Cayden Reese Named High School Girls' Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year

Cayden Reese took her game to another level this spring, and that helped Maryvale (Md.) rise to new heights.

The Lions had to replace six graduated starters and then lost Lainey Minderlein to a season-ending injury. Reese helped offset those losses, displaying her game IQ and her talents to propel Maryvale to another IAAM A Conference championship by being a dynamic team leader.

“She really was an extension of the coaching staff, but most important was her competitiveness,” said Maryvale coach Brian Reese, her father. “She wants to win and is willing to do whatever it takes to help her team. When your best player is doing that, it’s easy for the rest of the team to follow.”

Reese posted career highs of 60 goals and 35 assists to go with 40 draw controls. In the face of constant attention from opposing defenses, she was a consistent force and the leader for a team that was dominant. Maryvale outscored teams 300-99 as she helped the Lions repeat as conference champions for the first time in school history. No one got within five goals of Maryvale over their final 13 games.

Cayden Reese has been named the 2026 USA Lacrosse High School Girls’ Mid-Atlantic Region Player and Attacker of the Year.

“Her aggressiveness going to goal was a difference this year,” Brian Reese said. “Before this season, she scored between 36-38 goals each of her first three seasons. I think the confidence she had in her dodging took the next level. She has always been a great feeder and passer, but her dodging from different spots on the field made her very difficult to defend.”

Her slick passing, ability to read the game and set up a teammate, or her own pinpoint finishes on difficult angles may look easy or natural, but it has taken countless hours to develop her skill and versatility. A relentless drive to improve is a huge part of how she’s gotten so good. Her passion for the game isn’t something just passed down from her parents.

“The time she spends both working on her fitness outside of practice and her skills is really impressive,” Brian Reese said. “She is always looking to do more when people are not looking.”

Her father coached her for four years at Maryvale. Her mother, Cathy Reese, will have the next chance to coach her at Maryland next year. The stakes and the level will be even higher as she tries to help another team win, just as she enjoyed lifting Maryvale’s level.

“She wants to be better and wants to be coached,” Brian Reese said. “I am very fortunate that I was able to coach such a special player who just happens to be my daughter.”

— Justin Feil

Girls’ All-Mid-Atlantic Team

Attacker of the Year: Cayden Reese, Maryvale (Md.)

See above.

Midfielder of the Year: Riley Davis, Jr., Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.)

Davis lived up to some big preseason hype. The top-ranked player in the Class of 2027 posted some big numbers out of the midfield for the Irish this year. Her 83 goals and 12 assists made her the highest points producer in the Inter-Ac League. She also was important winning draw controls and causing turnovers. The Penn State commit still has a year to go, which is a nightmare for opponents, but she gives Notre Dame a great starting point.

Defender of the Year: Kit Laake, Sr., McDonogh (Md.)

Laake has been a staple for the Eagles over her career. It’s hard to imagine their defense without her in it. She caused 17 turnovers and secured 18 ground balls this year as part of a stingy McDonogh unit that allowed double digit goals to only one team all season while leading the IAAM A Conference in goals against average. Laake has speed, positioning and takeaway skills that will serve her well at the next level at Maryland.

Goalie of the Year: Maeve Magarity, Sr., Penn Charter (Pa.)

The Inter-Ac League has a wealth of talent, and it was Magarity that was named Most Valuable Player. An opposing coach said she “changed the outcome of the game” with her shot saving ability. Magarity finished the year with 143 saves and a 56 percent save percentage. Penn Charter never allowed more than eight goals in a game this year. Their 4.3 goals against average was a huge reason they went 25-2 and won the Inter-Ac and PAISAA championships while playing a strong out-of-conference schedule too. Magarity will be taking her skillset to Boston College.

Specialist of the Year: Maria Bragg, Sr., Severna Park (Md.)

Bragg has done it all for Severna Park during her career. She’ll leave for Florida with six program records after guiding Severna Park to the Class 3A state championship. Her final season was the true epitome of her well-rounded game with 45 goals, 27 assists, 34 caused turnovers, 43 ground balls and 105 draw controls to cap the two-time captain’s remarkable run.

