There’s no question about it: This is the year for the Hopewell Valley boys lacrosse program to make some serious noise in the state tournament. The Bulldogs are the early favorite in the Colonial Division and the entire CVC after bringing back essentially their whole team that finished 18-3 last season and won the final Mercer County Tournament. Luke Caldwell, the reigning CVC Player of the Year and a Washington and Lee commit, has 295 career points and is on pace to become the first boy in county history to reach 400. With talent and chemistry across the board, Hopewell is embracing a tougher schedule. Late in the spring the Bulldogs will face a pair of reigning sectional finalists in Cherokee and West Morris, and then they will aim to become the first CVC team to ever advance to a sectional final. “We expect to be able to compete with the top teams in the CVC,” coach Matt Foret said. “We return an experienced group of players that had a successful season last year and captured the MCT title. We need to continue to work really hard in practice to improve as a team. If we do that and stay healthy, we should be able to compete with the best teams in the league.” The CVC’s other top teams project to be Notre Dame, Allentown and Princeton. The Irish are loaded in the midfield and with college commits like returning top scorer Emanuel Jastrzebski (Rutgers). They should be even better under second-year head coach Bryan Rice after going 12-5 last spring, and they will challenge themselves in the first week of the season with home games against St. Augustine and Manasquan. “The Irish are excited for the challenge and hope the experience gained will benefit them come time for the CVC (Tournament) and state tournament,” Rice said. Allentown went 9-9 last year but graduated very few seniors and are experienced at every unit with lethal play-makers like Sean McCaffery (Quinnipiac commit) and Brian McCaffery (Virginia commit). “Our strengths are players with veteran experience on defense and drive on offense,” coach Alex Finan said. “Our keys to success will be to work hard, learn from mistakes, and stay together as a family.” Allentown’s Sean McCaffery, a Quinnipiac commit, scored 73 points last season. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Princeton should roll out another electric offense led by Brendan Beatty (Vermont commit) and Braden Barlag while grooming a young defense. Princeton Day School, meanwhile, aims to bounce back from a 7-12 campaign with a new head coach. Sam Kosoff, a 1988 Lawrenceville graduate who then played at Hamilton College, has coaching experience with the Big Red and in Maryland. In the Valley Division, reigning champion Robbinsville has to rebuild a bit, especially on offense after graduating 14 seniors. “Season expectations are the same: Win the division, compete for our first CVC championship and make a run at the state title,” coach John Demkovitz said. “Team strength is our defense with senior leadership and another strong goalkeeper, Dan Savoca, in net.” Hightstown will also be a contender with a more experienced team than last year. “With a mix of experienced returners and promising newcomers, we are confident in our ability to continue growing the program,” coach Ed Larkin said. “Our returning players bring leadership, dedication, and valuable experience, while our new additions are poised to integrate seamlessly and contribute to our success.” WW-P North is excited to unveil some fresh talent under the CVC’s longest-tenured coach, Chris Petrone, who enters his 11th season. “We have a young group of players who are ready and raring to make a name for themselves and for the program,” Petrone said. “We hope to continue to grow and stay competitive in the CVC and area. We are going after the Valley Division. We are excited that our season starts with a crosstown rivalry game to bring energy to this young group from the start.” WW-P South features a new head coach in Dylan Ritchkoff, who played at Hamilton West and graduated in 2017. “Combining great leadership with guys that buy in, I think we can upset a few big names throughout the course of the year,” Ritchkoff said. “I plan to be competitive in the state tournament and show that our guys can run with any team. I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to showcase what West Windsor-Plainsboro South has to offer.” In the Patriot Division, Steinert has a young team but with the potential to grow and repeat as champion under coach Bob Ziegler. Nottingham is operating as its own program after spending four seasons as a co-op with Hamilton West. “We are looking to build a winning culture both on and off the field,” second-year head coach Scott Dunscomb said. “We have a mix of returning players who we have high expectations for, as well as new players who we are excited to develop. Our goals for the season include ending the year with a winning record, making the state playoff tournament, and having multiple players selected to the All-CVC team.” Ewing now has 30 players in its program, so the