14 surprise standout players for Seacoast high school girls lacrosse. Who's on the list?

Familiar names have thrived this spring as the girls lacrosse teams across the Seacoast have completed the first half of the season with their eyes on finishing strong and qualifying for post-season play.

Every team’s success relies on more than just one or two players, and sometimes it is a surprise player who can push a team from being a playoff contender to a championship contender, or a fringe playoff team to a team that can win playoff games.

Across the Seacoast players have stepped into different roles, filled the void of injured teammates, or simply exceeded expectations. We take a look at 14 players who are having stellar seasons perhaps even greater than what was expected from them at the beginning of the year.

Ten schools are represented on the list which includes five freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and three seniors.

Let's take a look at the surprise standout girls lacrosse players:

Keira Alessi, Traip Academy, junior, midfield

Traip is off to its best start in program history , and Alessi has been a major factor, according to coach Jody Donohue.

“(Alessi’s) stellar performances have surpassed all expectations,” Donohue said. “With her exceptional skills in dominating the draw and effortlessly maneuvering towards the goal, Keira has become a standout player.”

Donohue said Alessi’s abilities have been “a game changer” for Traip this season. In Traip's lone loss of the season, a 9-8 setback to Class A Sanford, Alessi had five goals, one assist, four groundballs and five draw controls.

“Time and time again, she has displayed an uncanny ability to anticipate her opponent's movements, consistently coming out on top and providing her team with crucial possession opportunities,” Donohue said. “Keira’s impact goes far beyond her abilities in the draw circle. Her skillful navigation toward the goal has left defenders scrambling to keep up, as she effortlessly weaves through opposition lines with grace and precision.”

More: Traip Academy girls lacrosse team off to historical start to season

Rachel Baughman, Spaulding High School, freshman, midfield

Draw control is such an important component to success that it's not often a freshman is asked to carry that load.  For Baughman, however, the role came naturally – and quickly – according to Spaulding first-year coach Scott Blake.

“Rachel has been our best draw control player, winning 46.5 percent (of her draws),” Blake said. “Her athleticism and strength has shown since day one.”

Baughman has eight goals and one assist for the Red Raiders so far, a strong contribution for a first-year player. She also leads the team in steals, averaging one a game. Blake said Baughman continues to improve every week.

“Rachel has excellent stick control and plays both the offensive and defensive sides very well,” Blake said.

Sage Bussiere, Portsmouth High School, sophomore, goalie

After starting for Portsmouth as a freshman, Bussiere returned with more experience, more confidence and even greater strength in net this year.

Portsmouth coach Jojo Curro said although Bussiere was expected to play an important role this season, she has surpassed even Curro's high expectations.

“Sage has had an exceptional season,” Curro said. “She has shown remarkable improvement this season, displaying more explosiveness in the net and better communication with her teammates. She serves as the backbone of our defense.”

Bussiere has held opponents to single-digits in all but two games this season, and has 37 saves through nine games. She reached the 100-save milestone in Portsmouth's home-opener, an 11-9 win over Pinkerton.

“Sage has had some standout performances this season, but our game against Bedford (a 10-7 win), where she made 10 saves, stands out the most," Curro said.

Cary Drake, York High School, senior, midfield

Drake has been a jack-of-all-trades for York so far this season, making plays on offense and defense in her return to the team after not playing last year. Drake has 14 draw controls, 20 ground balls and has caused six turnovers through York's first seven games.

“Her speed has significantly improved our transition,” said York coach Meghan Clark. “People just can’t catch her. She has been huge for us on the draw as well. We're really fortunate she was able to play for us this season.”

Eliza Farwell, Oyster River, sophomore, goalie/midfield

Farwell's unique skillset has allowed her to thrive both in the net and in the field for the Bobcats. Oyster River first-year head coach Tess Weglarz said Farewell is so good in both roles that she can't limit her to just one.

"She's one of the fastest midfielders in the team," Weglarz said. "She can always be counted on to be the first to groundballs and cause turnovers when she's playing the field."

Farwell's skills as an ice hockey player show in her ability to attack ground balls, according to Weglarz. Farwell is also in her second year in goal. Weglarz said Farwell is equally impactful there, with 50 saves in the first half of the season.

"She's a fearless competitor, with lots of stick finesse," Weglarz said. "She doesn't let the stress of the game get her down. We're looking forward to her future contributions to the team, both in and out of the net."

McKinley Fowler, Winnacunnet High School, freshman, attack

Though Fowler plays defense on her club team, she has made the adjustment to attack for Winnacunnet. The results have been everything Winnacunnet head coach Colleen Farias could hope for.

Fowler has 22 goals through Winnacunnet's first nine games, and has scored multiple goals in all but one game. Fowler scored a career-high six goals against Memorial, and also has three four-goal games.

“She has been phenomenal,” said Farias. “She has fantastic stick-work, and is excellent at getting her hands free to shoot with power and accuracy.”

Fowler’s experience as a defender makes her a true dual threat for Winnacunnet. Farias said Fowler is disruptive and makes life difficult for opponents in transition.

“She's an excellent defender on the transition out and has also been useful on the draw for us,” Farias said. “We're so happy to see the way she has taken to our team and style of play.”

