Update after press time: North Reading defeats Shawsheen Tech 7-4 (March 28)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — Last season, the North Reading High girls’ lacrosse team qualified for the MIAA Division 4 state tournament as they lost at Lynnfield, 16-12, in the opening round.
With that loss, the Hornets finished at 6-14. In the Cape Ann League, they went 3-10 as they finished tied for 3rd place with Essex Tech in the CAL Baker Division.
Two seniors, Kaitlyn Supple (goalie) and Grace Terranova (attacker) graduated.
With 15 players back from last year’s roster, the Hornets will be one of the most experienced teams in the league.
“I am really excited about having all of these returning players,” said Hornets 7th-year head coach Matt Costello.
This year’s senior captains are Alexa Pepper (defenseman), Madison Hopfer (defenseman), and second-year captain, Lindsey Rosenthal (midfielder).
Jill Ball, an attacker, is the other senior back.
Addison Hajj (midfielder), Alaina Driscoll (attacker), Makenzie Murphy (midfielder), Mikaela O’Driscoll (attacker-midfielder), Maya Menis (attacker), Sara Suny (defenseman) and Sophia El-Sheikh (attacker) are the juniors back.
Rosenthal, Driscoll and Hajj were CAL Second-Team All-Stars last season.
The sophomores back are Willow Reyen (midfielder- defenseman), Eva Cannalonga (midfielder- attacker) and the Keller twins, Avery and Brook who are both defensemen.
The new goalie this season that will start is sophomore Cara Ward. Last year, Ward was on the Hornets’ junior varsity team.
North Reading will play an 18-game regular season with 13 league games and five non-league ones.
Shawsheen Tech, Martha’s Vineyard, Arlington Catholic, Gloucester and Boston Latin will be the non-league opponents.
Costello feels that Newburyport, who won the league title last year, will be the team to beat again this spring.
The Hornets played several opponents at the North Andover Play Day this past Sunday. They had their only other scrimmage on Tuesday at Swampscott.
The season opener is on March 28 as they go to Billerica to take on host Shawsheen Tech at 4 p.m.
North Reading then hosts Newburyport in the league opener on April 2 with that game staring at 4:15 p.m.