With a handful of returning players, the goal for Perkiomen School's girls lacrosse team is to make a return appearance to the Penn-Jersey League title game. Meanwhile, the team continues to make daily adjustments, according to head coach Nicole Meehan.

            "This time, we want to come home with the championship trophy," she said.

            Though thunderstorms ended Tuesday's non-league home game after 11 minutes against Academy of the New Church, the Panthers displayed signs of improvement. According to the coach, they made strides clearing the ball, displayed offensive movement, and made strides in executing basic strategies.

            "It was exciting to see," said Meehan, a second-year coach.

            Perkiomen School was awarded a forfeit victory after the visiting Lions chose not to wait out a delay. Referees stopped the game due to lightning with just under 20 minutes remaining in the first half after each team scored once.

            Last week, the Panthers opened the season with a 10-3 loss to Barrack Hebrew Academy. They trailed 4-3 at halftime on Thursday, March 23.

            "We played a really great first half," said Meehan, whose assistant coaches include Erin McGuire and Louisy Roest.

            Perkiomen School is scheduled to play consecutive home games, beginning with New Foundations Charter School on Wednesday, followed by the Hun School at 4 p.m. Friday.

            In just her second week with the entire roster, the coach says she's still figuring out the team's strengths and weaknesses. According to coach, constant improvement is the key.

            The Panthers' top returning players include senior goalkeeper Isabella Barringer and junior attacker Lauren Patnode. Barringer, a Pennsburg resident, has committed to play at Flagler College, located in St. Augustine, Fla., which completes in the Division II Gulf South Conference.

            "Bella has really developed over the last two years," Meehan said of Barringer, who plays for the NTX Club team, headquartered in Conshohocken. "She's very vocal, which helps our defense. She's got quick hands."

            The roster features several local players, such as seniors Jillian Ruscavage, of Quakertown, and Kendall Gavin, who lives in Green Lane; juniors Shaelin Leach, from Green Lane, Morgan Keely, of East Greenville, Natalie Frankenfield, from Barto, and Allison Hughes, from Marlborough; Bria Moyer, a sophomore from Green Lane, and Kayla Smith, a ninth grader from Gilbertsville. Gavin, Keely, Leach and Moyer provide the team with much-needed experience, according to the coach.

            Meehan, a 2010 graduate of Owen J. Roberts who played the sport at East Stroudsburg University, was hired at Perkiomen School in October 2021 following a five-year tenure as the head women's lacrosse coach at Shippensburg University. Prior to that, she spent two seasons as an assistant at York College. Her husband Scott is the associate head men's lacrosse coach at St. Joseph's University.