The American scholastic field hockey season ended yesterday. A 45-game buffet finished off the weekend with state, regional, and sectional championships from California to Connecticut. There were close games, overtimes, and a penalty shootout.
The biggest result of last week was a dominant performance by Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) in defeating its biggest league rival, Academy of Notre Dame, 5-1. The Rams, facing similar pressure a month ago against Villa Maria, won 5-0. Much like the Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) teams in the middle of the last decade, the Blues were able to turn up the wick and come through with great results against the best opposition. They are a sure-shot No. 1 team in this list.
This Top 10 will form the basis of our Final Top 50 which will be published next month; the first 10 teams in our Final Top 50 are not guaranteed to be in the same order as what you find below.
This week’s RightToRightIsRight.com honorary No. 11 Team of the Week is the University of Victoria. Two weekends ago, the Vikings won the Canada University Sports title with a 1-0 win over York University in the championship final. It was the 17th national championship for UVic.
1. Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) 22-0
The Rams won the PAISAA final with a no-doubt-about-it 5-1 win over Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.)
2. Mamaroneck (N.Y.) 22-0
On an overtime goal by senior Catherine D’Arcy, the Tigers beat Guilderland (N.Y.) 2-1 the NYSPHSAA Class A championship
3. Lititz Warwick (Pa.) 25-2
The inspired Indians dominated Dillsburg Northern York (Pa.) 4-0 in the PIAA Class AA final; full marks to head coach Ron Stief for getting the team focused in the last week
4. Tredyffrin Conestoga (Pa.) 22-3
Shae Wozniak’s overtime goal gave the Pioneers a thrilling win over Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) in the final of the PIAA Class AAA Tournament
5. Westport Staples (Conn.) 22-1
Staples, in its second meeting with Darien (Conn.) in the space of three weeks, didn’t need overtime the second time around, besting the Blue Wave 5-2 in the CIAC Class L tournament
6. Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) 21-2
The Hurricanes, five days after winning the PIAA Class AAA semifinals in overtime on a backhand strike on a play from the right wing into the circle, lost the final in overtime to on a backhand strike on a play from the right wing into the circle. District 1 champs did great against one of the most challenging schedules seen since the days of Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) in the mid-1990s
7. Elliottsburg West Perry (Pa.) 24-2
West Perry won the PIAA Class A final 4-0 over Boiling Springs (Pa.); attacking midfielder Jordan Byers finished the season amongst the nation’s leaders in goals scored and will take her talents to Iowa next year
8. Watertown (Mass.) 22-0
Raiders beat Sandwich (Mass.) 2-0 in the MIAA Division 3 title game thanks to a strong defensive performance; the team’s winning streak now stands at 97 matches
9. North Caldwell West Essex (N.J.) 22-3
The Black Knights, another team with a top-drawer schedule, won the NJSIAA Group 2 championship with a 2-0 win over Point Pleasant (N.J.) Borough. West Essex was undefeated in the state tournament, spinning five straight clean sheets
10. Andover Phillips Academy (Mass.) 19-0
The Big Blue won the NEPSAC Class A final on Sunday against Watertown Taft (Conn.). Phillips Andover did not yield a goal its final five games of the season
11. University of Victoria 9-1-2
Swept all four games played in the national tournament after its win in the Canada West championship in late October
Who’s out: Emmaus (Pa.) 2-1 OT loss to Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.); Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) 5-1 loss to Pottstown Hill School (Pa.)
And bear in mind: La Jolla Bishop’s School (Calif.) 25-1, La Jolla (Calif.) 15-6, La Verne Bonita (Calif.) 15-6-2, San Francisco St. Ignatius (Calif.) 18-4-1, Englewood Kent Denver (Colo.) 12-6, Darien (Conn.) 21-3, Guilford (Conn.) 19-4, Washington Shepaug Valley (Conn.) 15-4-1, Lewes Cape Henlopen (Del.) 17-2, Delmar (Del.) 18-1, Washington Georgetown Visitation (D.C.) 14-2-1, Winnetka New Trier (Ill.) 24-1-1, Louisville Assumption (Ky.) 20-6-3, Portland Cheverus (Maine) 18-0, Belfast (Maine) 17-1, Winthrop/Maranacook (Maine) 18-0, Crofton (Md.) 15-3-1, Pocomoke (Md.) 13-4, Severna Park (Md.) 14-4, Mariottsville Manchester Valley (Md.) 17-0, Baltimore Bryn Mawr (Md.) 18-2-1, Chelsea (Mich.) 15-3-1, Ann Arbor Pioneer (Mich.) 17-1-1, St. Louis Villa Duchesne (Mo.) 23-2, Keene (N.H.) 18-0-1, West Long Branch Shore Regional (N.J.) 24-2, Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.) 17-6-1, Summit Kent Place (N.J.) 12-9-1, Mullica Hill Clearview (N.J.) 18-4-1, Guilderland (N.Y.) 17-5, Whitney Point (N.Y.) 19-2, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (N.Y.) 20-0, Cary (N.C.) Christian 16-0, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.) 17-3, Worthington Thomas Worthington (Ohio) 17-5-1, Emmaus (Pa.) 25-2; Dillsburg Northern York (Pa.) 20-4, Boiling Springs (Pa.) 18-5; Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) 18-3-1, Providence Moses Brown (R.I.) 15-0, Burlington Rice Memorial (Vt.) 14-0-1, Norfolk (Va) Academy 18-3, Yorktown Tabb (Va.) 22-0, Windsor (Vt.) 12-4-1, South Burlington Rice Memorial (Vt.) 16-0-1, Hartford (Vt.) 14-1-1, Suffolk Nansemond River (Va.) 20-2, Arlington Yorktown (Va.) 18-4, Purcellville Loudoun Valley (Va.) 20-2-1, Hartland Arrowhead (Wisc.) 12-2-2
