Bombers Look To Repeat As Midwest Field Hockey Champs

While talented John Burroughs appears to be the favorite to repeat as Midwest Field Hockey champions, Bombers Coach Meridith Thorpe is cautious about those predictions and expectations.

Thorpe says parity has caused her to hold back on the high expectations. Not to mention her theme of playing and practicing one day at a time. MICDS, St. Joseph's Academy, Villa Duchesne, and Ladue will have their say as will Nerinx Hall, Cor Jesu Academy, Lafayette and Marquette.

"We have a long road ahead of us," Thorpe said. "We'll have to see what happens. We can't lose sight of the important things. We just have to stay in the moment. The parity makes it very exciting."

The following is a preview of the Ladue-Frontenac schools.

John Burroughs

The Bombers have enough returning talent to be a threat. The Bombers, 23-1 in 2010,  have won 11 Midwest Field Hockey titles, but last season was the first since 2000. "It was nice to bring it back home," said Thorpe, who played on title teams at John Burroughs in 1991, 1992 and 1994 and later starred at the University of Virginia after graduating in 1995.

Senior forward Charlotte Martin, the area's leading scorer in 2010 with 38 goals and 21 assists for 97 points, is back. Thorpe said she figures Martin to be double teamed all season long. "She'll have to be very patient and perhaps will have to distribute the ball more," Thorpe said

Senior midfielder Maddi Hicks, senior forward Sandra Yamada and junior forwards Abby Martone, Claire Sweetman, Kathryn Fox and Colleen Trotter will also provide offensive spark. Hicks and Martone contributed 27 points apiece last season. Hicks had 11 goals and five assists while Martone scored nine goals and had nine assists. Yamada and Sweetman had three goals each.

Junior center back Emily Goodloe, junior defender Rahny Longley and the Yost twins, Libby and Tess, a pair of seniors, head the defense. Juniors Abby Frerotte and Elizabeth Rill will share time in the net.

Frerotte was 18-1 with 10 shutouts in 2010 and Rill was 5-0 with four shutouts. Both will see plenty of action, depending on the opponent, Thorpe said.

"They have very different styles and it helps to push each other in practice," Thorpe said. "Abby is a very poised, calm goalkeeper," Thorpe said. "Liz's technique is very, very strong. She is very, very powerful. Both have different styles, but both are very, very effective."

Thorpe said she likes the team chemistry. She'll find out more when the Bombers open against Clayton at 4 p.m. on August 31 at Gay Field. "We have very solid players," Thorpe said. "We don't have a lot of flash, but we have a lot of consistency. It's not just one person. We have a team of 11 capable bodies. We're looking to everyone to contribute."

Villa Duchesne

The Saints are a major threat under first-year coach Vivi Keefer, a Villa Duchesne graduate, who was Whitfield's coach for 15 years. Keefer has 25 talented players, including nine returning starters and 14 overall.

Villa Duchesne was 15-9-1 last season and a quarterfinalist in the Midwest Tournament, but the junior varsity squad finished 15-0-2 and was the Midwest JV champions. Villa Duchesne has won nine Midwest championships, with the last coming in 2007. "We have a strong tradition in field hockey and we want to maintain that excellence," Keefer said. "We want to carry on the tradition."

Depth will be the key, Keefer said. She added she will use all 25 players during each game. "We want to stay as fresh and as strong as we can be," Keefer said. "They are talented, smart, skilled players. We're not so dependent on one player."

The Saints have three senior captains in midfielders Demi Wideman, Sydney Tomaso and defenseman Molly Flood. Senior MacKenzie Sullivan, who played every second last season in the nets, returns in goal. Junior Maggie Grzeskoviak is the backup goaltender.

Other defenders are seniors Caroline Powell, Margaux Dames, Bentley Boldt and Andrea Herman and junior Alli Hennessey. Other midfielders are senior Lauren Nickson and juniors Grace Leeker, Victoria Keefer (the coach's daughter) and Lucy Sheahan and sophomore Cooper Hudspeth.

Offensively, the Saints return junior forwards Catherine Freeman (five goals, 13 assists, 23 points) and Grace Leeker (six goals, 10 assists, 22 points), senior forward Emily Callahan (nine goals, one assist, 19 points) and Tomaso (four goals, four assists, 12 points). MICDS transfer Mary Sant, a junior forward, had six goals and four assists for 16 points for the Rams last season. Other forwards are seniors Meghan McLaughlin, Lacy Crawford and Blaire Schrick, juniors Emily Gibson and Meaghan Fogarty and sophomore Lindsay Dames.

The Saints open the season against Clayton at 4 p.m. on Aug. 30 at Gay Field. "We're gelling well on and off the field," Keefer said. "We have a long way to November, but we're looking forward to that."

MICDS

The Rams (16-5) return just two players from last season's second-place finish to John Burroughs in the Midwest title game.

Senior Hannah Akre (13-5, with four shutouts) returns in goal. Senior midfielders Claire Townsley, Catherine Ross, Ellie Condie and Anna Clarkson are back.

The Rams' season opener is against host Marquette at 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 29. "I am confident that the cohesiveness of this team will allow us to constantly grow and build throughout our season," MICDS Coach Lynn Mittler said. "From the first day of preseason, our seniors have set a positive and focused tone and have worked hard everyday."  

Ladue

The Rams are looking to advance to the Final Four in the Midwest Tournament for first time in school history. They have reached the Elite Eight in each of the last two seasons. Coach Barb Dwyer is capable of reaching the Final Four in 2011, what with eight players return from a 15-10-1 season.

Senior captain Bea Dageforde (15-10-1 with eight shutouts) returns in goal. Seniors Annie Beath and Parker Harrington, both midfielders, Elena Gresick, a senior captain center midfielder, and junior Maria Vetter are back in the middle. Senior Cecilia Vetter and junior Addie O'Neill return at defense.

The offense is led by junior right wing Courtney Emert, who missed most of the season with a knee injury. Harrington had 13 goals and six assists for 32 points. Emert had two goals and one assist before her season-ending injury. Sophomore forward/midfielders Concie O'Keefe and Grace Waldman will add offensive punch.

The Rams open on the road against Nerinx Hall at 4 p.m. on Aug. 30. "We have a good corp back," Dwyer said. "If things click.....we'll be on a mission to reach the Final Four. We're a work in progress. We want to put it together at the end of the season."

St. Joseph's Academy

The Angels, coming off a 19-6 season, in which they won the MWAA conference title with a 10-0 record but lost in the quarterfinals to Marquette in the Midwest playoffs, are inexperienced, but with hard work during preseason, they have hopes of being competitive.

Returning are senior attacker/midfielder Hayley Wright, senior goalkeeper Josie Mullen and sophomore midfielder Marigrace Ragsdale.

Key newcomers are juniors defender Katie McVey and midfielder Claire Jochen and sophomore midfielder Cady Kopsky.   

Mullen, the strength of the Angels this season, was 19-6 last season with 15 shutouts. Wright is the leading returning scorer with nine goals and five assists for 23 points. The Angels host Kirkwood in the season opener at 4 p.m. on Aug. 31.

"We are looking forward to connecting with each other and creating a solid unit on the field," Coach Maggie Potter said. "We are focusing on working hard each practice and taking one game at a time."

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