It’s time for penalty corners and the scoring circle as high school field hockey makes its 2023 debut on Sept. 6 with games involving Diocese of Wilmington teams at Archmere, Saint Mark’s and Tatnall. Here’s a snapshot.
Archmere
A year after reaching the DIAA championship for the second time in school history, Archmere is ready to get the 2023 season going.
The Auks are coming off a 13-2 regular season and two more wins in the Division II tournament. They lost in the final to Delmar, which has now won seven straight state championships and has not lost since Oct. 22, 2016.
They return just four seniors: Katie Schaller, Ellie DiCarlo, Bella Hughes and goalie Ava Hughes. The roster also includes plenty of younger talent.
One of the team’s regular-season losses last year came at Smyrna, the reigning Division I champions. The Auks won’t have to wait long to aim for revenge; the Eagles visit Claymont for the season opener on Sept. 6. Archmere opens with four straight and six of seven at home.
Schedules are subject to change. Check websites4sports.com for updates.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 6, 3:45 p.m.: SMYRNA
Sept. 8, 3:45 p.m.: WILMINGTON FRIENDS
Sept. 12, 3:45 p.m.: CONRAD
Sept. 14, 3:45 p.m.: SAINT MARK’S
Sept. 19, 4 p.m.: Sanford
Se[t. 21, 3:45 p.m.: ST. ELIZABETH
Sept. 26, 3:45 p.m.: CARAVEL
Sept. 28, 4 p.m.: Agnes Irwin
Oct. 10, 3:45 p.m.: PADUA
Oct. 12, 3:45 p.m.: Newark Charter
Oct. 14, 11 a.m.: DELAWARE MILITARY
Oct. 17, 3:45 p.m.: MOT Charter
Oct. 21, 1 p.m.: Wilmington Charter (Rullo Stadium, University of Delaware, Turf Bowl)
Oct. 24, 3:45 p.m.: TOWER HILL
Oct. 26, 4 p.m.: Tatnall
Padua
Padua field hockey is a bit overlooked at times, but the Pandas have become virtually annual participants in the DIAA Division I tournament. They look to start off 2023 on the right foot with a tough battle Seot, 6 at Tatnall.
Taylor Kozink showed last year that she is capable of being a top-end goalie; she kept the Pandas in a bunch of games with her play. Nine seniors graduated from last season’s team, including much of the scoring. Alexandra DiCandilo and Lauren Perry, seniors this season, are among those the Pandas will rely on.
Padua is not shying away from any opponents. Three of the four finalists are on the schedule: Smyrna, Cape Henlopen and Archmere. The Pandas will be battle-tested by the time the postseason rolls around.
Schedule (home games in CAPS, played at the Chase Fieldhouse)
Sept. 6, 4 p.m.: Tatnall
Sept. 8, 7 p.m.: Newark Charter
Sept. 12, 3:45 p.m.: Ursuline
Sept. 15, 3:45 p.m.: ST. ELIZABETH
Sept. 18, 4 p.m.: Odessa
Sept. 26, 3:45 p.m.: SAINT MARK’S
Sept. 29, 7:45 p.m.: CARAVEL (Abessinio Stadium)
Oct. 2, 3:45 p.m.: WILMINGTON CHARTER
Oct. 5, 4 p.m.: Appoquinimink
Oct. 10, 3:45 p.m.: Archmere
Oct. 12, 3:45 p.m.: URSULINE
Oct. 14, 11 a.m.: CAPE HENLOPEN
Oct. 17, 3:45 p.m.: TOWER HILL
Oct. 22, 2 p.m.: Smyrna (Rullo Stadium, University of Delaware, Turf Bowl)
Oct. 24, 3:45 p.m.: Saint Mark’s
Saint Mark’s
Saint Mark’s has earned a state tournament bid in the Division II field hockey tournament in each of the last four seasons. The Spartans are itching, however, for their first postseason win since 2011, when they reached the semifinals in what was then a one-division format.
They start that quest on Wednesday at home against Ursuline.
The Spartans return goalie Claire Krause. She’ll have scorers Katie Hanich, Marcelle Kappes and Brynn Eyler providing offensive support. All four of these players are juniors, which is the dominant class on the roster.
The schedule is heavy with home games at the end, with four straight to wrap up the regular season. The first of that quartet is against Sussex Academy, who knocked the Spartans out of the tournament last season.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 6, 3:45 p.m.: URSULINE
Sept. 8, 3:45 p.m.: St. Elizabeth (Chase Fieldhouse)
Sept. 14, 3:45 p.m.: Archmere
Sept. 18, 4 p.m.: WILLIAM PENN
Sept. 26, 3:45 p.m.: Padua (Chase Fieldhouse)
Sept. 30, 1 p.m.: Sussex Tech
Oct. 4, 3:45 p.m.: CONCORD
Oct. 6, 3:45 p.m.: ST. GEORGES
Oct. 10, 4 p.m.: Milford
Oct. 12, 3:45 p.m. Brandywine
Oct. 14, 1 p.m.: SUSSEX ACADEMY
Oct. 17, 3:45 p.m.: WILMINGTON CHARTER
Oct. 21, 11:30 a.m.: DELMARVA CHRISTIAN (Rullo Stadium, University of Delaware, Turf Bowl)
Oct. 24, 3:45 p.m.: PADUA
Ss. Peter and Paul
The Ss. Peter and Paul field hockey team is off to a 2-0 start, outscoring its two opponents, 11-1. They’re back on the field on Sept. 7 against Delaware foe Caravel in the home opener.
