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Ten must-see lacrosse games in 2015


We're exactly one week from the start of lacrosse season in the York-Adams league. We're pretty excited to get started, so we've put together a list of 10 must-see games this season for the Hanover-Adams area teams. Enjoy.

Mar. 20: Eastern at Spring Grove (girls) 

Why not start the season with a revenge game on opening night? The Rockets went down in the history books for the wrong reason last season as they fell victim in Eastern's first-ever program win, 8-7.

The Rockets went 2-16 last year and they return just three seniors. They're strong on the defensive end, where seniors Jen Hersh and Lindsay Hersh anchor the back line.

Mar. 23: Northern York at Spring Grove (boys)

Opening night for the Rockets, who will host the Polar Bears from the Mid-Penn.

These two inter-conference teams have a history of playing close games. Spring Grove upset Northern York, 4-3, in OT last year on the road. Northern won, 7-6, in 2013. Who prevails this year? Regardless of the outcome, it should be a good gauge to see how good the Rockets are.

Mar. 24: South Western at New Oxford (boys) 

South Western only had three wins last season, but two of them came against New Oxford, so this is an early-season chance at revenge for the Colonials.

Cam Sanders scored five goals and Ryan Delea and Anthony DeVincent combined for another five goals for the Mustangs when these two teams met in late March last season.

Mar. 24: Spring Grove at York Suburban (boys) 

This will mark the second big game in two nights for Spring Grove. 2nd big game in a row. The Rockets and Trojans have alternated wins and losses the last five seasons.

Last season, the Trojans pulled out a 9-8 win in the season opener. Two years ago, Spring Grove won 7-3 in an opening day matchup.

The Rockets finished 5-13 last season, so solid performances in two-straight March battles could be a big boost to their confidence.

Mar. 26: South Western at Susquehannock (girls)

The Mustangs are the crown jewel among the area's lacrosse programs. They finished 14-5 last season, but one of those five losses came against the Warriors in mid-April.

Susky outscored the Mustangs, 4-1, in the second half to pull out an 11-9 win and snap South Western's four-game winning streak in the series.

The Mustangs lost two of their leading goal-scorers - Callie Kavanaugh (graduation) and Braxtin Reddinger (transfer), so this could be a good early-season test for first-year head coach Allison Lawhead.

Apr. 2: New Oxford at York Suburban (boys)

The Trojans show up again on our list as they host New Oxford. If history is any indication, this game should be a triple-overtime thriller. Why?

Because it went to double-OT in 2014 and OT in 2013. The Trojans won both of those. Can the Colonials flip the script? And is a triple-OT thriller really too much to ask for?

The Colonials are stacked with a sophomore-heavy lineup, according to head coach Jason Cross, who named Cory Carver, Colton Elmo and Alex Clabaugh as young players to keep an eye on.

Apr. 7: South Western at Kennard-Dale (girls)

South Western has lost four in a row to YAIAA-powerhouse Kennard-Dale, including a 13-17 loss last season at home.

Laura Silver made 16 saves and Kavanaugh and Reddinger combined for nine goals, but it wasn't enough. This time around, the latter two won't be in a Mustangs uniform, so it could be up to Silver to lead South Western to a possible upset in Fawn Grove.

Apr. 9: South Western at Spring Grove (boys)

Rivalry time! Since the Mustangs swept Spring Grove back in 2012, the Rockets have won the last four in this series, including two by one goal the last two trips to South Western.

In last season's 6-5 Rockets win, Nick Raynor made 16 saves for the Mustangs, but gave up two Spring Grove goals late in the fourth quarter.

Apr. 20: New Oxford at Spring Grove (girls)

In 2013, Spring Grove swept the season series. In 2014, New Oxford swept the series. This is the only meeting between these two this season.

New Oxford does picks up Braxtin Reddinger, who transferred from South Western during the offseason. Reddinger was among the Mustangs' goal-scoring leaders. That could be a big boost to the Colonials as they try to improve on last season's 5-11 finish.

Apr. 23: South Western at York Catholic (girls)

These two teams have met four-straight years in the league tourney with the Irish coming away victorious in the last three.

Silver was forced to watch from the sidelines with an illness as York Catholic erased an early 6-3 deficit and cruised to a 20-11 win over the Mustangs in the YAIAA semifinals.

Can South Western get over the hump and erase those memories. If so, this could be a big confidence boost heading into the postseason.