Writer: Shannon Timmons
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Welcome back to “The Corner Scoop”, a weekly edition covering high school field hockey in Delaware. As we head into the last two weeks of the regular season, coaches will preach “one game at a time, we don’t overlook any opponent”, but as a former coach, I know they are also turning an eye toward the brackets and where their squads will land – in or out of the tournament, who’s their best matchup to win & advance and who will get the byes for round?
Let’s rank the top 10 teams in Division 1 and Division 2, and their matchups for the week.
Division 1 Field Hockey
No. 1 Smyrna (1) (11-1) The Eagles continue their winning ways with 3 more dubs this week. They get some much needed rest this week and only play one game on Thursday. Their top players had a very productive week: Bree Moffett (18 goals,10 assists), McKenna Wilson (11 goals, 3 assists), and Ava Elias (11 goals, 7 assists). Their ability to mix up the offense and have multiple people score makes them dangerous offensively.
Upcoming: Oct 16th at Milford, 4 pm.
No. 2 Cape Henlopen (2) (11-1) The Vikings also sit at 11-1, their only loss to No. 1 Smyrna in OT. I love their matchup Tuesday night against Newark Charter. I think it’s a good test for the Patriots prior to the tournament and it’s a first for the Vikings to cross over and see the Patriots, a perennial top 10 in D2. The Vikings have 15 different players who have scored this season. Atia Sabbaugh leads (9 goals,11 assists), Grace Heers (8 goals, 6 assists. 6 goals: E. Wells, T. Baker, 5 goals: K. McMahon, 4 goals: A. Diehl, M. Rishko, A. Miller. This offense is a perfect representation of the “next man up” philosophy. Their depth is unparalleled and is why they are so good.
Upcoming: Oct. 14th Newark Charter at Cape, 6 pm (senior night); Oct 16th at CR, 4pm (teacher appreciation).
No. 3 Milford (3) (6-5) Milford ran into the Vikings of Cape at the Turf Bowl, taking a 5-0 loss, but they stayed at No. 3 because of their strength of schedule and a head to head win over CR earlier in the year. Andrea McPike does a great job challenging her team in the regular season to have them tested for tournament time. They still have two really tough games left in the season and need to stay over .500, so they have their work cut out for them. Living in the Henlopen North means you have to bring your “A” game everyday.
The offense is led by Katelyn Joseph (8 goals, 5 assists), freshman Bria Leyanna (7 goals, 3 assists) and Isabel Betts, Mooly Masten with 5 goals each.
Upcoming: Oct 14th at Delmar, 4pm; Oct 16th Smyrna at Milford, 4pm.
No. 4 Odessa (5) (8-3) They tamed the beast, their sister school the Middletown Cavealiers and knocked them off in a 2-1 win for the first time in program history. It took OT to get the job done but Olivia Orndorff found the back of the cage twice with assists from Naomi Falletta for the win. They take over the top spot in Flight A this week. The Ducks are led by Olivia Orndorff (14 goals), Naomi Falletti (5 assists, 4 goals) Caroline Perry ( 5 goals), and Caroline Perry (5 goals).
Upcoming: Oct 13th William Penn at Odessa, 4 pm; Oct 17th at Sussex Tech, 4 pm.
No. 5 Caesar Rodney (6) (8-4) The Riders had a great week picking up 2 wins out of 3 games. The schedule is not favorable this week as they have tough opponents in Indian River and Cape Henlopen back to back. That said, this is a much improved CR team from a year ago. Credit to the coaching staff and players for sitting at 8-4 heading into the last two weeks of the regular season, with hopes of seeing tournament play this year. The Riders are led by Alicia Hunter (11 goals, 3 assists), Montana Fox (10 goals, 2 assists) and Leah Brown (8 goals, 7 assists) .
Upcoming: Oct 14th at Indian River, 4pm;Oct 16th Cape Henlopen at CR, 4pm.
No. 6 Middletown (5) (8-4) The Cavaliers dropped both their games last week and fell to the Odessa Ducks for the first time since Odessa’s program began. I had a chance to talk to head coach Stefany Krygier and she said she had some players cramping, which affected their play. Always tough when you have a player or players go down. She did credit Odessa and Milford with great games. I know coaches always talk about players preparing for games and what they do outside the 2 hours a day at practice. Something Middletown will have to fix prior to tournament play, for sure. The Cavs have a rare week off to recoup. The Cavs are led by senior Layla Dukes (27 goals, 7 assists), Morgan Fink (9 goals).
Upcoming: Off this week.
