The Northwestern boys and Pleasant Valley girls lacrosse team’s will be looking to continue their success from a year ago when both played for District 11 championships.

NORTHWESTERN GIRLS

NEW BOSS

… Bridget Cerciello spent two seasons at the helm of the fledgling Northwestern Lehigh girls’ lacrosse program before exiting during the offseason. Fortunately, athletic director Jason Zimmerman didn’t have to look too far to find a replacement. Jess Bahnick, who played at King’s College and was an assistant under Cerciello, will take over the team this season. “I’m really excited about the opportunity, and am looking to build trust with the girls, and I hope to be here a long time to give some continuity to the program,” said Bahnick. The program started in 2019, but missed a season because of COVID. Now in their fifth season, Bahnick is the third coach in the team’s history.

LOOKING BACK

… The 2023 season was a breakout year for the Tigers, as they went from a 3-15 record the season before to 11-8 and making their second trip to districts. Northwestern was the No. 2 seed in districts and fell to No. 3 seed Moravian Academy in a tough 12-11 semifinal game. The two top leading scorers from last season, Alex Vennera (58 goals/17 assists) and Ava Collins (54 goals/14 assists) graduated, as did Claire Costa (20 goals/five assists). Goalie Gabby Gober, who was credited with 46 saves last season, has also graduated.

THE PRESENT SITUATION

… The question remains how the Tigers can replace the 112 goals that Vennera and Collins scored last season. Bahnick will need to rely on more production out of Olivia Costa, who tallied 35 goals last season, and added production from Sydney Wright out of the attacker position. The midfield has juniors Costa, Cara Thomas, and Olivia Spats all returning. “I’m happy with how the team has looked so far,” said Bahnick. “The girls are working hard for us, and we are seeing the more experienced players help bring along the younger girls.”

D-FENCE

… Emma Yanders steps into the full-time goalie position for her senior season after finding some time on the field with Northwestern last season and making 32 saves. The defense in front of Yanders will be solid with seniors Jillian George and Jayden Gillette anchoring the group, and sophomore Haley Kerschner returning after a strong season as a freshman starter.

ON THE JOB TRAINING

… With lacrosse still being relatively new at Northwestern, there are new student athletes taking up the sport every year. This year’s team has 13 freshmen players and 12 sophomores on the roster meaning that there is a lot of teaching taking place, something that Bahnick enjoys. “I really enjoy the teaching aspect of the job, and it’s exciting because there are so many girls that are taking up the sport - and many of them play other sports,” said Bahnick.

NORTHWESTERN BOYS

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY?

... A season ago the Tigers not only reached districts for the second time in the program’s history, but wound up beating Allentown Central Catholic 8-6 in the finals. “Don’t get me wrong, last year was incredible and we accomplished what we set out to achieve,” said coach Marcus Janda. “But when we rolled out here in the beginning of March, last season was over, and the 2024 squad hasn’t accomplished anything yet.”

STOP A SHOT

… Goalie Bailen Smargiassi returns for his senior season in 2024 after setting a team record with 215 saves last season. When he makes his first save of 2024, Smargiassi will reach the 400-save plateau for his career.

NEXT MAN UP

… Northwestern lost key players from last year’s team, but still has a lot of experience to draw from with seven seniors on this year’s roster. In addition to Smargiassi, the Tigers have midfielder Devon Hildebrand, along with attackers Stone Sosnovik and Blaine Snyder. The task at hand is to replace the 66 combined goals by Cade Christopher and Austin Sosnovik from last season. “In high school athletics, it’s a dynamic that you are going to lose guys and have other guys stepping up every year. We’ll miss the athleticism of Cade Christopher and the leadership of Austin Sosnovik, Cody Hallock, Ty Meck, and guys like that and you don’t replace them, you just look for other guys to step up.”

LEARNING TO WIN

… With the program entering its fifth season, a lot of Northwestern students have taken to playing lacrosse and learning from scratch. Some play other sports – primarily football – and have had to learn how to win at lacrosse. Last season helped in that process, with the Tigers winning districts and then going on to win a game in states before exiting in the quarterfinals. “The thing that stands out most to me with a young program is learning how to win tight games. A couple years ago against a quality opponent, I don’t know if we could have killed off six-plus minutes to hold on and look like the mature program that we looked like in that game,” said Janda looking back on last year’s championship.

THE EARLY SCHEDULE

… After opening against North Penn, the Tigers have six straight EPC teams on their schedule including home games against Bethlehem Catholic, Pleasant Valley, and Emmaus. The stretch also includes a rematch of last year’s district final when Northwestern plays Central Catholic at the Salisbury High School stadium on April 3.

PLEASANT VY. BOYS

LOOKING FOR MORE IN ‘24

... Pleasant Valley head coach John Smith takes over the boys lacrosse program and is excited about the opportunities the Bears have in his first year. Smith was hired last fall to head the program, “We’re anxious to see how we do this year,” Smith said. “Numbers are high. We’re trying to do some different things around here. The offseason has been very busy, but now we’re ready for the challenges the season provides.”

GETTING READY

... To help prepare for the season, the Bears had a scrimmage against Abington Heights. Smith said the team’s performance in the scrimmage and in its preseason practices, combined with the strong turnout of players, has him excited about the upcoming season.

LAST YEAR

... Pleasant Valley finished the 2023 season at 8-10 overall and 2-8 in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference play. The Bears lost a couple of key players in Gavin Bauman and Ben Tomaszewski to graduation, but the majority of the team returns this season.

MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES

... The Pleasant Valley boys lacrosse team features a few multi-sport athletes competing this season. Alex Ecker, Deyton Ayers, Tyler Berger, Joseph Brustein and Aaron Haden all played football during the fall for the Bears, and will now turn their attention to lacrosse.

VETERAN MIDS

... The Bears have six seniors, with four of the six playing midfield, giving them a veteran presence at the position.

PLEASANT VY. GIRLS

ANOTHER YEAR

... Toni Bush - the only head coach the program has known since its inception - is back to lead the Lady Bears. “I always say this, so it might sound like a broken record, but success starts from the ground up,” Bush said. “We have a really strong relationship with our youth program. We’re like one family here at Pleasant Valley. We work very closely with them, and that relationship has really paved the way for the success the program has enjoyed.”

HAVING SUCCESS

... Bush’s teams have annually gone deep into the district playoffs during her tenure as coach. That success has gone to a new level the last few years - and Bush doesn’t expect that to change this season. “These girls have been working since October, and we have high attendance of players in the offseason,” Bush said. “The buy-in is there, and the leadership is there. Our girls want to continue the past success we’ve had and build on it. The passion they have for the program, and for continuing the program’s success, is a core principle in us.”

RETURNERS

... Devon Bush and Riley Rath return to lead the team after having highly successful campaigns a year ago. Bush was the leading scorer for the Lady Bears and the 2023 Times News Lacrosse Player of the Year. Olivia Iandoli is a key returnee on defense, while Riley Green can be used all over the field because of her versatility. Abygail Borger will be in the net for the Bears, who lost just two seniors to graduation.

A TEAM SPORT

... Head coach Bush acknowledged that Rath and her daughter Devon get a lot of the attention because of their offensive talents, but she stressed that the Bears’ team success has come about because of their balance and depth up and down the lineup.. “It’s the whole team,” Bush explained. “Riley and Devon can’t do what they do without their teammates. Everybody has a role. We have a vast majority of our roster back this season, and they’re all key returners. Now it’s just a matter of adding in the new players and creating the chemistry that our recent teams have had.”