We’re not even through April yet and there’s already plenty to discuss in N.J. girls lacrosse. There are the usual dominant teams that have caught our eye, but there are others that have unexpectedly surprised and are already turning heads. Some have rebounded after last place finishes last season. Some have gotten off to their best starts in several years, if not ever. These teams are on a roll right out of the gate. Below, check out the 23 girls lacrosse teams that have surprised us most just two weeks into the 2025 season. Boonton (3-2) Historically, Boonton has been a program associated with not much success. From 2011 to 2019 it never won more than seven games in a season, and that included two winless campaigns in 2015 and 2016. It finished just over .500 in 2021 but followed that up with a combined 12-38 record from 2022 to 2024. Head coach Kristy Shovlowsky looks like she has things moving in the right direction though. In her first year at the helm, Boonton has built up a 3-2 record and has shown some real resolve over its last several games. The Bombers started the year 0-2 but have since rattled off three-straight victories over North Warren, Hoboken-Weehawken, and Newark East Side. The defense has been tremendous over this stretch with no more than seven goals allowed. Sophomore goalie Kaydence Larson looks comfortable in her second season in the starter’s role. On the offensive end, the Bombers have gotten better and better. Their total scoring has increased with each win and in Saturday’s win over Newark East Side they scored a season-high 15 goals. Leading the charge has been freshman Daniela Melito with 22 goals, 29 points, 18 ground balls, and 10 draw controls. Boonton has a foundation to build around for the future. Brick Township (4-2) Brick Township is enjoying its best season so far since 2021 when it finished at 9-8. Under second-year head coach Ken Lynch, the Dragons are 4-2 and 3-0 atop the Shore Conference Freedom Division with Freehold Township. They have wins over Manchester Township, Middletown North, Brick Memorial and Donovan Catholic and losses to Toms River South and Holmdel. Brick Township has been led by juniors Reese Achille (34 goals, five assists, 14 ground balls, 17 draw controls, six forced turnovers) and Madison Lacerda (19 goals, six assists, 18 ground balls, 37 draw controls, 11 forced turnovers) while sophomore goalie Isabella Davila has made 67 saves. Cedar Creek (8-0) Cedar Creek is off to its best start in program history at 8-0. The Pirates, which are also 8-0 atop the Cape-Atlantic League National Division, have wins over Absegami, Atlantic City, Millville, Middle Township, Oakcrest, St. Joseph (Hamm.), Hammonton and Absegami. Freshman Zoey Holmstrom leads the charge with 34 goals, 10 assists, 37 ground balls, 40 draw controls and 11 forced turnovers, while senior Quinlan Branca (24 goals, three assists, 15 ground balls, 22 draw controls) and junior Emily Winterbottom (16 goals, seven assists, 11 ground balls, 32 draw controls) have also been key contributors. Junior goalie Elizabeth Amadio has made 49 saves while allowing just 21 goals as Cedar Creek is averaging 14 goals a game. Delaware Valley (6-0) Delaware Valley went 10-7 last year and fell to Glen Ridge in the South, Group 1 quarterfinals. This year, the Terriers are off to a 6-0 start and are 5-0 in the Skyland Conference Valley Division with wins over Immaculata, Gill St. Bernard’s, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Warren Hills, Somerville and Rutgers Prep. Led by seniors Elana Falkenstein (19 goals, 12 assists, 25 ground balls, 26 forced turnovers, 10 forced turnovers), Taylor Tavernite (22 goals, 16 assists, 10 ground balls) and Lexi Sabosik (13 goals, six assists, 19 ground balls, 20 draw controls, six forced turnovers) and juniors Maggie Simpson (18 goals, three assists, 18 ground balls, 30 draw controls, 19 forced turnovers) and Meadow Testa (seven goals, 22 assists), Delaware Valley is averaging 16 goals a game. Freehold Township (5-1) Freehold Township last had a winning record in 2021 when it finished 7-6 and 5-2 in the Shore Conference A North Division. Under third-year coach Debra Razzino, the Patriots are off to a 5-1 start and are 3-0 in the Freedom Division. They opened with a loss to Red Bank Catholic but have won five-straight over Jackson Liberty, Donovan Catholic, Ocean Township, Middletown North and St. John Vianney. Seniors Chloe Walters (21 goals, 18 ground balls, 16 draw controls, three forced turnovers) and Alyssa Costagliola (14 goals, six assists) and juniors Gianna Neron (three goals, 13 draw controls) and Reese Metcalfe (six goals, five assists, 10 ground balls, 13 draw controls) have led the way so far. Hoboken-Weehawken (2-1) Last season was a historic one for the Hoboken-Weehawken co-op, even if it wasn’t a highly successful one. The Redwings were 4-10 but finished with the most victories in a season in program history, and are now looking to build on that this year. This year’s group looks like it could break last year’s record based on its first few games. It got off to a great start with wins over Demarest and