No. 7 Polytech (7) (7-4) The Panthers picked up two wins to help put them in a good position headed into the last two weeks of the season with 4 games remaining, Michaela Houdek scored early to put them atop the Ravens of Sussex Tech and that one goal held up for the win. The Panthers are led by Elizabeth Schroeder (11 goals, 3 assists), Cara Willis (7 goals, 4 assists) and Emma Carey (6 goals, 7 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 13th DMA at Polytech, 4 pm (senior day); Oct 16th at Sussex Central, 4pm.
No. 8 Padua (8) (7-3-1) The Pandas delivered a 2-1 win over St. Mark’s after a tie earlier in the season and dropped the second matchup to Ursuline. We all know how hard it is in sports to beat a team twice. They rounded out the week with a 3-2 win on turf at UD over DMA in the Turf Bowl. Their schedule stays tough as they see three top ten teams in D2 to finish out the season. They have their work cut out for them but will be battle tested for the tournament. They get some rest this week with one game before a final push to the end. The Pandas are led by Emme Mulvena (11 goals, 3 assists), Emily Hill (4 goals), Rebekah Haney (3 goals), Avery Heist (4 assists), and Ava King & Audrey Kehner (3 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 14th Tower Hill at Chase Fieldhouse, 3:30pm. (Stick it to Cancer game)
No. 9 St. George’s (9) (6-6) The SeaHawks had a tough week with tough opponents. They stay at No. 9 this week and have two home games this week to see if they can bounce back. Two important community events for them as well are the Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness and their Senior Recognition Game to finish out their home games for the season. The SeaHawks are led by Robyn Clark (7 goals, 1 assist), Kassidy Hale (5 goals, 4 assists), and Samarah Jennings (3 goals, 6 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 15th Ursuline at St. George’s, 3:45pm (Pink Out Game); Oct 17th Mt. Pleasant at St. George’s, 3:45 pm (Senior Recognition Game)
No. 10 Appoquinimink(10) (5-5) The Jags are back at .500 this week and remain in the top ten. They have the most games left to play of any team in the top ten, which could play into their favor if things go well. The Jags are led by Elise Hastings (9 goals, 7 assists), Alyson Hackett (5 goals, 2 assists), Jenna Czerwinski (5 goals), and Madeline Parajon (6 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 13th at Hogdson, 4pm; Oct 15th Newark at Appo, 6pm (Senior Night); Oct 18th at Tatnall, 10:00am
Division 2 Field Hockey
No 1. Wilmington Friends (2) (10-0) The Quakers are still hot and are the only team to remain perfect this season. This team just continues to impress, giving up only 5 goals all season, scoring 54, recording 6 shut outs – credit to senior goalkeeper Anna Weiner. Molly Dolan (14 goals, 7 assists), Ella Fontanazza (11 goals, 1 assist), Peyton Galbraith (10 goals, 8 assists), Lila Rubano (8 goals 6 assists), Sara Clothier (5 goals, 8 assists), and Keeley Galbraith (3 goals, 6 assists) are the reason Wilmington Friends takes over the top sport this week.
Upcoming: Oct 15th at Sanford, 4:30pm; Oct 17th St. Andrew’s at Wilm.Friends, 3:45 (Senior Recognition Game)
No 2. Caravel (3) (11-1) The Bucs played a tough game and nudged Newark Charter 2-1 in overtime and 2-1 over Archmere to claim the No.2 spot this week. Like Cape Henlopen in D1, Caravel has 15 players who have scored, making the depth on offense dangerous. Hailey Haynes leads the team (12 goals, 9 assists), Carly Milhorn (9 goals, 2 assists),Rogue Nordin (5 goals, 4 assists), and Sydney Holley (4 goals, 4 assists) make the Bucs hard to stop.
Upcoming: Oct 14th Lake Forest at Caravel, 6:15pm (Senior Night); Oct 16th Episcopal Academy at Episcopal Academy (PA), 4pm.
No 3. Newark Charter (1) (9-1) The Patriots lost a tough battle with Caravel in OT. These two seem to battle each year and trade off wins in the regular season. They are no strangers to what it takes to get to the tournament and be successful so there is no reason for the Patriots to be concerned. Audrey Nelson (20 goals, 3 assists), Alexandra Horning (6 goals, 4 assists), Mia Lang (5 goals), and Genevieve Walch (4 goals, 7 assists) will be ready and focused, as always.
