What a weekend!
The first month of the domestic field hockey season has had a number of major intersectional challenges, whether it is the Gateway Invitational in St. Louis, the Apple Tournament in Louisville, and any number of small invitationals. However, nothing moves the needle as much as the National High School Invitational in Conshohocken, Pa.
This week sees a pretty good jumbling of our Top 10 thanks to the array of 79 games over the course of the weekend. We saw surprising results, close matches, overtimes, and overtime golazos which could alter entire destinies.
Our RightToRightIsRight.com honorary No. 11 Team of the Week is Ohio State University. The team is 8-0 this season, and will have some great tests in the Big Ten in the next month. Leading the way for Ohio State is Makenna Webster, who you might remember played field hockey for St. Louis VIlla Duchesne, but she made the choice to continue her scholastic career to play ice hockey at Faribault Shattuck/St. Mary’s (Minn.). She won a world U-18 gold medal for the United States before matriculating to Wisconsin to win an NCAA title.
But now at Ohio State after entering the transfer portal, Webster may now become the most impactful ice hockey player coming into college field hockey since 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Mounsey willed Brown University to the 1999 Ivy League championship. It remains Brown’s only qualification into the NCAA field hockey Tournament.
1. Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) 6-0
After the Blue Rams’ 2-0 weekend at the NHSI, they have Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.) tomorrow and Plymouth Wyoming Valley West (Pa.) on Friday
2. Mamaroneck (N.Y.) 8-0
Tigers kept their undefeated season alive thanks to a brilliant overtime golazo from sophomore Lily Brickman against Oley (Pa.) Valley at the NHSI
3. Emmaus (Pa.) 11-0
The Hornets will have two of their biggest regular-season tests later this week with Allentown Whitehall (Pa.) on Thursday, then at Millersville Penn Manor (Pa.) on Saturday
4. Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) 10-0
The Hurricanes beat Houston St. John’s (Tex.) 3-1 and Ashburn Independence (Va.) 4-0 at the NHSI
5. Watertown (Mass.) 7-0
The Raiders take on Melrose (Mass.) today to try to run their winning streak to 83 games
6. Cherry Hill Camden Catholic (N.J.) 6-0
Irish were extremely impressive at the National High School Invitational, getting the overtime goal from Sophia Stazi in a 2-1 overtime win over Hummelstown Lower Dauphin, then coming from behind to beat a good Westport Staples (Conn.) side
7. Lititz Warwick (Pa.) 13-0
The Indians had a weekend to remember at the NHSI, beating Louisville Assumption (Ky.) 2-1 then handling Leesburg Riverside (Va.) 10-2
8. Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) 7-1
Notre Dame bested Norfolk (Va.) Academy and Louisville Sacred Heart (Ky.) by identical 4-0 tallies; the Irish have a good league contest against Rosemont Agnes Irwin on Oct. 1 coming soon
9. Manheim (Pa.) Township 9-1
The Blue Streaks came up with a 4-3 win over Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.), then beat Louisville Sacred Heart (Ky.) 2-0 at the National High School Invitational
10. Darien (Conn.) 6-0
The Blue Wave had an impressive showing at the NHSI, beating Woolwich Kingsway (N.J.) 4-1 and Hershey (Pa.) 3-2 in overtime
11. Ohio State 8-0
The Buckeyes have Louisville this coming Sunday, but will meet up with Michigan the weekend afterwards
Who’s out: Elliottsburg West Perry (Pa.) 2-1 OT loss to Clearview (N.J.); Hummelstown Lower Dauphin (Pa.) 3-0 loss to Flourtown Mount St. Joseph Academy (Pa.) and 2-1 OT loss to Cherry Hill Camden Catholic (N.J.); Norfolk (Va.) Academy 4-0 loss to Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.)
And bear in mind: San Diego Canyon Hills (Calif.) 10-1-1, San Jose Archbishop Mitty (Calif.) 6-0, Denver Colorado Academy (Colo.) 6-0-1, Aurora Regis Jesuit (Colo.) 6-1-1, Darien (Conn.) 3-0, Westport Staples (Conn.) 7-1, Delmar (Del.) 6-0, Christian Academy of Louisville (Ky.) 11-2, North Caldwell West Essex (N.J.) 7-1, Cary (N.C.) Christian 10-0, Chapel Hill (N.C.) 8-0, Upper Arlington (Ohio) 12-0, Exeter Wyoming Area (Pa.) 9-0, Trinity Episcopal (Va.) 5-0, Yorktown Tabb (Va.) 6-0, Vienna James Madison (Va.) 9-1
