Out of the top 10 Pennsylvania high school field hockey programs in the 2024 preseason ranking by MAX Field Hockey, three of them claimed their respective classification’s 2023 state championship title.
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (NDA), Villa Maria Academy, and Emmaus return to the top 10 in the regional ranking. NDA beat The Hill School 1-0 last fall to capture the Pa. Independent Schools Athletic Association championship; Villa Maria Academy defeated Palmyra 3-1 in the PIAA Class 2A championship; and, Emmaus topped Manheim Township 1-0 in the PIAA Class 3A championship.
Lower Dauphin, which was edged out of the state Class 3A championship by Emmaus is in fourth, while Manheim Township, is in eighth. Sandwiched between Palmyra at No. 6 and township is Conestoga at No. 7. LD, township, and Palmyra are in District 3 and Conestoga is in District 1.
Oley Valley won the 2023 PIAA Class 1A championship and starts the preseason ranked No. 14, while last year’s championship game competitor, Lackawanna Trail ranks in the Others Considered category.
Oley takes the lead for the first time in the game
Lynx 4, Lions 3
3:43 left pic.twitter.com/zbYbHnPcwl
— FemaleAthleteNews (@Female_FANews) November 18, 2023
The truth about this list is that any team in it could go all the way. And, while this is the preseason ranking, there are minimally a dozen more schools that could find themselves on a ranked list at any point throughout the season, as Pennsylvania is loaded with field hockey talent.
Here is the first preseason ranking by MAX Field Hockey.
Others Considered
Wyoming Area High School, Exeter
Wilson High School, West Lawn
Radnor High School, Wayne
The Episcopal Academy, Newtown Square
Parkland High School, Allentown
Northern York High School, Dillsburg
Lackawanna Trail High School, Factoryville
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School, Lower Gwynedd Township
Easton Area High School, Easton
20. Hershey High School, Hershey
19. Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Flourtown
18. Crestwood High School, Mountain Top
17. The Agnes Irwin School, Bryn Mawr
16. Central Bucks West High School, Doylestown
15. Methacton High School, Eagleville
14. Oley Valley High School, Oley
13. Boyertown Area High School, Boyertown
12. Penn Manor High School, Millersville
11. Downingtown West High School, Downingtown
10. Warwick High School, Lititz
9. West Perry High School, Elliottsburg
8. Manheim Township High School, Lancaster
7. Conestoga High School, Berwyn
6. Palmyra Area High School, Palmyra
5. Emmaus High School, Emmaus
4. Lower Dauphin High School, Hummelstown
3. Villa Maria Academy, Malvern
2. Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, Villanova
1. The Hill School, Pottstown
Photo: The Hill School vs NDA at Ursinus College, November 2023, Bob Benscoter