Blue Devils look to grow within a competitive schedule. “The Ewing boys lacrosse program is hoping to bring competitive games to our division games this season,” second-year head coach Trevor Hahn said. “The key to our success is team culture. We are a young team, and we instill core values in our players regarding hard work and ownership both on and off the field.” Hamilton West and Lawrence both will be competing strictly on the JV level this season because of inexperience and low roster numbers. With Trenton not playing lacrosse, that currently leaves the CVC with 12 varsity teams. A few schools began their season Thursday, but the bulk of the action begins next Tuesday. The first CVC Tournament (the MCT is no more) is set to be held from May 8-15, followed by the state tournament from May 28 until mid-June. Below is a closer look at each individual team. ALLENTOWN Coach: Alex Finan (fourth season) Last Year: 9-9 overall, Mercer County Tournament quarterfinalist, NJSIAA South Jersey Group II quarterfinalist Players to Watch: senior attackman Sean McCaffery, senior defenseman Ryan Pellegrino, senior defenseman Lorenzo Wagner, junior midfielder Brian McCaffery, junior attackman Grant Henkin Outlook: The Redbirds are loaded with experience as they graduated only two of their 12 goal scorers from last season. Brian McCaffery is a top faceoff player who is already committed to Virginia, while Henkin already has 83 points going into his junior year. Sean McCaffery scored 73 points last year and is committed to Quinnipiac. Pellegrino is back to anchor the defense after missing most of last spring with an injury. This team is a threat to make deep tournament runs. EWING Coach: Trevor Hahn (second season) Last Year: 2-15 overall Players to Watch: senior attackman Dantae Brewster, junior faceoff specialist Gavyn Vazquez, junior long-stick midfielder Chris Jones Outlook: The Blue Devils have 30 players in the program compared to 18 last year, so there is optimism for more success within a reasonable schedule. Hahn is instilling hard work and accountability at the forefront of his culture. Brewster is a two-time captain who scored 15 goals last season before going down with an injury, and he’ll be Ewing’s top offensive threat with college lacrosse aspirations. Jones is also a two-time captain and brings leadership to the midfield and the defense. Vazquez is a solid faceoff man who won 74 percent last year and will help lead the offense. NOTTINGHAM Coach: Scott Dunscomb (second season) Last Year: 4-8 overall Players to Watch: sophomore midfielder August Cassidy, sophomore goalie Chris De Leon, junior long-stick midfielder/defenseman Dante Vazquez, junior defenseman Gabriel Negron, senior defenseman Jackson Hughes Outlook: The Northstars have solid roster numbers now, so they have their own team again after spending the last four seasons as a co-op with Hamilton West. They have a nice mix of returning players and newcomers with promise to grow their culture. Cassidy led the team with 29 goals as a freshman, while De Leon had 185 saves. Nottingham’s mission is to post a winning record for the first time in 12 years and qualify for the state tournament, and that appears to be possible with a manageable schedule. HIGHTSTOWN Coach: Ed Larkin (fifth season) Last Year: 6-15 overall, NJSIAA South Jersey Group III first round Players to Watch: senior midfielder Trevor McCarthy, senior midfielder Matt Ramos, junior attackman Eric Wiley, senior long-stick midfielder Chris Peto Outlook: After starting to rebuild with young talent last year, the Rams are ready to take a jump while returning 40-plus goal scorers in McCarthy and Wiley. This team is focused on fostering a strong and cohesive team dynamic with a mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers. Hightstown should be a contender to win the Valley Division and compete well in the CVC and NJSIAA tournaments. HOPEWELL VALLEY Coach: Matt Foret (seventh season) Last Year: 18-3 overall, Mercer County Tournament champion, NJSIAA South Jersey Group II semifinalist Players to Watch: senior attackman Luke Caldwell, senior attackman Ryan Foret, senior midfielder John Ellis, senior defenseman Milan Desai, senior faceoff specialist Dylan Yasher, senior goalie Owen Shehab Outlook: This has the potential to be the best season in Bulldogs history. They are loaded with seniors who are coming off an MCT title and have been playing together since elementary school. Caldwell, Foret and Ellis have combined for 559 points already. Desai anchors the defense as a three-sport athlete, Yasher is experienced on face-offs, and Shehab established himself as a top goalie last year. Hopewell is a strong contender for the CVC title and has a chance to become the league’s first team to reach a sectional final if it stays healthy. NOTRE DAME Coach: Bryan Rice (second season) Last Year: 12-5 overall, Mercer County Tournament quarterfinalist, NJSIAA Non-Public A first round Players to Watch: senior midfielder Liam Donovan, junior attackman Merritt Long, junior attackman Roman