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NAJAH ALI, Newburyport, Jr., Defender Earns her first Daily News all-star nod after a stellar defensive season ... Cape Ann League all-star ... Was voted the team's Unsung Hero Award at the banquet ... A high honors student ... Coach Lauren Hefferan said that her stick-handling and passing made her a dangerous threat even from defense.

Dianne Freiermuth is without a doubt one of the most successful coaches in North Andover High history.

In 15 seasons at the helm of the school's field hockey program, she's compiled a 147-85-66 record, including a 22-1 mark this year. She also led the Scarlet Knights to two North sectional titles.

The word "dynasty" is used all too frequently these days. But the Salem field hockey is as close to one as any team that has had the word heaped upon it in recent years. The Blue Devils bore that out yesterday, cruising to a 4-0 win over Timberlane in the Class L championship, and clinching their third state title in a row and sixth in the last seven years.

Senior standout Taylor Callahan of Marblehead was named Most Valuable Player of the Northeastern Conference in field hockey yesterday as the conference coaches selected their annual all-star team.

Callahan, who has scored 10 goals this season, was joined on the team by three of her Marblehead teammates: seniors Tori Snow, Courtney Colantuno and Michele Manley.

Ashley Mulkey, Carolyn Malloy and Tatum Dyer are ready to move in a new direction.

Field hockey teammates since starting the sport together in Windham as sixth graders, they are captains for two-time defending Class L champion Salem, which has a showdown of unbeatens at 4 p.m. Friday at Timberlane.

PLAISTOW, N.H. | Timberlane field hockey coach Mim Ryan may need to switch some personnel around Friday when the Owls host two-time defending champion Salem in a Class L showdown of unbeatens.

On the other hand, with senior Sarah Cannon on the team, that won't be a problem.

NORTH ANDOVER | Senior forward Lauren Gaffny has a lot to offer both on and off the field hockey field.

She's co-captain of the unbeaten Scarlet Knights, ranked 28th in a class of 355 students and is senior class vice president.

Over the last five years, the Manchester Essex field hockey team has been a powerhouse, making the Division 2 North semifinals in each season during that span.

This fall, the Hornets are hoping to finally get past that point, and Molly Foye is doing everything in her power to help accomplish that goal.

Last year's Pentucket field hockey team was the first in program history to post a tournament victory.

So for a squad that returned nine seniors this fall, there was instant pressure to eclipse that accomplishment. "Coming into the season, we knew having all of these seniors would either work out really well, or it wouldn't work at all," said co-captain Briana Dunn.