Canton High girls lax team extends unbeaten streak
By Jay Turner
Nora Giannacopoulos, Grace Starr and Kate Giannacopoulos have powered the Bulldogs to 3 wins. (Mike Tureski photo)
After an up-and-down 2025 campaign that ended without a trip to the state playoffs, a rejuvenated CHS girls lacrosse team got back to game action last week and look to be ready to make some real noise in the Hockomock League.
After opening with a convincing road win over the Mansfield Hornets, the lady Bulldogs have since continued their strong start with a pair of close victories over Attleboro and Oliver Ames, improving their record to 3-0 to stake themselves to an early lead in the Davenport Division standings.
“We’ve had a great start to the season, and I’m really proud of how they responded in this tough opening stretch,” commented head coach and CHS alum Jess Powers, now in her second season at the helm. “The wins against Mansfield and Attleboro were a great tone-setter and gave us an early confidence boost. I’m especially happy with the way this team has competed, celebrated those wins, and then immediately shifted their focus to the next game. We’re excited for this next stretch and look forward to continuing to build momentum.”
Powers said this year’s team has a great mix of varsity veterans and talented younger players, and the new additions to the lineup have transitioned “seamlessly,” she said, and have given the Bulldogs a “huge boost both offensively and defensively.”
Among the early standouts from the underclassmen ranks are a pair of promising freshmen, Kate Giannacopoulos and Grace Starr, who have been strong in the midfield and have also impressed with their finishing ability, combining for 14 goals through the season’s first three games.
In last week’s thrilling comeback victory over Attleboro on their home field, Starr led all Canton players with six goals, and Giannacopoulos added four of her own, including the game-tying goal with less than two minutes remaining. Then, with under one minute to play, junior Shannon Lane got the chance to play the hero as she rifled a shot past the Attleboro goalie to clinch a 16-15 victory for the hosts. Coming off a strong sophomore season in 2025, Lane looks primed to take the next step this spring and is currently tied with Starr for second on the team with nine goals.
The only player with more, not surprisingly, is standout senior midfielder Nora Giannacopoulos, who is the reigning league scoring champion after racking up a whopping 82 goals (and 100 total points) in 18 games played last season. Nora Giannacopoulos, who is Kate’s older sister, already has 12 scores to her credit so far this spring, including a season-high six in the Bulldogs’ 12-9 road win over Oliver Ames earlier this week.
Also making an early contribution are Cassidy Lyons and Kalynn Souza, who have two goals apiece, and Deanna Kolokithas, who scored her first of the season in the game against OA and added a pair of assists in their earlier win versus Mansfield.
On the defensive end, Powers said the team has a solid group led by veterans Michaela Dickie, Maddie McCabe and Anna Kennedy and freshman Sam Durant. Another freshman, Nora Dickson, is one of the Bulldogs’ two goalies and has performed well while splitting time with veteran Sammy Gardner.
While noting she’s fortunate to have two “amazing” goalies, Powers said Gardner has had an especially strong start. “She played the entire game against Mansfield,” she said, “and lots of credit goes to her for that win as she made key saves on Mansfield’s first few shots. Without those early saves, the game could have gone very differently.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=133956
Posted by Jay Turner
on Apr 10 2026. Filed under High School, Sports.
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