Today will feature the most anticipated regular-season scholastic field hockey game in 10 years.
The defending PIAA Class AA champions, Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.), No. 3 in the TopOfTheCircle.com Top 10, welcome No. 1 Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) the current Mid-Atlantic Prep League champions.
Why is this match significant? As was the case when Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.) traveled to Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) this week in 2014, the talk was not only about the two teams’ histories, but the talent on the field. The matchup was between two great sides, and ones with players from the Youth Olympic Games qualifying team, Austyn Cuneo (Eastern) and Margaux Paolino (Episcopal Academy), who both matriculated to the ACC for college.
Today’s game features two evenly-matched teams and a raft of interesting individual stories. The rosters of both teams have players who train with the renowned WC Eagles club side, and the combined college commitments list reads like a rostrum of Top 25 Division I college teams — Maryland, Syracuse, Connecticut, North Carolina, Stanford, and the Loyola (Md.) women’s lacrosse team.
Hill and Villa Maria are currently playing extremely good hockey. Hill is 11-0 on the season and is coming off an eight-day break after its last game, a 9-0 win over Hightstown Peddie School (N.J.). Villa Maria is 16-0 on the year, and coming off a stunning 15-0 win over Kingston Wyoming Seminary (Pa.).
Both teams have been tested in their schedules by regional powers. Hill beat Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.) 2-1 this year as well as North Caldwell West Essex (N.J.) 1-0. The Rams swept both of their games at the National High School Invitational last month, beating Houston Kinkaid (Tex.) 3-0 and Virginia Beach First Colonial (Va.) 5-1.
The Hurricanes, on the other hand, bested Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) 2-1 to open the season, and swept Flourtown Mount St. Joseph Academy (Pa.) in their AACA season series. At the National High School Invitational, Villa Maria beat Houston St. John’s (Tex.) 3-1 and Ashburn Independence (Va.) 4-0.
When Hill has the ball, keep an eye on midfielder Aubrey Turner, forward Mae Dixon, and Riley Savage. On corners, Opal Sparling is normally the first option, but the key will be on how the team is able to work the variations in the circle. Villa Maria will be countering with good defensive midfielders in Gabby Balzano, Alexandra Coupe, and Ella Cellini.
When Villa Maria has the ball, Caitlyn Connell is a key scorer and distributor for the Hurricanes alongside Lauren Kurek. Sophomore Jack Shaw is an outstanding midfielder, and first-year Georgi Kondrath is showing herself to be a key field player. And if the latter surname sounds familiar, she is the younger sister of Duke’s Maggie Kondrath, who graduated from The Hill School. Hill will counter defensively with Clare Turner, Sofia Ferri, and Macy Rehak. Ferri is one to watch out for on the transition game from defense to offense.
There’s a lot of anticipation and emotion coming into today’s match, which should have all of the passion and skills of a grand final.
