one-goal loss to powerful Rye, which followed losses to good but note elite Somers and Pleasantville, speaks to that. Could it take down Fox Lane in a possible semifinal match? Absolutely. It defeated the Foxes earlier in the season. And it did what Yorktown couldn't in giving Rye a game. But there are a lot of question marks, too. Also in the mix are No. 4 Harrison and No. 5 Ursuline, which will face each other in the quarterfinals. Harrison, 10-6, didn't play Yorktown. It lost to Fox Lane, Greeley and Ursuline but all were close games. As for Ursuline, it lost four of its final six regular-season games after an impressive 7-1 start. But as bad as that sounds, it was never blown out, so shouldn't be counted out.

The game-changers: Maggie Appelle, Sr., G, Yorktown; Lila Berkery, Jr., MF, Harrison; Bae Bounds, Sr., MF, Horace Greeley; Annie Cunneen, Fr., MF, Yorktown; Ava Cunneen, Jr, MF, Yorktown; Abby Dold, Jr., A, Ursuline; Rowan Edson, Jr., MF, Horace Greeley; Michaela Kaltsas, So., A, Fox Lane; Harper Lapin, Jr., MF/A, Harrison; Reileigh McEnroe, Sr, D, Yorktown; Paige Moretti, Sr., MF, Ursuline; Stella Perini, Sr., MF, Harrison; Zoe Stonecipher, Jr., A, Fox Lane

And the winner is: It might be more interesting to forecast an upset, but Yorktown is healthy and playing well and appears poised to win another section championship.

Class C

Built to win it all: Nyack or Rye. The regular-season game between top-seed Nyack and No. 2 Rye says it all. Nyack, which hasn't lost to a Section 1 squad this season and is 15-1, beat Rye 13-11. It annihilated most teams it faced, including good teams. Rye is 13-3 with two of its losses coming to strong Connecticut squads. Both teams, in fact, have played good teams from out of the area to ready for hoped-for long playoff runs. Nyack's only loss was to a team from Long Island.

Good enough to go deep: C is arguably the most talent-rich class in Section 1. One of its strongest teams is No. 3 John Jay-Cross River, which is 13-3. Its only losses have come to Nyack, Class A top-seed Suffern and Class B top-seed Yorktown. The Wolves closed the regular season with four straight wins after their two-goal loss to Yorktown, so they would seem to have some traction heading into playoffs.

Not going down without a fight: Don't be surprised if any of the next several seeded teams pulls off an upset , especially in the quarterfinals. Some of those teams were ranked at one point during the season. One example is Pelham, which is only 8-7 but could, with a goal here or there, be 14-1. That's because five of its losses were by one goal and one was by two goals.

The game-changers: Jane Brennan, Jr., D, John Jay-Cross River; Casey Cummings, So., A, Nyack; Jojo Degl, Jr., MF, John Jay-Cross River; Caroline Doyle, Jr., MF, Rye; Keira Furey, Sr., G, Nyack; Della Goodman, Sr., A, Rye; Ella Gould, So., MF, Nyack; Kate Gould, Jr., MF, Nyack; Jordan Kauftheil, Jr., D, John Jay-Cross River; Mia Orlando, Sr., Mf/D, Pelham; Mary Sack, Jr., MF, Rye; Lilly Whaling, Sr., A, Rye

And the winner is: This is a coin flip. A Nyack-Rye game could be a one-goal game. It could be an overtime game. It would almost certainly be an entertaining game. Nyack gets the nod here but it wouldn't be a significant upset, nor big surprise were Rye to win. Both are very talented teams.

Girls lacrosse postseason: Section 1 playoff brackets released for the four classes

Class D

Built to win it all: Any one of three teams would seem to have a good shot at the Class D title. The curious thing is the top three seeds never played each other during the regular season. Albertus Magnus, 12-2, is the No. 1 seed and has wins over solid squads from bigger schools, like Wappingers and Somers, to its credit. Pleasantville, the 13-3 No. 2 seed, split with Class B Greeley and beat Class C Pelham during the regular season. And No. 3 Bronxville, 9-6 but a perennial top team that was state runner-up last year, is right there, particularly because it had one of the toughest schedules in all of Section 1, playing top teams from even the biggest schools.

Good enough to go deep: The aforementioned Bronxville squad gets the nod.

Not going down without a fight: There are plenty of solid teams in Class D but there does seem to be a separation between the top three and those that follow in the seedings. Pleasantville is likely to face Bronxville in one semifinal and, after having a very good season, slots in here.

The game-changers: Faith Brown, Fr., MF, Pleasantville; Cassidy Deierlein, Sr., MF, Albertus Magnus; Erin Drillock, Sr., A, Pleasantville; Charlotte Murray, So., MF, Bronxville; Julia Pope, Jr., MF, Albertus Magnus; Kristen Travaglini Jr., A, Albertus Magnus; Amy Villanueva, Jr., MF, Bronxville; Maddy Williams, Jr., MF, Bronxville

And the winner is: This isn't a slap at either Albertus Magnus or Pleasantville, but Bronxville has undoubtedly benefited from having a much tougher schedule. Playing the best teams in the larger-school classes, as well as good teams from outside the area, should provide the experience to carry the Broncos to another title. That said, both Pleasantville and Albertus Magnus can't be taken lightly. Both are programs very much on the rise and games against either are likely to be close.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: lohud girls lacrosse: 2024 Section 1 playoff previews and predictions