Scouting the girls lacrosse season: Benet, Hinsdale Central hoping to catch Loyola

Hinsdale Central has been a standard setter for girls lacrosse since the beginning.

The Red Devils won the state title in 2018, and finished second in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Now they’re back and looking for more this season with what coach Matt McNiff says “is a talented team with experience.”

Top contributors this year for Hinsdale Central will be a quartet of seniors: midfielder Peyton Moncrief, who McNiff says is a “versatile player and the most motivated I have ever seen her — she could be the best player in the state of Illinois"; goalie Makenna Schultz, “who is like having a very experienced coach on the field"; midfielder Regan Kearney, “one of our fastest athletes whose stick skills are solid and her size and length provide serious threats on both sides of the ball"; and midfielder Logan O’Connor, “our draw taker and one the best the school has ever seen.”

The Red Devils, like most other schools, may be chasing Loyola again in 2025. The Ramblers have claimed the state championship three of the last four seasons.

Leading the charge for Loyola will be Grace Dwyer, Emily Couri, Ingrid Kavanagh, Finly Breen, Annie Devine and Allison Stevens, all college commits. Coach Jeff Dwyer said that his unit has put together a "very formidable" schedule this year, including some highly-regarded out of state schools.

"Our players and coaches are excited to see what the 2025 campaign brings," added the coach.

Benet was state runner-up in 2024. Redwings coach Amanda Kammes mentioned that her squad lost a lot of talent from last season over graduation, but still has a ton of talent and a strong freshman class.

Pacing the effort for Benet this year will be senior Gigi Kurelko, junior Peyton Boatwright, and sophomore Tierra Hammock.

“Vibes are high,” added Kammes, “but we still have a lot of rebuilding to do.”

Crystal Lake Central co-op is a team on the rise, one that is expected to achieve a ton of success in the current campaign.

“I’m really looking forward to watching this team compete every day,” said coach Joe Capalbo. “We’ve got a strong group of seniors who have dedicated so much time and effort this season.”

Two of those aforementioned seniors are middie Fiona Lemke and Addison Bechler, who will play on attack.

Lemke is a three time all-conference athlete who will play at Austin Peay state next year, while Bechler is twice an all-conference selection. She’s committed to play at George Mason after graduation.

“Our ultimate goal this season,” said Capalbo, “is to get to state.”

Hersey first-year coach Matt Murphy, who himself played lacrosse for 20 years and has coached previously for girls and boys, says the outlook for the Huskies in 2025 is “amazing.”

“We have tremendous leadership from our seniors,” he said. “The junior class is developing strong and our roster is further complemented by six freshmen.”

Murphy said that Kate Donovan, a junior who is also an accomplished basketball player with “amazing speed”, will lead the midfield. She’ll be ably assisted by senior captain Delaney Braden, a strong defender, and Cathy Nguyen (another captain) will be on attack.

Katie Wentling will direct the team in goal this year.

York hopes to extend its achievements from last spring, when the Dukes qualified for the Sweet 16. Coach Ryan Walz says the midfield will be the strength of his team in 2025.

“The girls are very excited for another great season,” said Walz. “They love coming to practice, (competing) in the games and they seem to be a tight group.”

Top performers for the Dukes will include four D1 recruits: Elizabeth Specht (Cincinnati), Hayden Daniel (Eastern Carolina), Bricelyn Daniel (Rider) and Morgan Navarre (San Diego State).

“Once we get into the heart of the season,” added Walz, “we’ll know exactly where we stand.”

Downers Grove North should be a force to be reckoned with this season, as will Prospect, Stevenson, Naperville North and Glenbrook South.

Other crews mentioned as up-and-comers in the upcoming battles are Lake Forest, Huntley, Palatine and Fremd, among others.

Another team that should have a big say in the final results will be Oak Park-River Forest. The Huskies will be led by senior attacker Hannah Simon, who led the state in assists last season; classmate Harper Thompson, another attacker who is explosive and can score a number of different ways; and senior Kelsey O’Brien, a complete midfielder who plays backer but is also very involved in the offensive scheme.

“We’ve scheduled some of the top teams in the state,” said Huskies coach James Borja, “to see where we measure up.

“We are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs and compete. I think that senior leadership will be our strength.”