5 things you should know
Important realignment
The Virginia High School League’s latest realignment, which sends nine teams from Hampton Roads in Class 5 from Region A to Region B, has important implications for field hockey in Hampton Roads. The move doubles the number of Class 5 state playoff berths available to schools in the area. Since perennial powerhouses Cox and First Colonial moved to Class 5 a few years ago, Region A has been among the toughest regions to survive, with the Falcons holding dominion at the top. With the latest shift, five preseason top-15 teams — Gloucester, Kecoughtan, Maury, Menchville and Nansemond River — are now Region B schools, helping to relax the Class 5 bottleneck.
New coaches
Several programs said goodbye to longtime coaches during the offseason, including Gloucester, which saw Mike Miller retire after 13 seasons, and Catholic, which was led by Beth Keenehan for more than two decades. Keenehan left an indelible mark on the program, having coached the Crusaders’ entire coaching staff, including new head coach Lyndsey Boyce, during her time on the bench. Other new faces on field hockey sidelines this season include Gloucester’s Joe Dougherty, Salem’s Kristyna Oyola and Smithfield’s Kristi Jackson.
Former Hampton Roads star joins Princess Anne staff
Along with Salem’s new head coach, former SunDevils player Kristyna Oyola, Princess Anne will also have a former Hampton Roads field hockey star joining its coaching ranks. Kelsey Scherrer Jewett, a two-time All-American at Cape Henry before starring at VCU, joins Kristen Wheeler, her former coach at Cape Henry.
Rebuilding after a strange season
With no junior-varsity competition last season due to COVID restrictions, a number of coaches remarked on the difficulty of filling out their rosters. “Not having two years of middle school field hockey has hurt us a lot,” Tallwood coach Theresa Platte said. According to Maury coach Meghan Stocks, many of the younger players “are seeing the field for the first time.” Several teams are in the process of rebuilding, including Grassfield, said Grizzlies coach Kevin Ellis, who added that his team has “several solid upperclassmen but will lack depth.” Cox coach Taylor Rountree said the Falcons “kept a larger varsity squad with a lot of underclassmen, which gave these athletes an opportunity to learn the system and train with the seniors that graduated. This really helped us develop our younger players and has added great depth to our lineup this fall.”
Staying busy over the summer
Virginia Beach hosted a number of national tournaments over the summer, including the USA Field Hockey National Club Championship and the Nexus Championship. Dozens of local athletes from Hampton Roads teams participated in both events. Ten field hockey players from Hampton Roads also competed in the AAU Junior Olympics in early August, further cementing the area’s prominence on the national stage.
757Teamz Top 15
1. Cox
Hot on the heels of an undefeated spring campaign and yet another state championship, the Falcons are once again the team to beat. Cox, winner of three consecutive state crowns and 22 overall titles, has a roster of players accustomed to competing on the highest level. Led by seniors Zella Bailey and Abby Spear, who both played a major role in last season’s 14-0 effort, the Falcons “will make the most of every opportunity to play the sport that we love with the team that we love,” coach Taylor Rountree said.
2. Norfolk Academy
The Bulldogs still managed to impress last season despite an abbreviated slate, compiling a 6-0 record with a 39-1 goal differential. After the graduation of Haley Holland, the team will be led by seniors Olivia Galiotos and Rachel Thetford, who highlight a “solid group” that will “be a team who will rise to the occasion,” coach Mary Werkheiser said.
3. First Colonial
With just one returning senior, the Patriots are coming into the season with an “extremely young but very talented and hard-working” team, said coach Beanie Schleicher. Old Dominion commit Emily Tammaro, an All-Tidewater first-team pick last season, will provide veteran leadership on a roster that will start seven freshmen and sophomores. Other returning major contributors are sophomore Jolie Day and junior Finley Payne.
4. Poquoson
Coming off of the team’s first field hockey state title, the Islanders have experience despite losing All-Tidewater Player of the Year Samantha Grimes to graduation. Eleven players, including All-Tidewater first-teamer Skyler Brown and Avery Jackson, who netted the overtime game-winner in the state final, will return for what is shaping up to be a “fun and exciting season,” coach Darcey Chiappazzi said.
5. Great Bridge
The Wildcats, one of three Hampton Roads teams to win a state title last season, have a “very tough schedule” that includes Poquoson, Tabb and Kellam, coach Katie Duke said. Helping to lead the charge for Great Bridge are seniors Madi Wiley and Julia Foren, who in last season’s campaign combined for 32 goals and 20 assists on the way to an 11-2 record and the Class 4 crown.
