The top D1 girls lacrosse games to keep an eye on in 2023

The spring sports preseason started on Monday, but the games won't start for real for three more weeks, so it's the perfect time to start circling some dates on the calendar.

Here are some of the top games to look out for in 2023 in Division I girls lacrosse, in chronological order. Schedules are subject to change, so check with your respective teams to make sure a date or time hasn't changed.

April 10: Pinkerton at Portsmouth

• These two teams have played once a year going back to 2017 - with the Astros winning all five matchups - but this will not only be the first time playing as division foes, but also the Clippers first game as a D1 team. A year ago, Pinkerton was able to get some separation midway through the game in what was a low-scoring contest.

April 13: Portsmouth at Bishop Guertin

• What a welcome to D1 for the Clippers, as their second game is a road trip to visit the four-time defending champs. In fact, in terms of championships, these are the two most successful girls programs over the last 15 years, as Portsmouth has won nine championships, including the last five in D2. Bishop Guertin has six titles in that time, including a win over the Clippers in the 2010 D2 title game.

April 18: Pinkerton at Bedford

• A rematch of last year's semifinal game, which the Bulldogs won with a suffocating defensive effort, holding the Astros to just three goals. Bedford has won three in a row in the series while one of the two programs has been in each of the last six D1 championship games.

April 21: Portsmouth at Souhegan

• The two programs have played off and on while in different divisions, but this will be the fourth meeting between two head coaches who are very familiar with each other - McKinley Curro-Sbordone (Souhegan) and JoJo Curro (Portsmouth) are sisters who played together at Souhegan. This will be the first of two meetings on the season, with Portsmouth having won the three previous.

April 25: Bishop Guertin at Bedford

• This has quickly become one of the top rivalries in all of New Hampshire girls lacrosse, and for good reason. They've met in the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, either in the semifinals or the championship game, with the Cardinals winning all four times, including last year's title game. This game is the final one of a quadruple-header, which will feature the junior varsity and varsity teams for both the boys and girls programs.

May 3: Portsmouth at Bedford

• Another possible championship-game preview, the Clippers and Bulldogs have also been playing crossover games for a couple of seasons. Last year, Bedford needed overtime to have Portsmouth its first loss of the season.

May 8: Nashua South at Souhegan

• The Panthers have been in the postseason for five straight years, and for four of those, they've been bounced in the quarterfinals by the Sabers, including last season. When the teams met in the regular season in 2022, Souhegan had to make a comeback in the second half to get the win.

May 12: Pinkerton at Dover

• Before the pandemic, the Green Wave had struggled since moving up to D1 in 2015. But in 2021, Dover picked up its first playoff win in D1, and last year, the Green Wave won 11 games before falling to the Astros in the quarterfinals. This should be a highly-anticipated rematch.