Saddle Brook, which is also the first time in program history it’s started a season 2-0. There’s a solid core of underclassmen to build around in sophomores Skylar Kowalski, Emily Eisen, Julia Mylan, and Helaina Conry. Add in junior Marina Boyajian, and those five have combined for 23 of the Redwings’ 29 total goals. Their next game isn’t until April 22, but they will look to stay hot and, at least, cross the four-win mark by season’s end. Hopewell Valley (7-1) Hopewell Valley last had a winning record in 2022 when it finished 9-8, and since then has gone 11-26 in the last two seasons. Under second-year coach Sara Wagner, the Bulldogs are off to a 7-1 start and are 1-1 in the Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division. They have wins over Immaculata, Hun, Steinert, Lawrence, Pennington, Hightstown and Princeton Day and a two-goal loss to Princeton. Hopewell Valley, which is averaging 13 goals a game, has been led by senior Gianna Azara (38 goals, eight assists, 15 ground balls, 21 draw controls, six forced turnovers) and sophomores Logan Mullowney (21 goals, 14 assists, 15 ground balls, 48 draw controls, 10 forced turnovers) and Lacey Mauldin (15 goals, 13 assists, 27 ground balls, 28 draw controls, 14 forced turnovers). Kinnelon (4-2) After two-straight seasons with a winning record, 2024 was a down year for Kinnelon. The Colts went just 8-12 and won two games in NJIGLL Freedom Red Division play. So far in 2025 though, it looks like the Colts have gotten some of their mojo back. The Colts are out to a 4-2 record and at times have looked dominant behind an overpowering offense. As a team they have scored 68 goals, or an average of 11.3 per game. Much of that damage has come in wins of Holy Angels (16 goals), Kittatinny (14 goals), Caldwell (19 goals), and Lakeland (11 goals). Four players - Aly Alexander, Lauren Mortimer, Madison Gigante, and Emilia Villegas - have already scored double-digit goals. Mortimer and Villegas are two freshmen that have provided an instant spark. The Freedom Blue is a crowded race right now with six of the seven teams having already won three games. There’s more work to be done by Kinnelon, but the Colts are off to a great start. Lenape Valley (5-1) It wasn’t until April 10 last season that Lenape Valley won its first game. It wasn’t until May 10 that it won its fifth game, and by that point it was too late for the Patriots to make a run at qualifying for the state tournament. Things have gone much differently so far this year. The Patriots have already matched their win total from last season, and are rolling right now with four consecutive wins. Their longest winning streak last season was just two games. Defensively, Lenape Valley has been rock solid with just 45 goals against, and as a team it’s performed well in close games as well. It defeated Rutherford by two goals and Newark Academy by one. It’s also shown off some offensive dominance with a 10-goal win over Boonton and 13-goal win over Parsippany. Seniors Regina Williams (31 goals), Addison Coles (17 goals), and Alida Williams (10 goals) have refused for this to be another losing season for Lenape Valley. Mainland (4-1) Mainland is off to a 4-1 start and is 4-1 in the Cape-Atlantic League American Division after going 9-9 and falling to Cherry Hill West in the South, Group 3 quarterfinals last year. Led by senior Ava Sheeran (21 goals, six assists, 24 ground balls, 21 draw controls, 12 forced turnovers) and sophomore Lauren LaMonaca (16 goals, nine assists, 25 ground balls, 16 draw controls, 16 forced turnovers), the Mustangs have wins over Lower Cape May (twice), Holy Spirit and Egg Harbor and a loss to Ocean City. Mary Help of Christians (3-2) Just two weeks into the 2025 season, Mary Help of Christian has already made program history. In the Blue Jays’ original run as a program from 2012 to 2015, it never won more than one game per season. After several years away, the team returned in 2023 and finished 0-13, and then went 1-0 last year. Its only win came in the final game of the season on May 15. Things started to look up when it opened this season with a 9-7 win over Clifton. Five days later, it won its second game, and then on April 14 it picked up win number three. Already the Blue Jays have the most wins in a season in program history and will look to keep rolling and potentially qualify for the state tournament for the first time ever. Seniors Emily Dymkowski (18 goals) and Liliana Eastlake (10 goals) are no doubt motivated to help grow the Blue Jays’ program even more. Sophomore Nyla Crawford (49 saves) looks like a player worth building around for the future as well. Middle Township (7-1) Middle Township last finished with a winning record in 2021, when it went 12-5 and last year won just four games. This season, under third-year head coach Ryan Freyer, the Panthers are off to a 7-1 start and are 5-1 in the Cape-Atlantic League National Division behind undefeated Cedar Creek. Middle Township opened the season with three-straight wins over Hammonton, Oakcrest and St. Joseph (Hamm.) before a one-goal loss to Cedar Creek. Since then, it has won four-straight