Central/Eastern PA Standouts from PIAA League/District Playoffs

It is officially win-or-go-home in Pennsylvania, with league and district playoffs now underway across the state. Some crazy things have happened in PIAA lacrosse come May and June, and this year should be no different after a regular season that saw its fair share of upsets and overtime thrillers. But this is about the players on those teams — whether it is following up a strong regular season or emerging as an overnight sensation, these are five difference makers from the opening week of league and district playoffs across central and eastern Pennsylvania.    [player_tooltip player_id='72331' first='Kendall' last='Cavallaro'] is the real deal. When [player_tooltip player_id='71079' first='Toby' last='Bergstrom'] (Maryland), Liv Parmer (North Carolina), [player_tooltip player_id='71080' first='Lexie' last='Kauffman'] (East Carolina), Addie Laurence, and others inevitably graduate in a few short months, Cavallaro has made a strong case that she is the future of District Three's most dominant program in Manheim Township. And in a season where they have desperately missed the impact of Liv Parmer, one of the nation's top recruits who tore her ACL in winter league play, it has been the freshman who has stepped up and provided a much-needed offensive spark.   She may not be the flashiest player with the ball in her stick yet, but her fundamentals are off the charts. When you tally up the stats at the end of a game, you are often impressed by the all-around effort Cavallaro is able to provide. She has the lacrosse IQ that college coaches dream of, and on a team of exceptional feeders, her game is the perfect complement. She finds space off the ball and consistently gets off high-percentage looks at the cage. Comfortable inside and outside the eight, she often gets her looks right at the crease with layups and dunks, but she is just as capable of ripping a shot from distance when the opportunity presents itself.   Defensively, Cavallaro is relentless on the ride, and despite her smaller frame, she has excellent stick work and great footwork to help her defensively. Visibly, her confidence is growing in each passing game, and she should be a varsity starter for the remainder of her high school career.   And while some freshmen wilt under the pressure of their first postseason game, Cavallaro looked like one of the veterans. She netted three goals en route to a dominant 17-3 win over Cocalico in the opening round of the Lancaster Lebanon League Playoffs. And on Tuesday night, she once again shined with three goals as Manheim Township would defeat Hempfield 16-8 on their way to a 16th consecutive LL League Championship. When the lights get bright, Cavallaro has stepped up in some of the most pivotal moments of her early career.   While college coaches cannot officially reach out to Cavallaro yet, this is a name to mark down. Playing alongside a wealth of Division I talent, do not be surprised if Cavallaro is the next Manheim Township product to land at a top college program.     There is something special about the class of 2029. In the biggest moments of their early high school careers, it has been the freshmen who have stepped up across the state, willing their teams to victories and keeping state title hopes alive. [player_tooltip player_id='71751' first='Natalie' last='Mihalko'] is no different, and if college coaches have yet to hear this name, they should be prepared to hear it a lot over the next three years.   Mihalko is a powerful lefty whose shot speed is up there with the juniors and seniors in the state. A recent Under Armour 150 selection, Mihalko has wasted no time making her presence felt in postseason play, and she was a fundamental reason why Nazareth will be playing in their first league final since 2012. With three goals and three assists, the Nazareth freshman had a hand in nearly half of her team's goals.   Her ability to work the pick and roll is second to none, and whether she is feeding or shooting, it is a simple concept that has proven devastatingly effective in her hands.   There are few pure scorers like Mihalko at this level, and even fewer with the field vision she possesses. When she draws the slide, she does not need to look toward her wing; she can dump it off for an easy goal from her peripheral vision alone.   Like Cavallaro, Mihalko has some time before college coaches can formally reach out, but any program that has not yet added her to its watchlist should be making the drive to Nazareth for a first-hand look at an almost certain future Division I athlete.     It is impossible to talk about impact performers from the opening week of playoffs without mentioning [player_tooltip player_id='72366' first='Cameryn' last='Cohee']. Since taking the reins at New Oxford early in her high school career, she has helped transform the Colonials from a middle-of-the-pack program in the YAIAA into a District Three contender.   