Northwestern and Pleasant Valley are the only schools in the Times News coverage area with lacrosse programs. Although the boys and girls teams at both schools are in their infancy compared to the majority of their competition, there were plenty of bright spots a year ago that all four teams hope to build on.

Following are the 2023 previews for the teams:

BOYS LACROSSE

NORTHWESTERN

THIRD YEAR WAS THE CHARM

... In just the third year of the program, the Tigers reached the District 11 Class 2A finals last season. They finished 12-8 and pulled off an upset in the quarterfinals of districts by beating Moravian Academy 8-7 in overtime on a game winning goal by Drew Sabo. They fell to powerhouse Allentown Central Catholic in the finals. “I put our starting 10 players out there against anybody, but where teams like Central get us is with their depth. They can rotate players in and out and we aren’t able to do that as effectively because we just don’t have the numbers,” said coach Marcus Janda.

GROWING EXPECTATIONS

... After reaching the finals last season, Northwestern is ready to take the next step and win the gold rather than getting district silver medals again. The players realize that teams are going to be taking them more seriously and looking to knock them off, but the seniors have stressed to the younger players that they have to keep working hard to improve and get that next step. “It’s been awesome seeing the program grow as a team and as a community. We have higher expectations for this season, and we are looking to keep moving forward and get the gold this year,” said senior Austin Sosnovik.

KEY RETURNEES

... Sosnovik and younger brother Stone, who is a junior, will both be back on the field for the Tigers this season and ready to take on larger roles. Austin Sosnovik scored 31 goals last season, including two in the semifinal win over Moravian. Senior Cade Christopher (16 goals, 19 assists) and junior Blaine Snyder (28 goals, 9 assists) are also back. Senior Ty Meck is the key player defensively for Northwestern. Devin Hildebrand, a junior, will be taking faceoffs and will play an increased role with the team. Bailen Smargiassi returns in goal.

SCHEDULE HARD

... To be the best, you must beat the best. That is the philosophy behind the scheduling of tough teams during the regular season. The Tigers will have two games against Central Catholic (19-1) and games against other EPC powerhouses Easton (17-5), Parkland (15-5), Freedom (17-5), and Emmaus (12-7). They also face Moravian Academy (10-7) twice. “If I were them (Moravian Academy), I wouldn’t be too happy about that loss last year and I would really be looking to beat us this year,” said Janda.

PLEASANT VALLEY

LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT

... The Pleasant Valley boys lacrosse team underwent a big change after the COVID pandemic. Head coach Bob VanDerheyden was hired in the spring of 2021 and a complete revamp of the program took place. The Bears won three games last season and VanDerheyden feels like the program is getting better. “The first time against Nazareth last year, we took them into overtime and lost by a goal,” VanDerheyden said. “When we played against Easton, we were able to hold them to only two goals in the first quarter and five in the opening half. We still lost to them, but being able to hold down a team as strong as Easton in the beginning of the game was a big boost for our players. Positive signs like that are a boost to our players’ confidence.”

NUMBERS GOING UP

... Pleasant Valley’s participation in lacrosse has been increasing in the last year. The roster is at 29 players, up from 22 a year ago. The school’s youth program provides a ladder to get up to playing at the varsity level. “We have eight seniors, seven juniors, another eight or so sophomores and six freshmen that came up from the youth program,” VanDerheyden said. “It’s a good thing. We’ve been able to do some recruiting. Practices have been going well. Attendance is a little bit more than it was last year. We have a lot of athletes on our team that are multi-sport athletes. We have some kids from football, basketball, wrestling and soccer. I think it’s a good sign for our program that we’re getting some of the better athletes in the school to play lacrosse.”

TOUGH COMPETITION

... Pleasant Valley’s schedule features many Lehigh Valley teams - including perennial powers like Freedom, Easton. and Nazareth. Despite the tough competition the Bears face in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, VanDerheyden was pleased with how his Bears kept the games much closer than the year before. “The one thing I was pretty happy about last year that most of the teams that we played against from the previous year, we scored more goals on them and held them to less,” VanDerheyden said. “Even though we may not have won a significant amount of games, we definitely improved our competition level against the other teams we were playing in the Lehigh Valley.”

