The Unknown Field Hockey Observer 9

The Unknown Field Hockey Observer
9-7-05
High School Previews

The Unknown

Non Conference

Caravel won 14 games in 2003 en route to the state final; last year the Bucs won just five. The 2004 Bucs scored 37 goals, 34 of them graduated, along with two defenders and the goalkeeper. CA’s strength will be a senior midfield, Jessica Wallace, Minde Valentine and Susan Wilkerson. Two sophomores will key the defense, Sarah Wise was last season’s sweeper and Brady Rollins should inherit the cage. The veterans better be ready to play because the September schedule is brutal, perennial Maryland 2A power Rising Sun, followed by six straight 2004 tournament teams!

Red Lion rallied from a 1-4 start to finish the season 8-7 in 2004. Unfortunately, once again, a prominent Lion has left the pride. Senior Christy Gibbons (5G) returns on attack. The defense returns en masse, seniors Kaylynn Warren, Amy Beattie, Ashley Lenoir and soph Mary Beth Scholz. Junior Christine Atkins has to fill the pads of Leigh Ann Jasinnas, a three-year starter.

Wilmington Christian won eleven games in 2004, the most since their final last Final Four appearance in 2000. WCS wins with defense and the 2004 edition was superb allowing only eight goals in 18 games. However, the offense still struggled; goals scored leaped to 31, up from 23 in ’03 and 17 in ’02, but 18 of the 31 were scored in three walkovers. In the other 15 games, the Warriors scored just 13 goals. In only three of WCS’s 18 games last season did both teams score; the rest were shutouts.

Senior Katie Love (11G, 4A) will be the nucleus of the attack with help from fellow seniors Lindsay Prather and Meredith Sample and juniors Camile Walker, and Jessica Kay. Junior Martha King is the sole returning midfielder. The defense will depend on Bethany Powell and Regan Jones.

The striker, centermid, centerback, sweeper and goalie have all moved on, so Coach Love must completely rebuild the middle of the team. GK Erin Frederick will be the most difficult to replace. Her tournament performance against Caesar Rodney, 0 goals allowed, 19 saves, 48 CR corners over ninety minutes was as good as it gets. The Warriors, who always play one of the state’s most challenging schedules and always qualify for the tournament, will go as far as their defense takes them.

Henlopen South

Seaford, with Delmar, Indian River and Laurel in hot pursuit

Delmar graduated several attackers but they have proven underclassmen ready to step up. In fact, last year Hali Ramey (8G) was the most dangerous Wildcat, as a freshman. She combined with fellow freshman Alison Bloodsworth and eighth grader Lindsay Lloyd for 13 goals and 31 points. Seniors Leslie Lambrose, Morgan Shaver, Lauren Ellis, Autumn Fischer, Charisse Holmes and Kelly Ralph will provide the experience. Erin Keenan and Sam D’Armi shared the cage in 2004.

Indian River returns All State attacker Ali Ambrose and her 14 goals. AA will get scoring help from Kayla Warrington, Ashley Hudson and Shawnee Seitz. Courtney Cook is a force in the back while softballer Kathryn Riley is a fixture in the Indian cage.

For four years, the Spartans have ruled the Henlopen South with an iron hand, compiling a 23-1 Hen South record. Seniors dominated the line up last year, with the others along for the ride. Lake Forest pumped in 63 goals in 2004, 58 of them graduated. Senior Casey Loveless will likely play up front with Michelle Johnson in the midfield. Senior Juanita Smith was Sabra Holt’s understudy last year. The rebuilding task ahead is formidable and the Spartans’ reign will end in 2005.

Laurel ambushed two tournament teams last season, Delmar and Archmere, and should be even better in 2005. Forwards Chaniqua Kellam, Kristina Ward and Cierra Bolden are back. The versatile Miranda Dickerson anchors the midfield with Krista Scott a key on defense. Junior Brittany Joseph will pop up somewhere. Amanda Horsey will wear the foam

Seaford stumbled in 2004 and saw their win total halved, from ten to five. However, an experienced and talented cast, just back from a successful stay at Disney World, should see the Jays capture Henlopen South honors and return to the 2005 tournament. Bitty Hood is back for the final time to lead the offense with assistance from Rachel Thomas and Jena Banning. Laura Riddle and Kelsey Riggleman patrol the midfield with Emily Stone anchoring the defense. Claire Rekitzke will spend her third season tending the birds’ cage.

Smyrna graduated most of their scoring when Brooke Dixon and Jennie Powell left the aerie in June. The 2005 Eagles will depend on the seniors, Stevie Boole, Brooke Alexander and Morgan Scuse to do the scoring, with Katie Turner in the net.

