No sports program at Saint Stephen’s has evolved from birth to state Final Four participant faster than girls’ lacrosse. In just their 10th season of varsity competition, the Falcons ran off 17 consecutive wins to open the 2023 season and advanced to the FHSAA Final Four for the first time. SSES repeated that feat last season, boasting an 18-2 record.
The program began as a club team in 2009, reached varsity status in 2013, and didn’t waste any time tasting success. Teams comprised entirely of underclassmen and middle school students appeared in district title games in 2014 and 2015, before raising the championship trophy for the first time in 2016. The Falcons have now won six titles in the past 10 years.
Although the 2022 squad did not win a district crown, the Falcons posted a 14-3 record and reached the state’s Elite Eight. That set the tone for the 2023 and 2024 Falcons, who both came within two wins of a state championship. The 2024 team established a new school single-season record with 18 victories, besting the 17 wins from the prior season.
Saint Stephen’s has been paced by a number of outstanding individual players during its brief history, including future collegiate stars Baylee Barker (Rhodes), Katie Pierce (American), Taylor Vara (East Stroudsburg), Sophia Creneti (Swarthmore), Sienna Cassella (Rutgers) and Ashling Marshall (Bryant).