6. Kellam
After falling just short of their state Class 6 championship hopes last season, the Knights are “hungry to fight for the opportunity to … bring home the trophy,” coach Nicole Morgan said. The team, which reached the state title game for the second season in a row, will return a majority of its starters, including seniors Julia Gadsby, who backstopped Kellam to an 11-2 record, Ashley Pappas and Caroline Porter.
7. Tabb
Last season, the Tigers came close to the program’s ninth state title, but fell just short in an overtime thriller against district rival Poquoson. Despite losing seven players from the state finalist squad, Tabb will return a number of key contributors, including midfielders Kate Fiest, who tallied the Tigers’ only goal in the state final, and Sydney Holbrook and defender Drew Clemmons. Tabb is also welcoming back longtime coach Wendy Wilson, who stepped away from the team for two years to serve as the school’s athletic director before returning to coach alongside Lindsay Olson.
8. Gloucester
The Dukes faced a number of big changes in the offseason, including the retirement of longtime coach Mike Miller, who guided the program to a pair of state titles during his tenure. In last season’s campaign, Gloucester rolled to a 7-0 record with seven straight shutouts before falling 2-1 to Cox in the Class 5 Region A final. The Dukes, led by new coach Joe Dougherty, have a strong core of upperclassmen, including junior forward Chandler Johnson.
9. Cape Henry
After finishing 8-1 earlier this year, the Dolphins are heading into what coach Kim Dooren called a “rebuilding season” with a core of younger players. Led by a handful of returning upperclassmen, including seniors Gini Kainer and Ohio State commit Livy Wallace and junior Mackenzie White, Cape Henry plans to “develop throughout the season” and “learn from every game and compete,” Dooren said.
10. Warhill
The Lions had another strong outing last season, earning the Class 4 Region B title before falling to Great Bridge in a state semifinal.
11. Menchville
Several key contributors from last season’s 7-2 effort will return for the Monarchs, including senior midfielder Danielle Coon, sophomore forward Ella Elliott and sophomore goaltender Kinsey Knapp. Menchville, which came close to a state tournament berth earlier this year, narrowly falling to Great Bridge in the Class 4 Region A final, is “excited for some top-notch competition” as the team moves up to Class 5 in the VHSL realignment, coach Nicole Kuykendall said.
12. Kecoughtan
According to coach Shaun Redd, the Warriors, coming off a 10-2 season, are “extremely young.” Midfielders Cali Kujawa and Camden West will help fill the void left behind by the graduation of Maddison Steele.
13. Maury
The Commodores went 5-1 during their short, Norfolk-only season, and coach Meghan Stocks hopes the team will continue to grow. Seniors Claire and Emma Hickey — who are twins — and Brooke Herndon will help lead a team that mixes experienced players and “a lot of freshmen who are seeing the field for the first time,” Stocks said.
14. Lafayette
With “a great group of senior leaders” including midfielder Madison Adcock, who led the Rams in assists last season, Sienna Gillen and Emma Moyer, Lafayette is a “very athletic and competitive team” with a strong core of returning players, said coach Kelley Engstrom.
15. Nansemond River
The Warriors, who played an all-Suffolk schedule last season, have a “perfect mix of veteran experience and young, game-ready talent,” coach Allison Dize said. Nansemond River’s contingent of returning contributors is led by senior forward/midfielder Halle Fago and sophomore back Cammie Stuffel.
5 players to watch
Julia Foren, Great Bridge, senior
Foren had a dominant season for the Wildcats in their spring campaign, finishing with 17 goals and 11 assists, but it was in the state tournament where she really shined, scoring a hat trick in the semifinals before scoring both goals for her team in a championship victory.
Zella Bailey, Cox, senior
The Ohio State commit filled up the stat sheet all year, netting 11 goals and adding 20 assists, but her best highlight came at exactly the right time as she scored the state championship-winning penalty stroke for the Falcons’ third straight title.
Olivia Galiotos, Norfolk Academy, senior
Galiotos, who is verbally committed to Dartmouth, was a big contributor in the Bulldogs’ 6-0 spring season and will play a major role as a senior captain.
Julia Gadsby, Kellam, senior
The senior goalkeeper played a major role in the Knights’ run to their second consecutive state championship-game appearance last season, earning several shutouts and coming up huge in crucial moments.
Abby Spear, Cox, senior
Spear, who is committed to Duke, backstopped the Falcons to an undefeated season, compiling 11 shutouts and allowing just two goals all season.
