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Spring Athletics Preview

Assistant Athletic Director James Peters previews the upcoming season.
Boys' Lacrosse Preview
  • Head coach: Stephen Berger – 6th year
  • Last year's record: 9-6
  • Last MIAA title: 2011 (3 titles overall)
  • Key players: Noah Hauf (Jr., LSM); Josh Cruikshank (Sr., A/MF); Logan Tawney (Jr., GK); Colton Seifert (Jr., A), Wyatt Shamer (Jr., MF/A), Caleb Cruikshank (So., MF/FO).
Season outlook: The Saints will tackle their 2024 schedule with a mixed bag of experience as numerous key offensive performers return but the same cannot be said for the team’s defense, although second-year goalkeeper Logan Tawney is back in the fold. As are team captains Noah Hauf (12 goals, 10 assists in 2023) and Josh Cruikshank (17 goals, six assists) as well as veteran attacker Wyatt Shamer (20 goals) and midfielder-faceoff specialist Caleb Cruikshank (10 goals, 19 assists). Hauf was an all-conference performer last spring.

“Our team is gonna be strong on offense, work together on defense, and go win the championship,” Josh Cruikshank said.

Junior transfer Colten Seifert, a 6-foot-4, left-handed attacker, highlights the team’s newcomers.

“Losing seven seniors in ‘23 and returning three seniors, the biggest question . . . is what leadership will there be leading the team this season,” said sixth-year Saints coach Stephen Berger, whose squad is part of a deep C conference that fields 11 teams this spring but not defending champion Pallotti.

Girls' Lacrosse Preview
  • Head coach: Hillary Vachino – 1st year
  • Last year's record: 13-0, 6-0 IAAM C
  • Last IAAM title: 2023 (4th overall)
  • Key players: Ceanna McGirt (Sr., MF); Molly Clapp (Sr., MF), Ana Fadrowski (So., D), Sloan Hubbard (So., A); Riley Bilger (So., MF); Haylee Kurek (Sr., D); Lyla Dubreuil (Jr. D).
Season outlook: The Saints captured their first IAAM C Conference championship last season since 2011 to complete a perfect 13-0 season. Their reward: a move up to the B Conference this spring.

“To repeat the title, it will take a ton of work, especially because we are in the B conference, and it is an entirely different level,” said sophomore attacker Sloan Hubbard, who totalled 53 goals a year ago. “These girls all play at the club level.

“We have been putting in a ton of work in the off season and really working to get stronger and grow under our new coach, Coach Vachino. It will take the same confidence we left with last year in the C conference that we need to enter in and stay successful in the B conference.”

Helping Concordia to continue last year’s success is the return of senior Ceanna McGirt, junior midfielder Molly Clapp, and sophomores Riley Bilger and Ana Fadrwoski, who along with Hubbard, earned all-conference honors a year ago. McGirt has tossed in more than 100 goals during her career; she is headed to Delaware State this fall to continue her illustrious career.

“I believe that it will take a lot of hard work, consistency, and good chemistry on the team in order to succeed in the B conference this year,” said McGirt, who had 43 goals during last year’s perfect title run. “I think that we have the foundation needed to succeed but we need to keep building on it. “

Softball Preview
  • Head coach: Nick Miskelly – 1st year
  • Last year's record: 10-2, 5-2 IAAM C
  • Last IAAM title: 2023 (6th overall)
  • Key players: Alyssa Flores (Sr., P/3B); Emma McGraw (Sr., 1B); Nayla Myers (So., OF).
Season outlook: Nick Miskelly inherits the reins from Leslie Calheira, who guided the Saints to the 2023 IAAM C conference championship, which represents the program’s sixth league crown overall and first since 2013. Concordia exploded for 47 runs during its three-game run to the championship, including 18 in the team’s six-run final victory against Bryn Mawr.

Miskelly brings four years of club coaching experience with the Honeygo Hurricanes at the 12, 14, and 16-under teams. He is joined by veteran coach Alison Maier, who brings prior coaching experience from Kenwood High School.

“I believe that we currently are middle of the pack with the opportunities to improve based on the development of our new pitchers,” Coach Miskelly said. “The 2023 championship team graduated a number of key players, including the starting pitcher and catcher. The success of the 2024 season will be driven by the development of the replacements for those graduates.  

“(Pitcher) Alyssa Flores and (catcher) Reilly Miskelly have both been working hard every day at practice to fill the large shoes of those graduates. In addition to the promise that Alyssa has been showing at practice, Grace Cowand and Lila Singer have been working hard to become additional pitching options in support of Alyssa. The development resulting from the hard work these young ladies put in will be the key to a successful season in 2024.”

Miskelly will look to rebuild a squad that lost a handful of key players, but does return veterans Alyssa Flores, Emma McGraw, and 2023 all-conference outfielder Nayla Myers. Those veterans are joined by the following talented freshmen: Cassidy Young (OF/Middle INF), Reilly Miskelly (C/3B), Reilly Cephas (OF/3B), and Lila Singer (3B).

Baseball Preview
  • Head coach: Peter Couser – 3rd year (27-12)
  • Last year's record: 15-7
  • Last MIAA title: 2021 (3rd overall)
  • Key players: Caleb Couser (Sr., RHP/CF/SS); Jackson Pflug (Sr., OF), Jonathan Couser (So., C).
Season outlook: The Saints came one game short of winning its third MIAA C crown since the 2019 season, falling to two-time champions Key in the second of two championship games after a dramatic 12 inning comeback win in Game 1. This year’s team includes 5 starters from the 2023 squad.

Caleb Couser returns to anchor the team’s pitching staff (4-1, 51 strikeouts, 2.77 ERA) and offensive lineup (.478 BA, six home runs, 31 RBIs, 12 stolen bases). Heavy hitting outfielder Jackson Pflug is also back in the fold. He collected 26 hits with four home runs, and 33 RBIs while posting a .553 BA. 

The C Conference has expanded from 8 to 10 teams (Friends and Palotti have joined the conference) and looks to be very competitive as Concordia Prep seeks to reach the championship game for the fifth straight season.


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