Most Intriguing Teams: 802 D2 Selection – Lamoille Union H.S.

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm going through D1-D4 and looking at the most interesting teams therein! They won't necessarily be the favorite to win the title, but they'll feature exciting young players, fascinating collections of talent, and so on. Let's dive in! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D2 Selection: Lamoille Union High School </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Division 2 is up for grabs this year, although I could see North Country making a run for back-to-back titles as they return last year's GPOY [player_tooltip player_id='645601' first='Sabine' last='Brueck'] and a sharpshooting combo-guard in [player_tooltip player_id='649622' first='Maya' last='Auger']. That being said, I have Lamoille down to make a major splash this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They have a strong senior core with <strong>6'0 F Marielle Benoit </strong>who works the interior well on both ends, a pesky combo-guard <strong>5'8 [player_tooltip player_id='649632' first='Natalie' last='Royer']</strong> running the show, and another solid senior wing player in <strong>5'8 Elise Small</strong>. The leadership between the three of them should bolster a team coming into their own. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adding to the perimeter depth is Dream Dozen junior guard <strong>5'8 [player_tooltip player_id='645784' first='Evie' last='Pirie'],</strong> who's shooting touch has sharpened to add a 3rd level of scoring in the mid-range. <strong>5'8 [player_tooltip player_id='645781' first='Ava' last='Clark']</strong>, another junior combo-guard, has impressive speed and athleticism, making her a formidable slasher and a terrific two-way open court player. 2026, <strong>5'8 [player_tooltip player_id='630314' first='Alana' last='Crittenden']</strong> is an athletic wing who can guard 1-3, hit the boards well from the perimeter, and grease the wheels offensively. Add another pesky guard is 2026, <strong>5'7 [player_tooltip player_id='630342' first='Cassie' last='Boissoneault']</strong>, who's shooting and passing touch forces tough defensive rotations. Clearly, they've got the perimeter depth to get up and down, and that's exactly what I think they'll do. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It seems they've bought in defensively as evidenced by a brutal jump and run press I saw over the summer that elicited innumerable turnovers, ugly possessions, and deep exhaustion from opposing teams. If they lock into their up-and-down game and make it an open court affair, that bodes well for this guard heavy, athletic squad. And I've seen them get hot from deep too; <strong>Royer</strong>, <strong>Boissoneault</strong>, and especially <strong>Pirie, </strong>all knock down open looks. <strong>Crittenden </strong>and <strong>Small </strong>can too. With all that defensive pressure and transition offense, their secondary transition could provide lots of open looks from deep. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moreover, the coaching staff over there has built a schedule that'll put iron to fire. Lamoille scrimmages three of D1's toughest schools to start the year with contests against St. Johnsbury, Champlain Valley, and Mount Mansfield. Plus, they play D1 Colchester and Essex in the regular season, two teams that tend to sit atop the top half of D1 as well. Those games will certainly toughen this squad and test their mettle, giving them the mental fortitude to take on anyone else down the road. I wouldn't be surprised if this team was deep in the playoffs come late February. Lamoille is coming. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->