WHS girls’ lacrosse state champions receive championship rings during ceremony

By Matt Pascarella

The 2025 Windham varsity girls’ lacrosse team made program history when they defeated top-ranked Kennebunk 12-9 in the Class A State Championship to capture the program’s first state title at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on June 21. They were honored with celebratory plaques and championship rings at Windham High School on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Windham High's varsity 2025 girls' lacrosse state
championship team show off their state championship
rings during a recognition ceremony at Windham 
High School on Wednesday,  Nov. 26.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

The 2025 WHS girls’ lacrosse team consisted of graduates Sophie Allen, Grace Joly, Lauren Jordan; seniors Abby Trainor, Neve Ledbetter, Demetria Nicholas, Elizabeth Baker, Mady Donnelly, Brianna Duarte, Alyssa Cooper, Olivia McPherson; juniors Morgan McLain, Grayson Cornish, Gracie McPherson, Charlie Scanlon, Libby Hartwell, Avery Adams, manager Allegresse Kawaya; sophomores Brooklyn Roy, Anna Bowie, Morgan Clark, Maria Rose, Madison Buzulchuck and Lauren Valle.

Windham varsity girls’ lacrosse coach Matt Perkins said after that season ended he received messages from referees complimenting how professional a team Windham had been during the season. The way the team carried themselves and their character is second to none.

A slideshow of season highlights was shown during the ceremony.

“The goal they’ve had season after season is to create one big group with no cliques, but with people coming together,” said Perkins. “The one phrase or one word that (describes) this group is ‘team.’ When you look at this group, every little fragment that is part of the ‘team’ definition, is this group to a tee. We (as coaches) have never been around a group that hits so many aspects of the word team.

The definition of ‘team’ is a group of individuals working together to achieve a common goal, where members are mutually accountable and rely on each other’s strengths. What is your goal and what are you going to do to impact us are two questions Perkins and his coaches put on the players last year. The team was all about that. As coaches they feel very, very fortunate to have had that year. It feels so good to look back at what this team did and how they did it.

“We didn’t really get to process it,” said Joly. “To come back together and relive it, my heart is so warm and full from being here with everyone again. This ceremony is everything I thought it would be and more. These rings are pretty snazzy, and we have a lot of supporters here who supported us all year, so it’s really nice.”

Ledbetter said it definitely felt amazing for the team to be recognized for how hard they’ve worked. it takes a team that has hard work and plays together, but she also thinks it takes the support. In the stands during the championship was everyone who had ever cared about the team and that was really important to the players and the team as a whole.

“It’s honestly surreal,” said Trainor. “Going back on my camera roll and seeing those photos, I still can’t believe that’s what we’ve achieved. Watching the slideshows, it shows how far we’ve come. We didn’t have to rely on one person or two people, we had our whole team play a part in certain things. Everyone’s dream of winning states ... actually came true.” <