The girls' lacrosse team at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy has a new look this spring, for a variety of reasons. In 2024, SCH placed fourth within the Inter-Ac League, with a 3-7 record.

The Blue Devils graduated eight seniors from that 2024 squad, including three who have gone on to play at the Division I level in college. Alex Reilly is now playing at the University of Virginia, Madison Freeman is part of the program at Villanova University, and Cortney Neverosky is on the team at the U.S. Naval Academy (Germantown Academy's Maggie Borek is also a first-year in Annapolis).

In addition, SCH head coach Noelle Powell has moved on after a five-year tenure. The position has been filled by Emilee Ehret Mahon, who has been the mentor of the Blue Devils' field hockey team since 2019. Mahon was a very successful lacrosse player at Mount St. Joseph Academy but decided to focus on field hockey at Penn State.

Named co-coach along with Mahon is recent college graduate Belle Mastropietro. She recently wrapped up her NCAA Division I college career with Temple University after playing for a strong high school program at Springfield, Delaware County. A midfielder, Mastropietro led the Temple Owls in a number of statistical categories (including all-time draw-control leader) and was named Temple's 2024 Female Athletic Performer of the Year.

Returning the Blue Devils to prominence won't be a short-term project. In addition to the graduation losses, the team has seen last year's starting goalie, who was a sophomore, transfer to another school. The only experienced goaltender on the current roster, freshman Hallie Lima, has been sidelined by injury. A field player, senior Jenna Seidman, has bravely volunteered to step into the cage for the Blue Devils.

Last Tuesday, Springside Chestnut Hill launched the 2025 Inter-Ac season with a road trip to Agnes Irwin School, the defending league co-champion along with Episcopal Academy. The Owls came into the match with a record of 4-1 in non-league play, while Springside was 0-2.

Irwin never trailed after opening the scoring 37 seconds into the game with a shot from just off the right side of the crease by sophomore Kelsey Young. Young, who would deposit a game-high five goals, is the daughter of Germantown Academy graduate Julie (Shaner) Young, who played lacrosse and soccer at Princeton and later was head coach at Villanova University.

Later in the first minute, Irwin went up 2-0 on a strike by senior Rowan Lawrence. Lawrence, who is headed for the University of Denver, is one of six Agnes Irwin seniors who'll be going on to play collegiate lacrosse at the Division I level.

The Owls would take a 5-0 lead before SCH got on the scoreboard with 5:18 remaining in the opening quarter with a free position goal by junior Lily Spaeth.

The first quarter ended with the hosts ahead 9-1, and the clock began to move quickly once the score reached the mercy-rule threshold with an 11-1 tally three minutes into the second period. The first half ended at 15-1.

Spaeth would account for the other two Blue Devil goals as well, although senior Haley Hamsher (who transferred to SCH last year) was active on offense with a team-leading six shots. Freshman Devon Donato, already an SCH starter as an eighth-grader last season, took most of the center draws for the visitors. Junior Brae Powell also stepped into the center circle several times.

In addition to Donato, Hamsher, Powell, Seidman and Spaeth, the starters for Springside Chestnut Hill in the Inter-Ac debut were senior Taylor Foley, junior Madigan Wallach, sophomores Amelia Clements, Maris Herghelegiu, Abigail Torday and Bailey Walder, and freshman Riley Zlotkin. Hamsher will go on to play lacrosse at Flagler College in Florida, while Foley will play field hockey at Gettysburg College.

Seidman, who also played tennis for SCH, ended Tuesday's game with eight saves in the Blue Devils' goalcage. The Agnes Irwin starter, Rowan Pauzano, made two saves for the Owls, and then Chelsea Kim, who came in off the bench, recorded four stops.

In addition to Young, the multiple goal scorers for the victors were Lawrence, with a hat trick, and senior Mairyn Dwyer (who has signed with the University of North Carolina), and junior Margo Chisholm, each with two goals. Chisholm's senior sister, Caroline, posted a game-high nine draw controls. The elder Chisholm will be playing both lacrosse and field hockey for Boston College.