Who will win Section V girls lacrosse? Seeds, contenders, top players for playoffs

And just like that, it’s time.

Time certainly does fly by when you’re having fun because it feels like the 2023 season lacrosse got started yesterday. But this weekend, the Section V Tournament kicks off and by May 31, four champions will be crowned.

To get you ready, here’s a look at the contenders for each class, plus a list of players to watch.

Girls lacrosse: Section V scores for the 2023 season

Class A

Contenders: With five teams in the class, three have emerged as the top contenders: Defending champion Rush-Henrietta, Fairport and Pittsford. R-H and Pittsford have played in the last three Class A finals.

Fairport’s calling card is a diverse offense that’s averaging 10.5 goals a game while Pittsford relies on a defense that’s allowing just 5.7 goals per game. Both are scoring around four goals a game more than they’re allowing but R-H has a differential of six.

R-H beat both teams during the regular season, although both games were early so plenty has changed since then. As solid as Fairport and Pittsford are, R-H got a wakeup call with its May 5 loss to Canandaigua. The Royal Comets won their five remaining games by an average of 11.6 goals so they have some serious momentum heading into the postseason.

Of interest: Pittsford and Rush-Henrietta have played each other in the last three Class A finals.

Section V Class A players to watch

Ella Peers (Fairport midfield: 36 goals, 16 assists), Ava Peers (Fairport midfield: 24 goals, 57 draw controls); Katie Mallaber (Fairport midfield: 31 goals); Jaelyn Twomey (Fairport goalie: 47.4% save percentage); Mara Misiurewicz (Greece midfield: 69 goals); Alison Dioguardi (Greece midfield/attack: 53 goals, 56 draw controls); Natalie Torrence (Greece defense: 33 caused turnovers, 60 draw controls); Peyton Rothfuss (Penfield attack: 48 goals); Emma Alexander (Penfield midfield: 32 draw controls, 17 caused turnovers); Ellie Bergin (Pittsford midfield: 48 goals); Dylan Madigan (Pittsford attack: 35 goals); Lena Cox (R-H attack: 30 goals); Kate DeWald (R-H attack: 35 goals, 65 draw controls); Avery Roberts (R-H midfield: 26 goals, 34 draw controls, 11 caused turnovers); Danielle Garrett (R-H attack: 35 goals); Angelia Oechsle (R-H goal: 51.6% save percentage).

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Class B

Contenders: There are 11 teams in Class B and the usual suspects in Canandaigua and Victor are the favorites, although Spencerport and Irondequoit are capable of surprises.

Defending champ Victor was 5-4 at one point but has since won six straight including an impressive win over Canandaigua on May 13. The Blue Devils have a lot of young players but junior midfielder Devin Livingston is the key with her dominance on draw controls that allows the Blue Devils to control the pace with possession.

Canandaigua is young as well but has upperclassmen leaders in the right spots. The Braves have some impressive non-league wins and played a schedule that will have them prepared for the posteason, including a possible rematch with rival Victor.

Irondequoit has some solid play at both ends of the field and were competitive in losses to Canandaigua and Victor, and a May 8 win over Pittsford is a big build of confidence. But consistency hasn’t been a friend. Same goes for Spencerport, which has some elite scoring talent but hasn’t been able to put it together against top-level teams.

Of interest: In 12 seasons since 2010, Canandaigua (five) and Victor (four) have combined to win nine Class B titles. Brighton won the other three over that span.

Section V Class B players to watch

Elise Murphy (Brighton attack: 48 goals, 83 draw controls); Hanna Davis (Canandaigua attack: 46 goals, 48 assists); Liv Schorr (Canandaigua midfield: 42 goals, 34 draw controls): Makenna Crouse (Canandaigua midfield: 47 draw controls); Lily Mattucci (Hilton midfield: 30 goals, 68 draw controls, 18 caused turnovers); Maeve Brennan (Irondequoit midfield: 43 goals); Kennedy Landrigan (Irondequoit midfield/defense: 23 goals, 18 draw controls, 12 caused turnovers); Olivia Luchetti (Mercy attack: 29 goals); Madeleine Fitzgerald (Mercy midfield: 19 goals, 58 draw controls); Anna Rogers (Webster Schroeder attack/midfield: 40 goals); Kylee Race (Webster Schroeder midfield: 31 caused turnovers); Molly Guzik (Spencerport midfield: 50 goals, 134 draw controls; 26 caused turnovoers); Alyssa Nichols (Spencerport midfield: 34 goals, 47 draw controls); Addison Schaeffer (Webster Thomas attack/midfield: 44 goals, 66 draw controls, 43 caused turnovers); Devin Livingston (Victor midfield: 63 goals, 29 assists, 88 draw controls); Maggie Allen (Victor goalie: 46.9% save percentage); Maryn Savage (Victor defense: 53 caused turnovers).  

