FLN Note: We are going to do each of the four Polls as separate articles, as we go through the day. For those cynics who would say we are doing that to maximize page views . . . rest assured you are CORRECT! But it also allows us to analyze where graduations will take a toll, which is time-consuming. There were a few disagreements on our Bracket predictions, and I want to THANK those who did so! Nothing shows how much we are growing as a state, AND as a platform, then disagreement and debate. Keep it coming!

Notes on looking at this year’s Top 10 (and Top 15 on the Boys’ side):

First, as always, the defending champions get #1, regardless of what comes back. Regardless of whether that holds up or not, that’s the custom. The finalist on the losing side gets #2 and then we go from there. Remember, it’s not how you start the race, it’s where you finish, as so many Pole sitters in auto racing know all too well. This state now has over 200 teams in both Boys and Girls and the idea we will catch everything preseason, like injuries, graduations and transfers, and so on, are too much to ask for. So enjoy this as thought-provoking as much as final, and good luck to all the programs out there!

As we go into the season, remember a few things:

Referees do their best! #LayOffTheRefs

#GrowTheGame is a great motto to live by – publicize your love of the game to others!

Which leads to my favorite: #TAFTAG – Take A Friend To A Game!

Most of the time they will come back for more if they haven’t been exposed to it before

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Final 2021 Top 10 Poll for Girls Class 2A

1) St. Thomas Aquinas – state title now makes them a select group of schools that have both a Girls’ and Boys’ title – LHP being the other (Ponte Vedra has a Boys’ title and a Girls’ runner-up)

2) Vero Beach – how much did Joy Coffee’s injury contribute to their runner up finish?

3) Bartram Trail – Ryann Frechette’s injury ponders the same question; if you don’t know who she is you might want to dig a little

4) Steinbrenner – Steinbrenner defeated Newsome by one goal in the Regional final

5) Newsome – Newsome had a strong overall resume looking over the entire season

6) Hagerty – 7 losses but beat Lake Brantley 2x and Steinbrenner

7) Stoneman Douglas – three losses, two to STA and one to AH-Delray

8) Lake Brantley – 16-2 and you know who the 2 is

9) Boca Raton – ran the table in the regular season but ran into Stoneman in Round One

10) Plant – solid record but missing that one really big quality win . . . Academy of the Holy Names would have helped but they slid a little late in the year.

Also Considered: East Ridge, Palm Beach Central and Venice

St. Thomas returns nearly all of its’ offense with Ava Yovino, Peri Reigner and Sofia Guttman leading the way. Skylar Troyan also returns in net so STA will not likely fall far all year

Vero Beach finally got back to the finals after a long wait. Ana Horvit and Emily Adams have moved on, but Alexa Vega, Kerrigan Gilmore and Kiera Runske return. If Joy Coffee is healthy that solves the goaltending. Vero and STA are scheduled to meet in the regular season final

Bartram Trail managed a Final Four run without star freshman Ryann Frechette and her health is imperative. Marina Dean and Izzy Difato also return. They are making a southern swing this year too.

Steinbrenner probably looks back at last year as a missed opportunity and their sophomore class are now juniors and posed for a title run. Their high-powered attack, led by Taylor Lapointe and Rori Prilik, and a strong supporting cast, will be on a mission this year. They’ve stepped up the schedule substantially too.

Newsome returns most of their offense too, led by Samantha Swanovich and Maya Bronson. Cassady Bauman took over in the cage during the season. Took Steinbrenner to 2OT’s in the regional final, so they feel there’s some unfinished business to attend to. Starts off with an away game at Sickles, a measuring stick game for the Gryphons.

Hagerty took down Steinbrenner in the regular season but also lost 7 games. There are no statistics, but they played as tough a schedule as anyone. Laila Viator was a big loss from a young squad.

Stoneman Douglas loses Sammie Fisher and Lauren Figas to graduation, but IL 5-star Carli Fleisher returns to lead a young squad. The schedule looks weaker on paper this year.

Lake Brantley couldn’t handle Hagerty last year, for their two losses, including the playoff matchup. A lot of their scoring graduated, led by Jaylee Ault. Last year’s schedule didn’t help but this year’s is far tougher.

Boca Raton ran the table against a lesser schedule until they hit the brackets. Mary Wilson, Camryn Costolo and Gwyneth Amelung return to lead the offense. The schedule has more meat on the bone this year.

Plant had a solid schedule and some good results last year, going 14-4 until falling to Steinbrenner in the brackets. Carolee Jones and Emily Turton have graduated so the team will look to continue a balanced attack with Sophia Gray and Sophie Weil leading the way. A tough schedule is in the path.

East Ridge loses Marissa Golem to graduation but has plenty of offense coming back, led by Laci and Lola Pietrowicz, as well as Bella Mims. They will need to cut down on goals against and the schedule did not improve as much as it should to get them ready for the brackets.

Palm Beach Central returns most of their offense, led by Sophia and Chiara Scichilone with Sabrina Levine. They missed an undefeated season when Calvary Christian (Ft Laud) took them down. The schedule was not tough enough and Stoneman showed that in Round 1. A similar situation for this year as the schedule is just a little bit tougher.

Venice is a little difficult to judge going into the season. An undefeated, truncated season of 8 games and a first-round loss to Newsome. There are no statistics for me to glean, nor roster names. This year’s schedule is much fuller and has some heavyweights on it. Certainly, something to monitor this year.

So without further ado, here’s the Top 10 for 2A:

FLN’s Preseason Top 10 Girls 2A

1. St. Thomas Aquinas – we haven’t had a repeat winner for quite a while on the Girls side, they still have the talent
2. Vero Beach – runner-up but will have to prove it more this year
3. Steinbrenner – there’s two years for this great group of juniors to make their mark
4. Bartram Trail – they lose less than Ponte Vedra, so they likely will revenge last year’s OT loss; their schedule is a killer
5. Ponte Vedra – moving on up from 1A, they had a great run last year to the 1A final four and did win the OT game against Bartram Trail last season. Now that they are back in the same class, that rivalry will be in full flight again. They will feel the loss of Sami Lowinger, Taylor Rocha and Pierson Schuchart and will need to reload.
6. Newsome – can they take the next step to a potential Final Four?
7. Lake Brantley – this is where it gets hard – LB, East Ridge and Hagerty are very tough to rank here due to various reasons. The Top 6 are pretty much a cut above at this point.
8. East Ridge – will another year of the squad maturing help? There’s a lot of talent. This might well be their ceiling too since the schedule doesn’t help.
9. Hagerty – this is a tough prediction due to not knowing what is coming back
10. Plant – they seem the best positioned to make a move up a few notches if 7-9 disappoint.

Also Considered:

Stoneman Douglas – Carli Fleisher is going to Northwestern and she’s a difference-maker, but will she be enough?

Sickles – no group pushed back harder on our Bracket predictions than Sickles, so let’s see how they respond to the snub. 8 losses last year but a VERY young team. Unfortunately, Rebekah Hangen is out for the year, leaving twin sister Elena, along with Juliana Martino and Reese Watkins to carry the load. Newsome and Plant right out of the gate.

Palm Beach Central, Riverview-Sarasota, Boca Raton and Venice

Let the games begin!