A look at our selections for the Top 10 preseason Connecticut girls high school lacrosse players:

Carolyn Paletta (Greenwich), M, Jr.: One word describes this scoring phenom: fast. She had the game-winning goal in a 9-8 win over Cheshire in the Class L final last season and the winner in an 11-10 win over Newtown in the Class L semifinals. She has already committed to North Carolina.

Kathleen Kalbian (Cheshire), M, Sr.: She has developed into one of the best face-off specialists in the state. Contributing on both ends of the field, she ended up with 49 goals and 26 assists last season.

Taylor Hardison (Darien), A, Sr.: The 2012 U.S. Lacrosse All-American leads a potent offensive attack for the Blue Wave. She had three goals and two assists in a 17-14 win over Greenwich in the FCIAC tournament championship last season. She set a single-season school record with 46 assists last year.
Jena Fritts (Darien), A, Sr.: Fritts is another prolific scorer for the Blue Wave and had four goals and an assist in the team’s win over Greenwich in the FCIAC tournament championship last season. She was named MVP of the FCIAC tournament, selected an honorable mention All-American and has committed to play at California.

Dillon Schoen (Darien), M, Jr.: Schoen contributes in just about every phase of the game for the Blue Wave and is a key player in the transition game. She has committed to play at Stanford.

Caylee Waters (Darien), G, Sr.: One of the top goalies in the state who routinely makes spectacular saves. Known for her ability to quickly clear the ball away, she quickly developed national recognition and was heavily recruited. She will play at North Carolina.

Liz O’Sullivan (New Canaan), G, Sr.: Another elite goalie in the state who typically posts a .600 to .700 percent save percentage. Originally committed to Stanford, last fall she changed her commitment to Notre Dame.

Olivia Hompe (New Canaan), A, Sr.: She had a team-high 84 goals and 50 draw controls for the Rams last season. She had nine goals in the Rams’ 17-9 win over Wilton in last season’s Class M championship game. She will play at Princeton.

Tegan Helms (Wilton), M, Sr.: A strong and aggressive midfielder who contributes in every phase of the game. She will play at Columbia. 

Riley Smith (Guilford), A, Sr.: A versatile player who also contributes at midfield, she was one of the top scorers in the state last season with 83 goals and 27 assists. She also had 16 interceptions and 60 ground balls.