Class C

Contenders: Not only has Honeoye Falls-Lima won 10 straight and 13 of the last 14 Class C titles, but it’s beaten eight different opponents in that stretch. Not much has changed for HF-L in this season’s nine-team bracket, although the competition has.

Aquinas and Palmyra-Macedon are the only other C teams with winning records and the only head-to-head competition among that trio is Pal-Mac’s 6-4 win over Aquinas on April 19.

HF-L is once again a complete team from back to front and if it can get freshman Shay Angelo back from an injury, it’ll be in even better shape.

Pal-Mac won five straight Class D titles before being bumped up to C and Aquinas has yet to win a championship but has played in the last two D championships. Against Pal-Mac.

There is a lot of championship experience in Class C and if Aquinas or Pal-Mac is going to unseat HF-L, it will require a near-perfect game.

Of interest: HF-L finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, the team’s first winning record in the regular season since going 9-8 in 2015. A championship this season will give HF-L 14 overall and tie Brighton for the most in Section V history.

Section V Class C players to watch

Sienna Hinchcliffe (Aquinas midfield: 72 goals, 96 draw controls, 48 caused turnovers); Savannah Hinchcliffe (Aquinas midfield: 58 goals, 57 draw controls); Carissa Schneider (Aquinas midfield: 33 goals, 64 draw controls); Zoe Baase (Brockport midfield: 34 goals, 55 draw controls, 19 caused turnovers); Ada Krupa (Eastridge midfield: 49 goals, 122 draw controls); Melody Gaudio (Eastridge goalie: 50.8% save percentage); Allie Good (Geneva attack: 49 goals, 61 draw controls); Mikayla Myer (Geneva midfield/defense: 25 goals; 84 draw controls, 78 ground balls, 43 caused turnovers); Maddie Askin (Geneva goalie: 47.2% save percentage); Shaye Angelo (HF-L attack: 25 goals, 40 draw controls); Paige Kidd (HF-L midfield: 42 goals, 55 draw controls, 35 ground balls); Clare Ruff (HF-L midfield: 31 goals); Lily Brady (HF-L goalie: 48.7% save percentage); Sidney Clickner (Livonia/Avon midfield: 35 goals, 26 draw controls); Megan Carr (Livonia/Avon attack: 32 goals, 49 draw controls); Mia Martucio (Livonia/Avon goalie: 47.9% save percentage); Stella Del Papa (Newark/Midlkaes attack/midfield: 38 goals, 62 draw controls, 21 caused turnovers); Kate Mahoney (Newark/Midlakes midfield/attack: 34 goals); Reagan Diehl (Pal-Mac attack/midfield: 47 goals); Teagan Hudak (Pal-Mac attack/midfield: 18 goals, 26 assists, 54 draw controls); Jenna Santelli (Pal-Mac attack/midfield: 31 goals); Molly Seither (Pal-Mac midfield: 24 caused turnovers, 54 ground balls).

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Class D

Contenders: There are five teams in this class and Penn Yan has made the loudest and most consistent case all season. Penn Yan has eight total Section V titles but hasn’t won a block since 2006, but a nine-game win streak to open the season set the tone.

If any team is going to challenge Penn Yan, it will be Waterloo/Marcus Whitman or Mynderse/Romulus. Penn Yan beat both during the regular season and beefed up its muscle with a strong non-league schedule.

Of interest: Penn Yan hasn’t won a Section V title since 2006 but it has lost in seven championship games since then, most recently to Pal-Mac in 2018.

Section V Class D players to watch

Colleen Ginsberg (Gananda-Marion midfield: 36 goals, 40 draw controls), 24 caused turnovers); Haley Mosch (Mynderse-Romulus attack/midfield: 43 goals, 65 draw controls); Kelly Kohberger (Mynderse-Romulus attack/midfield: 60 goals, 76 draw controls); Bailey Cooper (Penn Yan midfield: 71 goals, 54 draw controls; 18 caused turnovers); Taylor Mullins (Penn Yan midfield: 26 goals, 91 draw controls); Marion Wheeler (Penn Yan goalie: 44.2% save percentage); Corinne Barden (Penn Yan attack: 27 goals, 28 assists); Natalie DiSanto (Waterloo/Whitman midfield: 56 goals, 63 draw controls); Maci Mueller (Waterloo/Whitman midfield: 46 goals, 23 assists); Madycyn Hurdle (Waterloo/Whitman goalie: 50.5% save percentage).

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Section V girls lacrosse tournament: Seeds, contenders, top players