Clare Meyer ’22 was named the Friends Schools League Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. Meyer also earned FSL All-League honors every season of her career, beginning in eighth grade. She led the 2022 Tigers to the FSL Championship title – the fourth in five years; an undefeated FSL season; and a bid in the top division of the PAISAA State Tournament. Meyer also achieved the milestone of 150 career goals in 2022. The league MVP honor is bestowed on athletes from 15 Philadelphia-area leagues by the Pennsylvania Area Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association (PASLA).

In addition, Meyer earned USA Lacrosse All-Academic honors for the second consecutive year, recognizing her outstanding achievement on and off the field. Meyer is just one of a select group nationwide to earn this honor, including just 24 from the area.

“Clare is one of the all-time greats to wear the GFS uniform! We did not necessarily need Clare to pour in a lot of goals this year; while she did that, she also became a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the field and played some really heads-up lacrosse. Each game, the opposition was game-planning around containing Clare, but no team found a solution. Clare kept her cool, played smart, and set up teammates for success. She took her role as a mentor to younger players very seriously this season, and I know that they learned from the competitive mindset Clare brings to each competition, and her ability to lean into pressure situations. Clare has been an absolute difference-maker in our program,” said Director of Athletics Katie Bergstrom Mark. 

Also recognized for their outstanding academic and athletic record were Alexa Hanson ‘22, Annie McLaughlin ‘22, and Ella Shay ’23, who were named to the PASLA All-Academic Team. 

“Annie McLaughlin has been a mainstay on our field since her eighth-grade year, when she started for our championship-winning team. She is one of the smartest and most coachable players I have coached. Annie always finds a way to have an impact, and has run miles upon miles as a middie for us for four seasons; we are going to miss her hard-nosed and heads-up play. We are lucky that she has had the opportunity to mentor and guide Ella Shay (2022 leading scorer), who will take on the leadership of the team next year.

“Alexa has become a huge offensive threat (scoring 37 goals and adding 26 assists, the second-most in both categories for the 2022 season). She has grown in her role, improved her skills tremendously, and will leave a legacy of hard work, team-first attitude, and the willingness to prepare and regroup in a perfect balance. Alexa has definitely left our program in a better place because of her unrelenting dedication. 

“The trio of Clare, Annie, and Alexa has led our program to a 34-2 record in the league over the last four years. Their impact will be missed tremendously,” added Bergstrom Mark. 

photos top to bottom: Meyer, McLaughlin, Hanson, Shay