One does not require a crystal ball to foresee that the Raiders will remain Blue at Woodbridge. With thirteen games mandated against tough Henlopen Conference foes, their best hopes for stealing a victory are the three non-conference games with Delcastle, in the season opener, Delmarva Christian and Campus Community. Key seniors will be Monika Smith and all conference honoree Olivia Pristavec. Sophomore GK Leah Bowman will spend 2005 in the eye of the storm. Amazingly, the Blue Raiders have more alumnae playing college field hockey (three) than wins over the past three seasons.

Catholic Conference

St Mark’s to win, Archmere and Padua battle for place and show

Archmere raced to a fast start in 2004 with opening week wins over both 2003 state finalists but they were unable to build on that success and for most of the year looked to be a troubled team. A season-long goalie rotation didn’t help. One would think that stopping 18 shots while shutting out the four-time state champions and ending their 32 game winning streak would secure the starting job. Not at Archmere!

The Auks return talent and experience for their new coach Nicol DiMarzio. Annie Wilcox (11G, 1A) makes it look easy on the left wing. Valerie Felix (5, 3) and Ashley Murphy (3, 5) are combination M/Fs as is Mary Reilly (6, 1), a player who established a national field hockey reputation through Futures before establishing a local reputation at Archmere. Allie Walls and Michelle Onofrio each saw a season of duty on defense. Olivia Branco will give the Auks solid cage work. Archmere’s goals allowed more than doubled over the previous two seasons. To have any hope of catching St Mark’s the defense must improve, especially the penalty corner defense. CC runner up and a fourth consecutive trip to the tournament look like a best case scenario for the Auks.

Forbes Field once struck terror in opponents, now it’s the Pandas striking all that terror. Padua is much improved in recent years and the improvement can only continue in 2005. Nine starters return, eight of them seniors, as do ten of 2004’s eleven goal scorers. Emily Grugan’s (10G, 5A) arrival was a bonanza for the Pandas last year as she provided plenty of attacking presence. Sarah Campbell (4, 2) and Liz Henaghan (1, 1) may be at her side. Jessica Barcola (3, 1) and Katie O’Connor (1, 1) are likely midfielders. The back five return intact, Katie Rudolph, Jennifer Lougheed, Stephanie King, Melissa Budd and GK Katie Warren. This has to be the year for the Pandas to raise some Panda-monium and make their first tournament appearance. It looks like 10 of 11 starters will be seniors. Padua’s schedule has not kept pace with their rising field hockey fortunes, so apart from St Mark’s and Archmere the schedule is SOFT! We could see some very ugly scorelines. On paper, the Pandas have no chance against St Mark’s, but on the field Katelyn’s Spartans have never beaten Padua by more than a single goal in four chances; so who knows?

St Elizabeth will keep their unbeaten streak at home alive; as 2005 will see the Road Warriors play another sixteen away games! The Vikings were offensively challenged in 2004 and that seems certain to continue. Senior Allison Sherman is the most successful returning cage finder. Alexis Nowell, Caitlyn Nurthen and Valerie Angelone also served on the frontline. In Amanda Coen and Rachel Gazzero, two thirds of the midfield return. Jennifer Krebs, Emily Cathall and Claire Mazalewski protected returning keeper Erica Scott.

At St Mark’s all is well. Katelyn is back from Virgina Beach after helping the USA national team swamp Canada 5-0-1 in the six-game series. She appeared in all six games, starting games three, four and five and coming off the bench in games one, two and six. In 2005 the Spartans return a bunch. Melissa Long (4G, 1A), Kirsten Walther (5G), Maria Muscara (3, 2) and Liz DeMatteis (3, 2) are experienced attackers. The Spartans’ midfield combination continues with Katelyn (17, 14) flanked by her two sidekicks, Linda Eilola (1, 2) and Brittany Oncay (5, 10). Megan Bastianelli and Cindy Wray are all-conference returnees on defense and in goal. In 2004 the Spartans were vulnerable in the back to elite teams (CR, Tower, Concord) if that frailty can be remedied a return to Rullo and more await.

Defections doomed Ursuline in 2004. The two apostates combined for 31 goals and 19 assists at their new schools, adding to the agony of UA’s four-win season. 2004 saw a variety of players in a variety of postions. Senior midfielder Jenna Desendorf will be an important returnee. Freshman Sarah Pedrick (2G) is the returning high scorer. Grace Lagasse and Korey Heiken both served in the cage. 2005 may not be any easier for the Raiders.