BE girls’ lacrosse looks to repeat success cycle

It’s a cycle of success — and a sign of the times.

The Bishop England girls’ lacrosse team wins yet another state title, suffers heavy graduation losses a few weeks later, and as the new season approaches, the coach talks about gloom and doom when he looks at the upcoming roster and schedule.

It’s been that way for years and doesn’t stop in 2020 as the Bishops continue to make a strong claim for the Palmetto State’s top lacrosse program, regardless of classification.

“It’s the same thing almost every year,” said Bishop England coach Jeff Weiner, whose team begins the 2020 campaign with a 41-match winning streak while seeking an unprecedented fifth straight state championship. “We lost some people who were all-state, All-American. We have only two returning seniors and only two juniors. We are very young at the bottom of the roster.”

And then it hits Weiner. He realizes he has faced the same script in past years and sees some of the best young talent in the state on his roster, although it might not be 100% battletested.

In 2018, the Bishops went 18-0 and lost five starters. Last year’s team was 19-0 and lost five starters, including “The Big 3.” They were Morgan Roberts, Ava Ward and Grace Ann Carlson, all members of the 200 club (career goals and assists). But the beatdown goes on.

“That said, we’re still going to have a good team this year,” Weiner said. “As you may know, when you have a young team, the key factor is getting the team to jell. My job is to integrate the newcomers, the freshman, into the program, and that usually takes five or six games.”

The Bishops’ regular-season just might be as brutal the playoff schedule. They play three out of state teams — Johns Creek (Georgia), Ardrey Kell (North Carolina) and Walton (Georgia). They also play Palmetto State powers J.L. Mann and Wando, schools that compete in Class AAAAA, while the Bishops are at Class AAAA.

Who will step up big for the Bishops this spring?

A good place to start is at goalie as Hailey Hubbard returns after gaining a precious year’s experience. Last spring was her first season as a LAX player. Another key piece to the Bishop reload puzzle is sophomore Francis “Frankie” Poch, who showed potential all last spring and took it to another level with four goals in the 15-4 state championship victory over Christ Church.

The two key returning seniors are captains Annie Burton, a defensive specialist, and Kennedy Coupe. Collette “Coco” Pampu and Victoria Roe are the most tested – and talented – juniors. Keep an eye on Lauren Wysong, Elizabeth Tausing, Ryley Dengler and Olivia Head. All should take their game to the next level.

Weiner expects his team to be in the hunt for the state title. He says Oceanside Collegiate and Christ Church will be the biggest obstacles in the 2020 playoff brackets.

“We’re short on experience,” Weiner said of his squad. “We have some really good athletes, and we should have better speed this year.”