Alex Girard, Exeter High School, junior, defense

It's been a bit of an up-and-down season for Exeter so far, but one consistent force has been the play of Girard on the defensive end of the field. Exeter coach Angela Palmer said Girard’s emergence as a defensive stalwart has been big for the team.

“Alex has been able to kick it into high gear to pull us out of a tough spot and to also keep us competitive in just about all of our tough games,” Palmer said.

Girard has 10 caused turnovers and 17 groundballs this season, and her tenacity has helped raise the play of her teammates. That tenacity was on full display in one of the Blue Hawks toughest games of the season, a 17-6 loss at Souhegan.

“Her speed, stick skills, tenacity to grab ground balls and make turnovers has been clutch in many games,” Palmer said. “She was named player of the game (against Souhegan) for her aggressive defense and her never-give-up attitude.”

Juliana Grella, St. Thomas Aquinas, senior, defense

Grella, with her strong defense and stellar draw control, has emerged as a major factor and leader, on and off the field, for the Saints this season.

“She has become the lead draw control specialist and a huge contributor to the defense of the team,” Carroll said. “Juliana started taking the draw two years ago and has since dominated in the role.”

Grella’s 63 draw controls through seven games underscore her importance to not only getting the ball into the Saints' hands offensively, but keeping it away from the opponent.

“We rely heavily on her positive attitude, willingness to take on any position, and her leadership role on the team,” Carroll added.

Khloe Healy, Dover High School, freshman, attack

Dover coach Dana Gray said Healy’s lacrosse IQ betrays her youth, and that knowledge, along with a strong skill set, has made for a very successful start to Healy’s first season with the Green Wave.

“She's always looking to improve and she asks questions all the time,” Gray said. “But for her, those answers turn into change and results on the field.”

Gray said that Healy has shown a desire to improve not just for herself, but to help the team reach it’s highest potential this spring. That effort to steadily improve is already paying dividends this season, and will only continue to help in the years to come.

“As players have been hurt, she has stepped up to fill those gaps,” Gray said. “She has earned the respect of her teammates and coaches because she's choosing to show up each day and has only become more and more integral on our transition and attack.”

Lizzy Holden, St. Thomas Aquinas, sophomore, attack

After starting as a freshman last year, Holden has taken another leap forward in her sophomore campaign with 14 goals and five assists.

“Lizzy’s dependability as a player amongst her teammates has allowed her to step up as an underclassman and be a key contributor,” Carroll said. “Lizzy is vocal and helps direct the offense, usually from behind the net.”

The future is bright for the Saints young attacker, and that potential was on full display in a two-goal, three-assist effort in a 23-2 win over Inter-Lakes.

“We're excited to continue to watch her grow over the next two years after her huge contribution so far this season,” Carroll said.

Sarah Lin, Spaulding High School, freshman, midfield

Lin, with seven goals and one assist in her first nine games, has made an instant impact for the Raiders. Coach Scott Blake said Lin's combination of speed and vision make her a big a threat to create opportunities for herself and teammates.

“Sarah uses her speed to get up the field faster than most,” Blake said. “Her speed also benefits her when going to the goal, trying to score. Sarah has the ability to change speeds and get past the defender."

Sophia Luchette, York High School, junior, attack

Consistency is the key to success, and Luchette’s consistency has been her staple in the first half of the season for York. Coach Meghan Clark said Luchette has emerged as a key contributor offensively with 11 goals and 20 groundballs in the first seven games.

Luchette has scored in every game and has three-goal games against both Yarmouth and Freeport.

“Sophia has been a very consistent player for our attack," Clark said.

Clark said Luchette’s speed and shiftiness allow her to challenge defenses in a variety of ways, and she is a good decision maker when it comes to passing or shooting the ball.

“She's able to weave her way through the opposing defense, and we still can’t figure out how she does it,” Clark said. “She has incredible stick skills that allow her to hold onto the ball and get really tough ground balls.”

Clara Nardone, Winnacunnet High School, senior, defense

Nardone has switched ends of the field positionally, and has thrived with the change. Winnacunnet coach Colleen Farias said Nardone not only didn’t complain about the change to defense, but embraced it.

“She was a low attacker for her first three years with our program, and last fall/winter she really found herself enjoying low (defense) during our team’s indoor games,” Farias said.

That enjoyment soon turned into a change of position, and not only has Nardone been excellent on the field, but she has also become a vocal leader for the team, according to Farias. That leadership has been nearly as impactful as her play on the field.

“She has risen to be one of our top defenders and is a fantastic backbone to our defensive line,” Farias said. “She's also the ‘voice” of our defensive unit.”

Leigh Twohig, Marshwood High School, freshman, goalie

With a freshman in net, outsiders may have expected a season of struggle for Marshwood, but Twohig has stepped up and has gone 4-2 in her starts this season. Coach Bernie Marvin said Twohig has quickly grown in the role and is only getting better.

“She stepped into the starting role at the beginning of the season,” he said. “It can be a difficult position for a freshman, directing the defense, but Leigh is handling it.”

Twohig is averaging 5 saves a game and has a 40% save rate. Marvin said Twohig's best game came in a 7-5 win over Scarborough.

“Her clears, mechanics and positioning are improving every week,” Marvin said.

Marvin said that if Twohig’s growth throughout the first half of this season is any indicator, she will be a force for the Hawks, not only this year, but throughout her high school career.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 14 surprise standout players for Seacoast high school girls lacrosse. Who's on the list?