#5 MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY ACADEMY COUGARS

MKA won an improbable Non-Public Group B State Championship last year with a very young team and getting there was a bit of a surprise. This will give them a ton more confidence as a much more experienced team this year. They were able to score 14 goals against a very defensively sound Holy Spirit team in the final. The scoring threats they bring back have catapulted the Cougars into the Top 5. Aeryn Curry scored 58 goals and 31 assists to collect 89 points last season and was huge in the playoffs. MKA also had the highest-scoring freshman class last year amassing 108 points. Maddie Polanskyj who captured 35 ground balls and their midfield is one of the strongest in the state. Orly Sedransk is returning for her senior year and will be showing great things as a premier goaltender. Expectations are high in Montclair, and rightfully so!

#4 HOLY SPIRIT SPARTANS

Holy Spirit won 14 games last year en route to the aforementioned Group B final that MKA ended up winning. They have a large amount of offensively skilled players that come back to their lineup. The leading scorer for the Spartans, Hannah Watson, who had 134 points, will be leading their offense. Brielle Soltys also contributes heavily with her high-scoring numbers having posted 79 points. Ella Petrosh as a defender also had 29 ground balls, a figure that’ll only increase the possession of the Spartans. They also will have up to three years of goaltender depth with familiarity which solidifies the defense even further.

#3 OAK KNOLL ROYALS

The Royals went 18–4 last year in a special season, which was capped off by their eighth state championship win. They ended up winning by two goals against the best public school in the state, their arch-rivals, Summit in the Union County Tournament. Beatrice Burton scored 29 goals and had an amazing 64 draws controlled. Sophia Loschert scored 89 goals and is a player the offense will center around. The defense will be young but will rally around star goaltender Grace Smith, who will take a major step this year.

#2 UNION CATHOLIC VIKINGS

Union Catholic went 12–5 last year and were one of the better teams in Union County, but will likely be the best with all of their offense coming back. They were upset in the first round by Immaculate Heart Academy, so there will be a lot of revenge on the Vikings’ minds. Eleanor Costello had 56 points last year, but she played against some of the best defensive competition in the state as the schedule of Union Catholic is chock full of difficulty. Catherine Holt was even better with 84 goals and 19 assists and she will be coming back for her final year with the Vikings. Defensively, Union Catholic does not lose possession much, and they are going to be a nightmare to deal with, especially with both of their goaltenders coming back.

#1 PINGRY BIG BLUE

The loss in the State Championship Game to Oak Knoll, was extremely disappointing, but Pingry is coming back for vengeance in 2024. Annabelle Mahoney returns to spread the ball around and also fill the net. Her 116 points last year added a ton of offense to a team that shredded the competition. McKenna Dwyer had over 50 ground balls within an offense that is methodical and likes to set up. The Big Blue also have a crazy goaltending unit in Lolade Aromire and Sydney Shilts who can be counted on to make quick saves, allowing Pingry to get the ball up quickly. This is one of those teams that get impressively surgical when they continue to play with each other and this is the best team in the state bar none.

That’s our list! It’s been a blast bringing this to you each and every week! Moving forward, we’ll update the Top 20 regularly while bringing you the best high school girls lacrosse coverage in the state.

Watch all the games at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY2CGpvc5fMOHLOuDxy1OmA