The SCH girls' lacrosse captains for 2018 are (from left) juniors Savannah Sweitzer, Delaney Sweitzer, Riley Redpath and senior Grace Rorke. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

The girls' lacrosse program at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduated five players from last season, and as the 2018 campaign gets underway there are only two seniors on the roster. Fortunately, the Blue Devils have a solid group of younger players who all saw many varsity minutes in the 2017 season.

With 12th-grade defender Catherine Cooney temporarily out of action, Dartmouth-bound Grace Rorke was the lone senior who suited up in bone-chilling conditions for a tune-up against Owen J. Roberts High School last Tuesday.

Rorke is one of four captains for SCH this year, along with juniors Riley Redpath and Delaney and Savannah Sweitzer. The Sweitzer twins have made a verbal commitment to play for USC; up until this spring, Delaney was playing goalie for the boys' team at Springside Chestnut Hill.

As expected, all four captains started against the Wildcats last week. Junior Kianah Watson is out with an injury for the time being, but fellow 11th-grader Catie Brook was among the first group on the field while another classmate, Kylie Quinn was among the subs for SCH. Quinn was one of the goalies for the Blue Devils last spring.

Four sophomores who are already varsity veterans were among the starters on Tuesday; Dakota Carter, Maggie Pearson, Abbie Rorke (sister of Grace), and Caden Traversari. Brooke Prochniak, Ashley Lynch, and Ainsley Rexford are freshmen who joined the starting line-up against OJR, and their classmates Abby Cannon and Caroline Reitmeyer were in reserve roles.

Over spring break, the Blue Devils will remain in this area, honing their skills and also focusing on team bonding, according to second-year head coach Kasey Mock. Carly Eisenbrandt has returned for a third season as an SCH assistant coach, and former Temple University player Noelle Powell has signed on as an assistant.