Girls Lax Preview: All-Americans Lead Foxes; Quakers Coach Excited for Season

Fox Lane

For the Foxes, last year was a dream season as it ended Yorktown’s five-year run as Section 1 Class B champion, on its way to being a state finalist.

Fox Lane finished 2010 with a 19-3 overall record and 8-1 mark in its league, tying it with John Jay for the league championship.

Considering the talent the Foxes have coming back this season, they could easily make it to another state championship game.

“The girls worked extremely hard last year,” Fox Lane coach Bill Broggy said. “The girls actually have been working hard for years to improve their skills and last year it came to fruition. But I have told the girls, what we did last year has no bearing on what we will do this year. The most important thing is that we work hard in practice every day and push each other.”

Broggy’s squad is led by the All-American duo of senior Lindsay Toppe, who plays attack and junior Sammy Jo Tracy, who is at midfield.

Toppe last season scored a state record 132 goals as a junior. Toppe, who will play at Cornell University next season, has racked up 301 career goals since playing for the Foxes as a freshman.

“Lindsay is a great athlete, she has fantastic skills as a lacrosse player,” Broggy said. “She is motivated to be the best that she can be every day at practice. When players do that, they excel. She never takes a drill off, a play off. It’s an amazing thing.”

What’s also amazing is the play of Tracy, who is University of North Carolina-bound. She tallied 106 points on the strength of 75 goals and 31 assists in ’10.

Broggy feels that Tracy is the most skilled girls lacrosse player in Section 1.

“Her lacrosse skills and intelligence is off the board,” Broggy said. “She is hard to stop up the field when she has the ball. She is a genius when she plays lacrosse.”

Helping Toppe at attack are juniors, Sydney Stern, who registered 44 goals and 55 assists last year for 99 points and Lexi Cannon.

Sophomore midfielders Kate Burbank and Kailey O’Hagan, senior defenders Aly Dowey and Sophia Ohler and sophomore goalie Kendall Marianacci will also play key roles for the Foxes this spring.

Fox Lane will open its season when it travels to Mamaroneck at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5.

Horace Greeley

Quakers coach Annamarie Marasco is excited about her team going into this season.

One thing that is giving her reason to be excited is a talented group of players on attack. Three key players for the Quakers on that unit are seniors Jess Kreisler, sophomore Miranda Litwak and senior Courtney Hill, who will be playing center.

Marasco feels that they are a trio that will bring consistency in its game to the field.

Playing midfield for the Quakers is junior Issy Berkey.

“She has wonderful speed and a nose for the goal,” Marasco said.

Looking to join Berkey at midfield are freshmen Willa Rosenblum, Sadie Rutman and Olivia Statman.

Marasco will look to senior Laura Odgen and junior Jillian Green to lead the defense.

“Laura is a quiet leader on the field, she is a very consistent player,” Marasco said. “She has good stick skills for a defender.”

In goal for the Quakers will be sophomore Arianne Crummer and freshman Sydney Marks.

“Arianne played for me last year, she has experience,” Marasco said. “Sydney is a very competitive swimmer and an all-around athlete. She is not afraid of the ball.”

Horace Greeley will open the season when it takes on visiting Ossining at 4:15 p.m. Friday, April 8.

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