over Absegami, Millville, Hammonton and Egg Harbor. Seniors Carmen O’Hara (34 goals, eight assist, 47 draw controls) and Jax Pickering (20 goals, two assists, 19 ground balls, 16 draw controls, six forced turnovers) have led the team so far, while goalies Lea Kern and Olivia Rodgers have combined for 72 saves. New Egypt (4-0) Since winning just one game in 2021, New Egypt went 23-28 the last three years. This season, it is off to a 4-0 start and is 4-0 in the Shore Conference Independence Division with wins over Neptune, Long Branch, Jackson Liberty and Ranney. The Warriors have been led by juniors Madison Adam (24 goals, eight assists, 24 ground balls, 26 draw controls, 11 forced turnovers) and Aimee Kovacs (15 goals, five assists, 14 ground balls, 10 draw controls, three forced turnovers), while goalies Abigail Melchior and Corinne Ring have combined for 29 saves and allowed 13 goals. New Providence (6-1) It has been three years since New Providence last finished with a winning record. Last season it hit rock bottom with a last place finish in the NJIGLL Freedom White with a 6-13 record. It surrendered 229 goals compared to just 170 scored. Just over two weeks into its 2025 season, everything has changed dramatically in comparison to last year. At 6-1 the Pioneers have already matched their win total from last season. One of the biggest reasons for that has been the addition of two dynamic freshmen in Addy Fitzgerald (23 goals, 39 points) and Libby Knight (21 goals, 33 points). It’s clear that those two have become a focal point offensively alongside senior Megan McPoland (16 goals, 25 points) and junior Stephie Hughes (eight goals, 24 points). The only blemish so far on the Pioneers’ record is a loss to divisional foe Verona, but they responded by crushing Johnson 14-2 just four days later. Another key matchup with Scotch Plains-Fanwood (4-2) awaits on Thursday morning. Oakcrest (6-3) From 2021 to 2024, Oakcrest went 5-56 and had two seasons where it didn’t win a game. In Samantha Becker’s first year as head coach in 2023, Oakcrest won one game, then won four last year. This season, the Falcons are off to one of their best starts in recent memory at 6-3, and are 5-3 in the Cape-Atlantic National Division with wins over Highland, Millville, Hammonton, St. Joseph (Hamm.), Absegami and Atlantic City and losses to Middle Township, Cedar Creek and Millville. Freshman Bridget Guerrier (32 goals, eight assists, 27 ground balls, 25 draw controls, nine forced turnovers) and sophomore Madison Carland (24 goals, 12 assists, 52 ground balls, 43 draw controls, 17 forced turnovers) have led the team so far, while senior goalie Fatima Sougoufara has made 75 saves. Paramus (3-3) Four wins was all that Paramus could muster up last season. None of them came in April as the Spartans had to wait until the calendar turned to March to get into the win column. One year later, and the Spartans are off to a much different start. Most of last season’s talent is back and as a result, Paramus has started to rack up more victories. Sitting at 3-3, Paramus is just one win away from matching last season’s total, and could reach that total as soon Wednesday afternoon. If the Spartans are to pick up their fourth win soon, the likes of Kiley Bejot, Adriana Giugliano, and Sadie Morato will likely play a big role. Bejot (16 goals) will likely have a career-high year scoring-wise. Giugliano, a sophomore, had just four goals as a freshman last year and is already up to six in six games. Morato, also a member of the sophomore class, has scored 12 goals and has added 20 ground balls and 15 draw controls. After a year of losing Paramus is eager to rack up the victories in 2025. Pascack Hills (3-1) Pascack Hills is used to winning and competing for division titles, but last season was a down year for the Cowboys. They finished dead last in the NJIGLL American Red with a 6-9 record, which was the first losing season since 2013. There’s still work to be done this year, but the Cowboys are trending towards getting back to their winning ways. With a 3-1 record, Pascack Hills is already halfway to matching its win total from last season. Following a loss to Ramsey on April 8, things could have easily started to spin out of control for the Cowboys but they responded nicely with a 9-5 win over Waldwick just two days later. They have been off since then, but will return to the field Wednesday and look to stack up a few more wins heading into late April and early May. It took four games for the Cowboys to score more than 10 goals last season and they have already reached that mark twice this year. It’s been a total team effort on that end with Emily Driver, Keira Hickey, Sloanne Irizarry, and Astrid Velozo all having scored at least seven goals so far. Passaic Tech (3-1) One of the youngest programs in the state, Passaic Tech is another team out of the NJIGLL American Red that is off to a great start. The Bulldogs currently hold a 3-1 record and are in the middle of their best start to a season since 2021. That year the Bulldogs weren’t able to sustain their early season success and finished with a 7-8 record. This