After battling through the NHIAA tournaments, New Hampshire’s best lacrosse players will come together today to face Vermont in the Twin State All-Star games at Hanover High School.
The top boys and girls from Divisions I, II and III were announced earlier this month. Capital area players from across all three divisions were selected. The girls will play at 12:30 p.m., followed by the boys at 3 p.m. This year marks the 25th consecutive game for the boys and 22nd for the girls.
For many of these players, it will be their last game before becoming college students. That reality began to set in for Taylor Darrell of Bow, who will play lacrosse at Division I Delaware next year.
“It’s kind of weird that this is the last time I won’t be playing in college,” Darrell said. “I guess this is the last hurrah with all the girls in my grade.”
Darrell led the Falcons to a 13-3 regular-season record and reached the semifinals, where they faced eventual D-III champion Kearsarge. Maicy Hansen, a Kearsarge midfielder who will attend the University of Minnesota, was also named to the Twin State team. Darrell was a First-Team All-State selection and Hansen made the second team.
“Playing for New Hampshire, it’s a pretty big honor,” said Darrell, the Monitor’s girls’ lacrosse player of the season. “A lot of great players from all three divisions are on this team. And it gives you a look at the competition you normally don’t see.”
Glenn Dion, now a graduate of Pembroke Academy, used the same word as Darrell when describing his thoughts on being selected to the boys’ team as an attackman.
“I think it’s a real honor,” Dion said. “It’s really nice that starting to play in second grade and all that work with summer teams to camps and traveling for tournaments was worth it. I’m honored to help represent New Hampshire and play on this team with these players.”
Dion, the Monitor’s male athlete of the spring from Pembroke, will play lacrosse next season at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.
Joe Cullinan will be the lone representative of the D-III champion Hopkinton Hawks, who completed a perfect 17-0 season with a win over Keasarge in the title game. Cullinan was named the Monitor’s male athlete of the season from Hopkinton.
Kearsarge midfielder Justin Norris was also selected.
Joining Cullinan, Norris and Dion on the boys’ team are Cameron Bourque (John Stark, defense), Chaz Hacking (Belmont, attack) and Alex Marceau (Concord, defense).
On the New Hampshire girls’ team, Hansen and Darrell will play alongside Anna Carroll (Bishop Brady, defense), Abby Crowell (Laconia, midfield), Lyndsey Paronto (Laconia, goalie), Teegan Stevens (Laconia, attack), Mackenzie Nase (John Stark, midfield) and Kaitlyn Vanbennekum (Gilford, defense).
Carroll, Vanbennekum, Crowell, Paronto and Stevens earned First-Team All-State honors. Nase earned a spot on the second team.
Chris Seibel of Hanover High School will serve as head coach for the New Hampshire girls. Mike Couture of Pelham High will coach the boys, along with CJ Perez of Manchester Central serving as an assistant coach.
Tickets are free for both games. New Hampshire swept the games last summer with the boys beating Vermont, 24-19, and the girls earning a 24-9 win.
(Nick Stoico can be reached at 369-3339, nstoico@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)