Upcoming: Oct 14th at Cape Henlopen, 6:00 pm (CH Senior Night); Oct 16th St. Mark’s at Newark Charter, 6:30 pm (NC Senior Night)
No 4. Indian River (4) (9-2) The Indians have put together an impressive season. With four games left in the regular season, Coach Huk has her team in great position for post season play. It will be exciting to see how the season ends and where they end up as they currently lead the Henlopen South. Led by a host of seniors, experience is something this team does not lack. Baylie Williamson (21 goals, 8 assists), Ella Peterson (9 goals, 9 assists), Kacie Kirchner & Brynn Knight (6 goals each) and let’s throw freshman Caroline Williamson in the mix (1 goal, 6 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 14th Caesar Rodney at IR, 4 pm; Oct 16th at Sussex Academy, 5:30pm (SAS Senior Night)
No 5. Lake Forest (6) (8-3) The Spartans are on a five game win streak, moving up spot in this week’s rankings. They seem to be peaking at the right time and playing good competition. Michele Tucker has to be pleased with her young team at this point of the season. They have some tough games yet to play so they have to dig in and finish strong. Senior Rylin McCloskey still leads the way (12 goals, 3 assists), Savannah Messick (11 goals, 1 assist), Rowan McCloskey (9 goals, 3 assists), and Ashley Robbins (7 goals, 3 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 14th at Caravel, 6:15 (CA Senior Night); Oct 16th at Seaford, 4:00pm
No.6 Archmere (5) (7-4) The Auks ran into No.1 Wilm Friends and No. 2 Caravel, dropping two games this week. They have just one game this week and need to refocus and rebound their efforts to win. Leading the Auks this far are: Bernadette Patino (10 goals, 11 assists) and Juliet Polsky (10 goals, 4 assists), Cecilia Patino and Lauren Wenger (5 goals each), Sarah Dahms (7 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 16th Concord at Archmere, 3:45pm.
No 7. Sanford (7-4) (NR) The Warriors were my team to watch and here they are jumping in at the seven spot after an impressive week. Head coach Katie Weaver and assistant coach Rolf van de Kerkhof, the former UD field hockey coach, have this team on the move. The Warriors are on a 5 game winning streak and just keep improving. They will play the No.1 Quakers on Wednesday and that will be a litmus test of sorts, let’s see how they handle the test. Julia Caldwell (13 goals, 3 assists), Naomi Friedemann (4 goals), freshman Siena Cadungog (4 goals, 6 assists) lead the way for the Warriors.
Upcoming: Oct 15th Wilmington Friends at Sanford, 4:30 pm; Oct 18th Wilmington Christian at Sanford, 11:00am (Sanford Senior Recognition Game)
No 8. Sussex Academy (8) (6-5): The Seahawks are holding steady with four games left in the season. They seem to be on the “typical” track of winning the ones you’re supposed to, losing the ones you’re supposed to and hoping to pick up a few surprises along the way. I’ve said it before, they play a tough schedule and have only lost to teams ranked higher than they are. Leading the way are Mady Lehman (9 goals, 1 assist), Shea Danahy (6 goals, 2 assists), Ryan Lowe (6 goals, 3 assists). Goalkeeper Kacie Rawlings has 66 saves on the season.
Upcoming: Oct 14th at Stephen Decatur(MD), 5:30pm; Oct 16th Indian River at Sussex Academy at Sussex Academy, 5:30pm (Senior Night)
No 9. Concord (10) (8-4): Concord moves up one spot this week after winning four out of the last five games. They don’t carry the strongest schedule but they are playing well and should finish strong. They will be tested by Archmere and Wilmington Friends to round out the regular season but I would expect to see them in the tournament again this season. Sophomore Brynn Ellis (13 goals, 8 assists), Victoria Romeo (7 goals, 1 assist), Ciara Mullenix (5 goals, 6 assists), lead the Raiders on offense.
Upcoming: Oct 14th Mt. Pleasant at Concord,4:45pm (Senior Day); Oct 16th at Archmere, 3:45pm.
No. 10 Tower Hill (9) (5-5) The Hillers drop a spot this week. They will face off against the D1 Pandas of Padua and then some back to D2 for Tatnall. They need to split the week, at a minimum, to stick around in the conversation. Charlotte (9 goals, 5 assists) and Ella Vanni (4 goals) continue to lead the offense, along with Hailey Allen (4 goals, 6 assists).
Upcoming: Oct 14th Padua at Chase Fieldhouse, 3:30pm; Oct 16th at Tatnall, 4:00pm (Tatnall Senior NIght).
One to watch – Ursuline Academy (5-4) The Raiders have won 4 of the last 5 games, outscoring opponents 10-4 in those 5 games. Their stamina will be tested this week with 3 games and we’ll see where they end up and if they can crack the top ten.
Upcoming: Oct 14th DMA at Ursuline, 4 pm; Oct 15th at St. George’s, 3:45pm; Oct 17th at William Penn, 3:30pm
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