Last season, Cohee led New Oxford to their first ever state championship tournament appearance and nearly took down WPIAL powerhouse Mount Lebanon in the opening round. And on Tuesday night, in New Oxford's second consecutive YAIAA championship appearance, Cohee once again shined when the lights were brightest, leading her team back from a 6-0 deficit they faced early in the second quarter. Cohee scored four of the Colonials' 10 goals as they came back to defeat Susquehannock 10-9. To make it all but perfect, she scored the 300th goal of her career on Tuesday night, and the Colonials will be heading back to the district playoffs.   For Cohee, it all starts in the draw circle. She has exceptional lower body strength that gives her explosive upward movement and power as she goes for the ball. Whether she flips it to a wing, back to the midfield, or even to herself, she wins the ball and puts defenses on their heels.   Offensively, Cohee is as complete as they come. She is comfortable with both hands, and while she likes to get easy looks at the cage, she is plenty comfortable outside the eight and has a blazing shot she can pull out when she needs it. From an IQ standpoint, there are few better. When the ball is not on her stick, she is making things happen away from it - her cuts are decisive and purposeful. She is bound to make an immediate impact at the Division I level in a few short months, but until then, she has one more chance to lead the Colonials on a deep playoff run.     Come playoff time, a strong goalie can take you far. And through the first two games of the PIAA District 1 playoffs, Kylee Mellot has taken Avon Grove on a wild ride.   The Johns Hopkins commit crossed 600 high school saves — no, that is not a typo — just over a week ago, and her play in net has been the driving force behind a pair of upsets that have kept Avon Grove's season alive. On Tuesday night, Mellot turned aside 17 shots in an 8-6 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh, and with a win over Marple Newton in the next round, the Red Devils, who entered the PIAA District 1 tournament as the 20th of 24 seeds, would guarantee themselves a spot in the state championship tournament.   Mellot has agility unlike anything I have seen at the goalie position. She uses every part of her stick and at times her body to make a save, and there are moments where she resembles a hockey goalie in the way she uses her legs to stop low shots. She is not the biggest goalie in the net, but she has an exceptionally high lacrosse IQ and a fearlessness in the cage that is rarely seen at this level. She is not afraid to come out and cut off a pass to a cutter, and her outlet pass regularly sets up her offense in transition.   Johns Hopkins was all over Mellot the moment she could be recruited, and it is not hard to see why. The plays she is making in the District 1 playoffs right now will soon be made on a bigger stage and broadcast on ESPN.     [player_tooltip player_id='71999' first='Victoria' last='Hewitt'] is no stranger to big moments. It was her freshman year that Conestoga took home the PIAA 3A state championship, and three years later, she is an instrumental part of a team that may soon be heading back to the big game.   In Conestoga's opening round of the PIAA District 1 playoffs, Hewitt put together an impressive outing, finishing with three goals and a ground ball in a 10-2 win over Great Valley.   Typically operating from the X, Hewitt is as dangerous a feeder as she is a shooter. But on Tuesday night, it was her ability to get shots off at the cage that played a large part in Conestoga cruising to an opening-round win. Her crease dodge is as good as they come, and she is a rare player who executes it from both sides with equal effectiveness. What separates Hewitt from the average X attacker is her field vision. The passes she makes, whether or not they directly result in a goal, are exceptional, and she sees plays develop before they happen.   Hewitt should make an almost immediate impact when she arrives at Fairleigh Dickinson in a few short months, but she has a very good chance of leading Conestoga back to the state title game before her high school career is over.

It is officially win-or-go-home in Pennsylvania, with league and district playoffs now underway across the state. Some crazy things have happened in PIAA lacrosse come May and June, and this year should be no different after a regular season that saw its fair share of upsets and overtime thrillers. But this is about the players on those teams — whether it is following up a strong regular season or emerging as an overnight sensation, these are five difference makers from the opening week of league and district playoffs across central and eastern Pennsylvania.