Mid-Atlantic Girls' Top 10

1. Maryvale (Md.), 18-0

The top-seeded Lions repeated as IAAM A Conference champions with a 10-5 win over second-seeded McDonogh (Md.) to end the best season in program history. The Lions hadn’t won a conference crown since 2002, but now are repeat winners only five years after they went 8-7. Facing a schedule ranked in the Top 10 by Laxnumbers, the Lions outscored teams, 300-99, this season. They defeated McDonogh (Md.) twice, Notre Dame (Md.) twice, Archbishop Spalding (Md.), St. Mary’s (Md.), Stone Ridge (Md.), St. Anne’s-Belfield (Va.) and Georgetown Visitation (D.C.). Only once did a team manage to score 10 goals against them. Cayden Reese (Maryland) paced the attack with 60 goals and 35 assists to go with 40 draw controls, sophomore Maddie Moran was key in the midfield with 47 goals and 45 draws and Chloe Thomas (Stanford) was one of the best defenders in the league. The Lions went unbeaten even after losing a big threat, Lainey Minderlein (South Florida) to a knee injury. Previous: 1

2. Penn Charter (Pa.) 25-2

The Quakers ended their season with a PAISAA championship by topping Episcopal (Pa.). They also won the Inter-Ac League title. Penn Charter finished the season on a 24-game winning streak. During the season, they defeated such respected programs as St. Paul’s (Md.), Potomac (Va.), Stone Ridge (Md.), Sacred Heart Greenwich (Conn.), Agnes Irwin (Pa.), Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.), Moorestown (N.J.), Manheim Township (Pa.) and Archbishop Carroll (Pa.). Harbor Campbell (Loyola) paced the attack with 63 goals, midfielder Molly Dougherty (Michigan) scored 62 goals and had 38 draws, Ana Buckley (Dartmouth) had 55 goals and Lila Marciniak (Northwestern) scored 49 goals. Marciniak also had 28 assists and Campbell had 22. Sophomore Mak Myers won 243 draws and caused 40 turnovers. Maeve Magarity (Boston College) was voted league MVP with 143 saves and a 56 percent save percentage. Previous: 2

3. Manchester Valley (Md.), 19-0

The Mavericks ended their season on a 38-game winning streak by repeating as Class 2A state champions. They outscored teams, 325-79, over the season. Taylor Fique (Florida) had a huge junior year with 87 goals, 24 assists, 44 draw controls, 39 ground balls and 48 caused turnovers. She has 232 career goals with a year to go. Addison Meyer (Liberty) was tops in the midfield with 56 goals, 23 assists and 25 draws. Junior goalie Josie Collender (Mount St. Mary’s) had a 54 percent save percentage. Freshman draw specialist Nora Cassidy had an eye-opening season with 196 draws and 40 points in her first year as the Mavericks won their third title in four seasons. Previous: 3

4. Episcopal (Pa.), 16-6

After a 13-9 win over Notre Dame (Pa.) in the semifinals, the Churchwomen fell to Penn Charter in the PAISAA final to end their season. The Churchwomen beat Penn Charter in the first meeting of the season, one of only two teams to do so. Episcopal also defeated Oak Knoll (N.J.), Archbishop Carroll (Pa.), Stone Ridge (Md.), Agnes Irwin (Pa.) and Summit (N.J.) during the season. Sofia Gagliardi (Maryland), Caroline Johnston (Cornell) and Maya Le (Penn) made for a tough midfield group, Maeve Irish is just a sophomore that orchestrated a lot of offense, Nora Bailer (Army) surpassed 300 career draws and Caitlin McCarthy (Duke) anchored the defense. Previous: 4

5. Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.), 16-7

The Irish lost for the third time this season to Episcopal to end their season in the PAISAA semifinals. In a far improved schedule, Notre Dame defeated St. Paul’s (Md.), McDonogh (Md.), Georgetown Visitation (D.C.), Agnes Irwin (Pa.), Sacred Heart Greenwich (Conn.) and Moorestown (N.J.). Riley Davis (Penn State) paced the offense out of the midfield with 83 goals and 12 assists. Keira McHugh (Boston College) had 65 goals and 16 assists and Abby Sims (Notre Dame) was an all-league selection. Previous: 5

6. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Va.), 25-1

The Saints defeated St. Anne’s-Belfield (Va.) 10-5 in the VISAA championship to end their season.  SSSAS had won by a goal in their previous meeting. The Saints only loss came against Stone Ridge (Md.), a team that they beat the following meeting to avenge the defeat. Their best wins came against Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), Loyola Academy (Ill.), St. Anne’s-Belfield, Georgetown Visitation (D.C.), and St. John’s College (D.C.). The Saints were paced by one of the best midfields in the country with Harvard-bound Harper Jensen (83 goals, 12 assists), Denver commit Chloe Lambert (48G, 18A, 259 draws) and Penn commit Laney Jensen (34G, 34A). All three are good two-way players. Previous: 6

7. Agnes Irwin (Pa.), 13-7

The Owls were right in the PAISAA semifinals, trailing 2-1 at halftime against Penn Charter before losing to end their season. It was their third loss of the season to Penn Charter. They picked up wins this year over Manheim Township (Pa.), Coronado (Calif.), La Costa Canyon (Calif.), Notre Dame (Pa.), Moorestown (N.J.), Villa Maria Academy (Pa.) and Episcopal (Pa.). Midfielder Kelsey Young (Penn State), midfielder Avery Jansen (USC) and goalie Chelsea Kim (William & Mary) all garnered first-team All-Inter-Ac honors. Previous: 7                                

8. McDonogh (Md.), 13-4

After winning nine straight games to reach the IAAM A Conference championship, the Eagles’ season ended with a loss to Maryvale. Led by standout goalie Reagan O’Donovan (Penn State) and defender Kit Laake (Maryland), McDonogh had a stellar defense that allowed only 101 goals all season in 17 games. Maryvale was the first team to score in double figures in 13 games. Reed Pinkin (Denver) was the top scorer for the Eagles who lost Ava Fossati (Boston College) to a knee injury this season. They picked up wins over IMG (Fla.), Stone Ridge (Md.), St. Paul’s (Md.), St. Mary’s (Md.) and Notre Dame (Md.). Previous: 8

9. Good Counsel (Md.), 18-2

The top-seeded Falcons won their fifth straight WCAC championship 13-3 over Paul VI (Va.) to end their season. Good Counsel outscored teams, 328-113, this season. Their only losses came against St. Anne’s-Belfield (Va.) and Sacred Heart Greenwich (Conn.). They picked up wins over Georgetown Visitation (D.C.), Severna Park (Md.), Stone Ridge (Md.), Milton (Ga.) and St. John’s College (D.C.). Annabelle Walsh (Denver) was named WCAC Player of the Year. She and Ashlyn Gallagher (Oregon) were first-team selections on attack, Josie Kemp (Army) was the top midfielder picked and Ava Panetti (UMBC) and Dana Judd were selected as defenders along with goalie Clare Hansen (Fairfield). Previous: 9

10. West Chester Henderson (Pa.), 25-1

The Warriors won their first Pennsylvania AAA state championship, 11-6, over Conestoga (Pa.). It’s also the third win of the season over Conestoga, and Henderson was the only team to beat the Pioneers this year. Last year was Henderson’s first-ever trip to the state tournament. They also beat state contender Springfield-Delco (Pa.) twice and won the district title. Midfielder Bailey Schalleur (Notre Dame) and attack Reese Heim (Marquette) were first-team All-Ches-Mont selections and Rayne Harkins (James Madison), Mary Cate Killoran (Florida State) and Ava Fanelli (Christopher Newport) were named second team. Previous: 10