Taking over a girls lacrosse program like Colorado Academy is the sort of job many coaches aspire to, but life isn't going to be all roses and butterflies for new coach Dee Cryer, and she knows it.

Cryer will head one of the state's most talented teams, and she is ecstatic about the level the Mustangs will be at this year and in the future.

The Mustangs, perennial contenders, have two Division I-bound seniors and a number of underclassmen who make for a well-rounded team.

But even the most able group can fail to meet goals, and that's what Cryer hopes to change.

"I am fortunate to walk in here already having great athletes and great girls in general," said Cryer, whose team returns all-state players Chapin Jackson and Morgan Miller. "But we will have the 'getting- to-know you' phase and an easing into a kind of process that is going to be hard.

"There are going to be growing pains, especially with my expectations of the level of commitment these girls are going to need if they want to reach their goals."

Cryer, formerly with Cherry Creek as a junior varsity-varsity 2 coach, is familiar dealing with players who are at the top of the commitment level. Her daughter, Caroline, is a former All-Colorado player from Cherry Creek who is one of Duke University's primary attackers.

• In addition to Cryer, 10 new coaches will be on the sidelines, some for the first time and others simply with new colors. Among the schools with a changing of the guard are Golden, Smoky Hill, Heritage, Mullen and Arapahoe. All are potential high playoff seeds. The Centennial League saw the most movement, with five changes from a year ago.

• Colorado has become a hotbed of Division-I caliber talent in the west. Ranked college programs are seeking out Colorado girls, with 12 players already having committed to big-time programs.

Four top-10 programs have Colorado players locked up: top-ranked North Carolina (Rachael Zimmerman, Cherry Creek), No. 2 Duke (Miller, Colorado Academy), No. 7 Virginia (Perrie White, Cherry Creek) and No. 9 Dartmouth (Kelly Hopley and Greta Meyer, both Kent Denver).

Catie Tilton of Cherry Creek has committed to 16th-ranked Boston University, and Mullen's Savannah Khanna and Tulley Stapp will stay local, at the University of Denver, a team that has drifted in and out of the top 20 in recent years.

Other Division I signees include Kent Denver's Erin Tochihara (Princeton), Denver East's Nellie Hayes and Colorado Academy's Jackson (both to California-Berkley) and Cheyenne Mountain's Karlee Keller (Wagner).

• It is an understatement to say Air Academy will have a well-rounded offense. The Kadets return three players who poured in more than 40 goals apiece last season, including Southern League player of the year Melanie Waddle.

The scary thing is, their best finisher might be sophomore Alex Befus, who tallied 68 goals in her first year.

"She is the real deal," Cheyenne Mountain coach Bonnie Goff said. "She's going to be a force for the next several years."

• Chaparral coach Dix Baines is eager to take the Wolverines to the next level in only their second year.

"I was amazed at getting the 12 seed in our first year, but we didn't lose anyone, and we have six freshmen that will make an impact this year," Baines said. "Our league is loaded with on-the-rise teams."

GIRLS TOP 5

1 Cherry Creek: What more can be said? The Bruins have appeared in every state title game since 1998.

2 Kent Denver: The Sun Devils usually are in the top 20 nationally, and this year should be no different.

3 Colorado Academy: A new coach takes over a talented group that should contend again.

4 Air Academy: The Kadets look to dominate the Southern League and find their stride in the playoffs.

5 Denver East: Looking to break the barrier and join the elite, the Angels will flourish behind Nellie Hayes.

• Consensus league picks: Cherry Creek (Centennial), Heritage (Continental), Golden (Jeffco), Kent Denver (Metro), Air Academy (Southern).

TOP PLAYERS BY POSITION

Player School Year

ATTACKERS Olivia Annalora Heritage Jr. Alex Befus Air Academy So. Chapin Jackson Colorado Academy Sr. Perrie White Cherry Creek Sr. Catie Tilton Cherry Creek Sr.

MIDFIELDERS Nellie Hayes Denver East Sr. Greta Meyer Kent Denver Sr. Morgan Miller Colorado Academy Sr. Melanie Waddle Air Academy Sr. Rachael Zimmerman Cherry Creek Sr.

DEFENDERS Audrey Dickinson Smoky Hill Sr. Kelly Hopley Kent Denver Sr. Taylor Brown Cherry Creek Sr. Hillary Walker Kent Denver Sr. Katie Limoge Cheyenne Mountain Sr.

GOALKEEPERS Jamie Hamilton Golden Sr. Alisa Konishi Mullen Jr. Serena Rodriguez Dakota Ridge Sr. Erin Tochihara Kent Denver Sr. Anna Wallingford Heritage Jr.

• For a complete league-by-league outlook, including top players, go to RockyPreps.com.

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