year, Passaic Tech will look to remain consistent and stay in the fight for a divisional title until the end of the regular season. That starts with a matchup against Indian Hills on Wednesday, its first game since suffering its only loss so far back on April 8. It’s vital that junior Brianna Bellome (23 goals) stays hot and continues her terrific scoring pace. She’s finished with at least a hat trick in all four games thus far. Freshman Emma Whartnaby (seven goals, 10 points) is another name to keep an eye on. Red Bank Catholic (5-3) Red Bank Catholic last had a winning record when it finished the 2022 season at 14-7. Since then, it has gone 14-25 and won just five games last year. But under third-year coach Kimberly Williams, the Caseys are off to a 5-3 start and are 4-0 in the Shore Conference Constitution Division with wins over Freehold Township, Ocean Township, Colts Neck, Jackson Memorial and Point Pleasant Beach and losses against Holmdel, Red Bank Regional and Shore. Led by senior Malia D’Alterio (28 goals, five assists, 25 ground balls, 40 draw controls, four forced turnovers) and sophomore Alexandra Rogers (34 goals, eight assists, 11 ground balls, 32 draw controls, three forced turnovers), Red Bank Catholic is averaging 10 goals a game. Tenafly (2-2) Since debuting as a program in 2016, Tenafly has put together just one winning season. That came in 2023 when the Tigers won 13 games, but then followed that up with a disappointing 1-15 finish in 2024. The 2025 season is already off to a better start as the Tigers have bested their win total from last season and are in second place in the NJIGLL American White at 2-2. There’s still work to be done, but it should already be considered a success that the Tigers have shown improvement from last season. After losing two-straight games to drop to 1-2, they went out and defeated Mary Help of Christians 7-1. Now is the time for Tenafly to start to string together some victories as it looks to move past last season and continue to improve for the near and far future. Verona (5-1) There’s a history of winning for Verona girls lacrosse. With the exception of one .500 season, from 2012 to 2023 the Hillbillies finished with a winning record. From 2014 to 2022 they were at worst a sectional quarterfinalist. The 2024 season was a lost one for the Hillbillies with a 4-17 record, their worst finish since 2011. Now that they’re back in the Freedom White Division of the NJIGLL, Verona has gotten back to its winning ways. It’s currently in first place with a 5-1 record and doesn’t look like it’ll let up anytime soon. After suffering its first loss on April 9, it responded with a dominant 14-6 win over New Providence in a battle between two of the Freedom’s best teams. After how last season went, it was vital that the Hillbillies show some resolve coming off of a loss and did just that in a very impressive manner. Jane Sorger (19 goals, 31 points) has been one of the best two-way midfielders in the entire NJIGLL. She headlines a great senior class that also includes Riley Kenrick (20 goals), Kelly Barrow (13 goals), Julia Dacey (nine goals), and Aubrey Paul (49 saves). Villa Walsh (3-2) Villa Walsh is another team out of the NJIGLL that had one of its worst seasons in recent memory in 2024. The Vikings finished just 4-14, had one victory in Independence Blue Division play, and never strung together more than two wins in a row. Fast forward to today and the Vikings are just one victory away from matching their win total from last season. Villa Walsh is currently positioned in fourth place in a very crowded Independence Blue race with a 3-2 record. After starting the season with a six-goal loss to Holy Angels, it defeated Newark Academy 17-9, Pope John 13-11, and Indian Hills 13-12. The victories over Pope John and Indian Hills were especially important as the Vikings finished with a losing record in games decided by two goals or fewer last season. A pair of juniors - Tessa Bowers (23 goals) and Sofia Kearns (26 goals) - have supercharged the offense so far. Wayne Valley (3-0) It’s been a perfect start for Wayne Valley so far. After winning just two games last season, the Indians are one of just three remaining undefeated teams left in the NJIGLL. They started the year off with a narrow escape in a 10-9 win over Pope John, and then proceeded to be in control in a 15-5 win over Indian Hills and then 13-9 over West Milford. Last season it took until its sixth game for the Indians to score more than 10 goals, and they have already done that in every game so far this year. The team’s depth has been on display as well. Six players - Maggie Dunne, Sadie Kirz, Allison McNutt, Alexandra Morgan, Ainsley Phillips, and Sarah Vastano - have all registered at least four goals. Additionally, nine players have picked up at least three ground balls. Lauren Knego may be reached at lknego@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on X at @laurenknego Donovan Hugel can be reached at dhugel@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @donohugel. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook ’ Instagram ’ X (formerly Twitter)