The Palm Beach Post’s All-County teams are here!
The Post is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for small school girls lacrosse.
Player of the Year winners will be announced at an in-person ceremony. The show is May 28 at the SoFi Center on the Palm Beach Gardens campus of Palm Beach State College. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the awards program at 6:30 p.m.
Award winners have been contacted by staff with invitations to attend the show, which is produced with support from Baptist Health Orthopedic Care.
First Team All-County Small School Girls Lacrosse
A: Giulianna Verdi, Jr., St. John Paul II Academy
One would be hard-pressed to find a player more valuable to their team than Giulianna Verdi was to St. John Paul II Academy. The junior attacker contributed 53 goals and 19 assists for the Eagles’ offense, helping her squad to a 6-9 record against a very tough schedule. She added 75 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers to her impressive stat-sheet.
A: Madison Vargas, Sr., American Heritage-Delray
Playing on a team full of Division I recruits, Madison Vargas churned out a huge portion of the offense for American Heritage-Delray girls lacrosse. With 100 points on the season, including 52 goals and 48 assists, Vargas helped the Stallions navigate a brutal national schedule en route to a 20-2 record and yet another appearance in the Class 1A state championship. Following a tremendous high school career, Vargas will attend Florida State University.
A: Bella Virtue, Jr., St. Andrew’s
Bella Virtue was the best pure attacker for St. Andrew’s, using her ability as a finisher to pace the Scots with 70 goals. Virtue added eight assists and 21 ground balls to round out her contributions, helping the Scots to a 14-6 record against a very tough schedule.
A: Jamie Woelfel, Sr., American Heritage-Delray
Jamie Woelfel paced the county’s top girls lacrosse program with 60 goals, adding 24 assist to the state-championship-bound American Heritage-Delray Stallions. The senior, a Brown commit, was integral in guiding her team to a 20-2 record against some of the nation’s best teams.
A: Lily Svirsky, Sr., American Heritage-Delray
Lily Svirsky’s name was called early and often in big games, scoring 41 goals in addition to tallying 56 assists for a 97-poiut season. The Columbia commit was constantly a threat in attack this year, helping guide the 20-2 Stallions to a 20-2 record and a trip to the state championship game.
M: Emma Switter, Jr., American Heritage-Delray
Reigning Player of the Year Emma Switter was once again impressive for American Heritage-Delray lacrosse. The North Carolina commit contributed 41 goals and 12 assists in addition to her dominance in draw control (166 on the year). Switter played crucial roles all over the field, helping the 20-2 Stallions maintain the nation’s top ranking for most of the year.
M: Ella Strong, Sr., Cardinal Newman
Ella Strong had one of the best goal-per-match marks in the state this year, scoring 102 goals on the year to lead the Crusaders offense. Cardinal Newman’s star attacker, a Stony Brook commit, added 21 assists 102 ground balls, and 50 caused turnovers to lead the Crusaders in virtually every facet of the game.
D: Olivia Meehan, Sr., St. Andrew’s
Listed as a defender to create a well-rounded all-star lineup, Olivia Meehan truly excelled wherever she was on the field. The senior contributed 37 goals and 42 assists on offense in addition to 26 ground balls in transitional play. Her 90-percent win percentage in draw control was among the best marks in the nation for 14-6 St. Andrew’s.
D: Reagan Bachman, Jr., American Heritage-Delray
Reagan Bachman was one of the top defenders for American Heritage-Delray lacrosse this season, shutting down a number of top attackers around the nation. In addition to her elite coverage, the Rhodes commit contributed 17 ground balls and caused 17 turnovers for the 20-2 Stallions on their way to the championship game.
GK: Ashley Egbert, Sr., American Heritage-Delray
Ashley Egbert was phenomenal for American Heritage-Delray this year, saving 57 percent of shots faced against a collection of the nation’s best programs. Egbert, a University of Maryland commit, made 75 saves on the year, allowing just five goals per contest on the Stallions’ road to the state championship game in Naples.
Second Team All-County
Honorable Mention
Coach of the Year
John McClain, American Heritage-Delray
It was another frustrating single-goal loss to Lake Highland Prep, but that was a mere blip on the radar after an impressive campaign from American Heritage-Delray lacrosse. McClain led the Stallions to a 20-2 record against a national schedule and spent most of the year as the top-ranked team in the nation en route to the Class 1A state championship game.
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Spring All-County: Best of small school girls lacrosse in Palm Beach
Reporting by Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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