Klish, junior attackman Emanuel Jastrzebski, senior defenseman Darin Urstadt, junior long-stick midfielder Eli Coffman Outlook: The Irish will be among the area’s premier teams as they return eight of 10 starters including the entire offense. Jastrzebski (Rutgers commit), Long (Army commit) and Klish have developed remarkable chemistry (141 combined points last year) to put pressure on defenses. Notre Dame is also deep at midfield and features a handful of two-way threats. Urstadt is a captain and leads a seasoned group. With a challenging out-of-conference schedule, the Irish should be battle-tested for the postseason with big potential. PRINCETON HIGH Coach: Chip Casto (eighth season) Last Year: 11-8 overall, Mercer County Tournament runner-up, NJSIAA North Jersey Group III first round Players to Watch: senior midfielder Brendan Beatty, senior attackman Braden Barlag, junior midfielder Declan Hughes, junior midfielder Carmine Carusone, senior defenseman Jack Crotty Outlook: The Tigers should be potent offensively with Beatty and Barlag leading the charge (162 combined points last year), which puts them in the mix to be among the CVC’s top teams. There are question marks on defense, especially with three different goalies vying for playing time. But expect Princeton to be a major threat come postseason time with the most veteran coaching staff in the league leading the program’s development. PRINCETON DAY Coach: Sam Kosoff (first season) Last Year: 7-12 overall, Mercer County Invitational runner-up, NJSIAA Non-Public B first round Players to Watch: senior midfielder/attackman Hart Liu Nowakoski, senior faceoff specialist Asher Lewis, junior goalie Jake Harrison, senior defenseman Griffin Carmody, senior defenseman Reilly Gilligan, junior midfielder Ethan Mack, junior midfielder Nick Stivala, sophomore midfielder Krystian Rzeczycki, sophomore midfielder Tucker Seamans Outlook: The Panthers are coming off an uncharacteristically down season, and the hope is that new leadership will steer them forward. This team is rock solid with midfield depth and at goalie with a third-year starter in Harrison. With several seniors and youthful additions, PDS should be an improved unit. ROBBINSVILLE Coach: John Demkovitz (seventh season) Last Year: 12-6 overall, Mercer County Tournament quarterfinalist, NJSIAA South Jersey Group II quarterfinalist Players to Watch: junior midfielder Liam Butler, junior midfielder/attackman Alex Giordano, senior defenseman Liam Astemborski, senior defenseman Kenny Sikorski, senior defenseman Jake Hanuscin Outlook: The Ravens look to reload after graduating a decorated 14-man senior class. There will be some familiar last names on the field because of younger brothers on the team who are stepping up. Butler is the only returning starter on offense, but the Salisbury commit is poised to have a breakout year alongside Giordano, who missed last season with an injury. Look for this young team to learn and improve as the spring goes on, with the potential to finish atop the Valley Division. STEINERT Coach: Bob Ziegler (eighth season) Last Year: 6-11 overall Players to Watch: senior attackman Dylan Andrewsky, senior midfielder Matt Iraca, junior attackman Tanner Sweeney, senior defenseman Zack Seiler, junior goalie Colin Doan Outlook: The Spartans expect to struggle to score with a young team that lost Zach Meseroll, who had 91 points last year, to PDS. But there should be enough in the tank to win the Patriot Division again. Andrewsky led the team in goals last year with 53. Iraca is a fourth-year player, and Steinert is counting on Doan to step up in the cage and play well. WW-P NORTH Coach: Chris Petrone (11th season) Last Year: 7-11 overall, Mercer County Invitational semifinalist, NJSIAA South Jersey Group III quarterfinalist Players to Watch: senior attackman Ryan Perez, senior midfielder Will Bashore, freshman defenseman Sam Chung, freshman goalie Andy Wong Outlook: The Knights bring back two of their top-three scorers from last year in Perez and Bashore (58 points combined). The defense is younger but has potential, with Chung stepping into a big role right away following in the footsteps of his older brother, Sol, who graduated last spring with 560 saves in four seasons. North will likely be a middle-of-the-pack team in the CVC. WW-P SOUTH Coach: Dylan Ritchkoff (first season) Last Year: 8-14 overall, Mercer County Invitational semifinalist, NJSIAA South Jersey Group III first round Players to Watch: senior midfielder Alec Siegel, senior goalie Camryn McCreary, junior defenseman Aaryan Dhruv, sophomore attackman/midfielder Rohan Vellanki, sophomore midfielder Louis Barrandon Outlook: This is a relatively experienced Pirates team as Siegal totaled 84 points and McCreary recorded 164 saves last year. Vellanki and Barrandon also showed promise as freshmen with 85 combined points. Ritchkoff plans on his first season being a highly competitive one with a few upset wins thanks to South’s leadership and buy-in. Don’t count out this team in the Valley Division. ...read more read less