RECORDS AND SKILL SETS

... Among the key returnees is senior Gavin Bauman, who played football in the fall. Bauman tied for the team lead with 32 goals last season. Senior goalie Ben Tomaszewski holds the school record for most saves in a season and in a career.

STARTING OFF THE SEASON

... The 2023 schedule is loaded for the Bears. In the first two weeks, PV has six games. All four of their games against District 11 opponents during that stretch will be from the Lehigh Valley. The early-season stretch also includes a home game against Abington Heights. “Our season starts off against some of the top teams of the EPC league, so it comes at us really hard in the beginning,” VanDerheyden said. “It can make it challenging for a program that’s developing.”

GIRLS LACROSSE

NORTHWESTERN

LESSONS LEARNED

... Bridget Cerciello made it through her first season as the coach of the fledgling lacrosse program at Northwestern last season and is bringing some of what she learned from the experience into the 2023 season. “It was a learning experience. I had a great time with the girls, and I learned a lot about what to expect from them. This year I am looking to be a little more intense and look for more out of the girls. Last year I was a little laxs with the girls at times and this season I need to push for more” said the former St. Joe’s Hawks player.

GRADUATION HURTS OFFENSE

... Two of the key components of the Tigers offense graduated, leaving some holes to fill. Sarah and Emilee Schultz were offensive leaders for Northwestern and this season, those roles fall squarely on the shoulders on seniors Ava Collins and Lexi Vennera, who are ready to show their stuff. “Ava (Collins) is back, and she is a strong attacker, plus we have a strong chemistry that is even better than last year, and we are learning how to work with each other. I think we will see the offense improving as the season goes on,” said Vennera.

KEYS TO VICTORY

... One of the keys for Northwestern coming into the season really does not have much to do with who is playing and where. Instead, it has to do with the approach that the players take to the game and how they respond to each other. “I think that we all just need to increase the heart and hustle and we need to have a better team atmosphere and work together better,” said senior Claire Costa.

YOUNG FACES

... Between varsity and JV, the roster has 17 freshmen players, and they have made an impact on both Cerciello and the senior players. “Our younger girls are starting to have a large impact on our team. They bring a lot of new energy and new ways to work because lacrosse might not be their number-one sport, but they put their all into practice and still have a smile,” said Ava Collins. The roster also has five seniors – Costa, Collins, Vennera, Daniella Lister and goalie Gabby Gober.

PLEASANT VALLEY

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN ...

Head coach Toni Bush returns to the Pleasant Valley sidelines to coach the girls lacrosse team for the 2023 season. This season begins with two home games before the Bears travel to Easton for the first road game of the season. PV claimed the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference title last season and the Bears are starting to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the EPC.

MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES

... Pleasant Valley faced Emmaus in the District 11 3A championship game last season and fell 11-6 to the Hornets. However, PV defeated Emmaus for the EPC championship and the Bears went 2-1 against the Hornets last season. “I was really proud of our team,” head coach Toni Bush said. “Playing Emmaus and beating them twice is a great accomplishment for our prigram.” Pleasant Valley has come a long way the last few years and have a lot of talented returnees toi build around this season.

KEY RETURNERS ...

Sophomore Devon Bush had a big year during her freshman campaign last season. Abygail Borger, Olivia Iandoli and Briana Palmieri also all return for their sophomore season. Seniors Keylee Dugey and Madison Fava lead the way with varsity experience.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SEASON ....

Coming off a strong 2022 season that saw them capture an EPC championship and and finish second in districts, how much success can the the Bears have this season. . Can PV be one of the top teams in the EPC on a yearly basis? “We want to go as far as we can this season,” said coach Bush. “We’ll still be a strong presence in the EPC. You have to take it game by game. The girls have lofty goals. Of course they want to be back on top. One thing we’ve learned is something that happens very early in the season can have an impact on the end of the season. I just want to have a team that works well together, rely on each other and give it 100 percent on the field.”