Thus far, Juliana Stepp, Kate Sweeney and Genevieve Webb have scored in both wins. They represent a promising cross-section of the roster. Webb is a senior, but Stepp is a sophomore and Sweeney is a freshman. Of the 20 girls on the team, half are freshmen.
Their schedule features home-and-homes against the other members of the ESIAC.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Aug. 28, 4 p.m.: Annapolis
Aug. 30, 4:15 p.m.: Indian Creek
Sept. 7, 4 p.m.: CARAVEL
Sept. 12, 4 p.m.: SEVERN
Sept. 15, 4 p.m.: Delmarva Christian
Sept. 19, 4 p.m.: JOHN CARROLL
Sept. 21, 4 p.m.: GUNSTON
Sept. 25, 4 p.m.: St. Mary’s
Sept. 29, 4 p.m.: Gunston
Oct. 4, 4 p.m.: DELMARVA CHRISTIAN
Oct. 5, 4 p.m.: NORTH CAROLINE
Oct. 10, 4 p.m.: Friends School of Baltimore
Oct. 13, 4 p.m.: WASHINGTON
Oct. 16, 4 p.m.: HOLLY GROVE
St. Elizabeth
The St. Elizabeth field hockey team opens its season on Sept. 8 against Saint Mark’s as the Vikings attempt to continue the improvement they made from 2021 to last year.
They went 6-9 and were in contention for a DIAA Division II state tournament bid until late in the season. They did this despite playing with a roster whose size left them little margin for injury.
Mackenzie Hilferty and Samantha Shields anchor this year’s Vikings, who are coached by Haley Will. Four freshmen are on the roster, and they are guaranteed lots of playing time.
Members of the Diamond State Athletic Conference, St. Elizabeth will face each of their conference foes. They are playing six games as the home team, with three of them on the turf at Chase Fieldhouse. In two of the other three, the Vikings will be the home team at the home field of their opponent.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 8, 3:45 p.m.: SAINT MARK’S (at Chase Fieldhouse)
Sept. 11, 3:30 p.m.: McKean
Sept. 13, 3:45 p.m.: CHRISTIANA (at Christiana)
Sept. 15, 3:45 p.m.: Padua
Sept. 19, 3:45 p.m.: A.I. DUPONT (at A.I. duPont)
Sept. 21, 3:45 p.m. Archmere
Sept.. 26, 3:45 p.m.: HODGSON (at Serviam Field)
Sept. 28, 3:45 p.m.: Wilmington Charter
Oct. 6, 3:30 p.m.: NEWARK CHARTER (at Chase Fieldhouse)
Oct. 10, 3:45 p.m.: Ursuline
Oct. 12, 3:30 p.m.: Delaware Military
Oct. 20, 3:30 p.m.: Dickinson (Rullo Stadium, University of Delaware, Turf Bowl)
Oct. 23, 3:30 p.m.: MOT Charter
Oct. 25, 3:30 p.m. WILMINGTON CHRISTIAN (at Chase Fieldhouse)
Oct. 26, 3:45 p.m.: Conrad
Ursuline
Ursuline’s field hockey team will be looking to end a two-year postseason drought when the season opens on Sept. 6 at Saint Mark’s.
The Raiders surely are among the most veteran squads in the state, with 20 seniors on the roster. One of those is goalie Elizabeth Ciarlo, who provides the team with an experienced backstop. Claire Fowler and Olivia O’Hara will be among the goal-scorers for coach Lindsay Russell, an Ursuline graduate.
Ursuline plays three of its first five games at Serviam Field, then spends much of the balance of the season on the road. The schedule includes some tough competition in addition to Saint Mark’s in Padua, Delaware Military Academy, Wilmington Friends and Wilmington Charter.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 6, 3:45 p.m.: Saint Mark’s
Sept. 12, 3:45 p.m.: PADUA
Sept. 14, 3:45 p.m.: CARAVEL
Sept. 20, 3:45 p.m.: St. Georges
Sept. 22, 3:45 p.m.: DELAWARE MILITARY
Sept. 26, 4 p.m.: Sanford
Sept. 28: 3:45 p.m.: BRANDYWINE
Oct. 2, 7 p.m.: Odessa
Oct. 10, 3:45 p.m.: ST. ELIZABETH
Oct. 12, 3:45 p.m.: Padua (at Chase Fieldhouse)
Oct. 18, 3:45 p.m.: WILMINGTON FRIENDS
Oct. 20, 8 p.m. Wilmington Christian (Rullo Stadium, University of Delaware, Turf Bowl)
Oct. 23, 3:45 p.m.: Wilmington Charter
Oct. 26, 3:45 p.m.: Hodgson
Oct. 28, 11 a.m.: William Penn
