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The Repository presents 10 Greater Canton area girls lacrosse players to watch this year

cliff hickman, canton repository
·4 min read

The 2024 girls lacrosse season will represent a year of change in the Greater Canton area. There are new head coaches in charge of the programs at Jackson and Hoover. Others will be looking to close the gap on those programs. Lake is looking to post its third consecutive season of double-digit wins. GlenOak has plenty of young talent that should help the Golden Eagles continue their rapid turnaround.

One thing these teams have in common are the number of talented players they will be sending out onto the field. Here are the top 10 Girls Lacrosse Players to Watch in the Greater Canton Area for the 2024 season.

Madison Vardavas

Hoover, sr.

Vardavas and Ava Streb are the top two returning scorers for the Hoover girls lacrosse team. That bodes well for the Vikings and poorly for anyone tasked with having to contain this pair. Vardavas is accurate on the move with her shot and is comfortable firing across her body from the mid range. Vardavas has lettered all three years she has played at the varsity level. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Youngstown State University next season.

Madison Vardavas, left, of Hoover and Catalina Gonzalez, right, of Jackson fight for the ball during their game at Jackson on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Madison Vardavas, left, of Hoover and Catalina Gonzalez, right, of Jackson fight for the ball during their game at Jackson on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

Katie Debevec

Jackson, jr.

The family legacy continues on Jackson. Katie's sister Chelsea was the first blue chip lacrosse prospect in the Stark County area. Chelsea went on to sign with Ohio State University. Katie has established herself as a fine player herself in the midfield. Debevec can score and should produce plenty of points for the Polar Bears this season.

Lauren West

Hoover, sr.

Offense gets a lot of the attention when you look at the returning firepower Hoover has. Don't discount the Vikings defense. West and teammate Camryn Cooney will be tough defenders all year long for Hoover. Both bring plenty of experience to the table. West has signed a national letter of intent to play for Gannon University (Pa.). Cooney was signed with Notre Dame College but is now back in the recruiting pool after the school announced it was closing.

Jillian Baker

Lake, sr.

Baker is the top returning offensive weapon for Lake this season. With the graduation of Emma Labbe, Baker may be counted on more than ever for her ability to score. Baker is comfortable shooting in tight spaces and maintains accuracy while on the move. Expect to see her name plenty in the upcoming season.

Leah Burlingame

GlenOak, jr,.

The GlenOak program took a major step forward last year. Expect that to continue this season with players like Burlingame on the roster. Burlingame is an excellent defender for the Golden Eagles and actively plays in the offseason. She has played in the midfield during the travel season. Unselfish players like Burlingame are a big reason why GlenOak has been able to turn around its culture so quickly under head coach Michael Soyars.

Ava Streb

Hoover, sr.

Streb is a dynamic scorer who has lettered her first three years for Hoover. She and Vardavas are the top two returning scorers on the team from last season and should form a potent scoring combination once again for the Vikings. Streb was being recruited by multiple schools to play college lacrosse but she has opted to focus on academics after this season. She should produce plenty of memorable moments this year with Hoover.

Hoover's Ava Streb scores a first period goal over defense from Revere's Mischa Mudrak and Taylor Catlett at Hoover, Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Hoover's Ava Streb scores a first period goal over defense from Revere's Mischa Mudrak and Taylor Catlett at Hoover, Thursday, April 27, 2023.

Sam Strifler

Jackson, jr.

Strifler played a key role as an attacker last season for Jackson. She will likely play an even bigger role this year with top attacker Lauren Pallotta having graduated and focusing on basketball at the University of Dayton. Strifler is very skilled and gained a lot of experience last season. She and the rest of the Jackson team will be tested against a difficult schedule.

Avery Neidert

Lake, sr.

Neidert has plenty of experience and has been a regular contributor for the Blue Streaks over the last couple of seasons. She can score from her midfield position and is also a draw control specialist capable of winning possessions regularly in the circle for the Blue Streaks. Neidert has a reputation as a hard worker and is looking to help Lake record its third consecutive season of double-digit wins.

Rebekah Yoder

Jackson, jr.

Yoder is the top returning defender and will likely be called upon to anchor the defense under new head coach Kayla Miller. She has been in the Jackson system since the youth program and is a skilled player. Yoder will be tested by some of the top scorers in the state and beyond on Jackson's schedule.

Matilyn Watson

GlenOak, so.

Discount Watson because of her underclassmen status at your peril. She can flat out score from the midfield position. Watson is not afraid to attack the net and can shoot from the mid range. She has a knack for creating enough separation to shoot. The continued development of Watson could help the GlenOak program take another step forward this year.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Greater Canton area girls lacrosse players to watch this season