AURORA – For the past six seasons, Regis Jesuit, Colorado Academy and Cherry Creek have made the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Field Hockey State Championship Game their domain.
No other school has even made a championship game appearance during that span, while the Raiders, Mustangs, and Bruins have, respectively, made five, four, and three trips to the state championship final.
St. Mary’s Academy’s talented and rapidly ascending team nearly upset the apple cart a year ago, as the Wildcats narrowly lost to Colorado Academy in last year’s state championship semifinal round, 1-0.
Head coach Sarah Morin is now looking to finish the job and help her team finally get over the hump this season.
“I think finally winning a state championship would mean the world to the players,” Coach Morin expressed. “This group, especially the seniors, has seen our growth year after year and the work we’ve all put into it. They came in after the weird year of COVID, in 2021, and they’ve just seen the excitement surrounding our team and the close-knit culture of our program and community. So I think it would just mean a massive amount to them. I think our juniors and sophomores, and even our lone freshman, are all coming to expect the most of themselves and a winning record for St. Mary’s Academy. That’s what they’ve come to expect and, of course, nothing is given, but they put the work towards it. Honestly, I think it would not only mean the world to this year’s seniors, but to the seniors that just graduated last year too, if we could finally win a state championship.”
St. Mary’s Academy hasn’t won or appeared in a field hockey state championship final since 2008, when it defeated Kent Denver in overtime, 2-1.
“I think it would mean everything to all of us,” senior midfielder and team captain Lauren Messerle agreed. “Since freshman year, field hockey has been such a significant part of my high school experience, and, honestly, the highlight of my high school experience. So taking home the state championship and finally winning would be incredible.”
A championship here would also mean so much to the Wildcats because of the friendships the players have all formed with each other. That’s nothing new to sports, but this collection of seniors feels the relationships they’ve built through field hockey are especially meaningful.
“Field hockey builds such strong bonds and is such a team sport because you really can’t do anything by yourself on the field,” Messerle explained. “In field hockey, if you’re not talking, then something is wrong. So, for example, because of that, whenever our team practices, we literally narrate everything we are doing. And so just talking that much to your teammates leads to so many other conversations. All those interactions and conversations then kinda force you, in a sense, to trust each other and learn to communicate well. Naturally that foundation creates a sense of community for the whole team and just fosters very strong bonds.”
Constructing that team chemistry has been a point of emphasis for Coach Morin, leading to her helping to facilitate regular team dinners, team get-togethers and working hard to create a field hockey culture at St. Mary’s Academy.
The Wildcats head coach has helped champion an effort to start an annual ‘Spirit Week’ at the school to give the all-girls school their own version of a ‘Homecoming Game’ atmosphere. Coach Morin has also helped start other game traditions – like a ‘pink game’ in October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or a ‘senior game’ to celebrate the seniors – to help build a sense of community for her players and the rest of the school.
“The semifinal game last year was such an amazing thing to be a part of,” Aleena Nauman, a senior midfielder and one of the Wildcats’ team captains, shared. “During the build-up, we were having sleepovers, watching movies, and were determined to work together to get the job done. And then playing in the game, and the surreal moment of playing at All-City Stadium, and seeing all of our school there to support us, I just think it was an incredible feeling.”
Now, St. Mary’s Academy’s senior class thinks all that time spent strengthening their team culture will help them finally make their long-awaited championship game debut.
“As the goalie, seeing the whole field, it’s so cool to see everyone come together and work so well together so quickly, even though we lost a good number of seniors from last year,” senior goalie, and another one of the Wildcats’ team captains, Ginna Jacoby said. “I think it’s really special.”
Plus, this group knows they’re capable of reaching that ultimate summit because they came up just one goal short a season ago.
In the quarterfinal round, St. Mary’s Academy advanced past Kent Denver thanks to a shootout victory, powered, in part, by the aforementioned Jacoby – an honorable mention for CHSAA’s 2023 All-State Field Hockey Team. The moment the game went to a shootout, Coach Morin knew her team was set up for success.
“I said, if we were going to go to shootouts, I knew that we would win because of her. And I was right,” Coach Morin stated. “Then we lost to Colorado Academy, 1-0, and her game was, without a doubt, a state championship-caliber performance. Plus, that was only her junior year, so I’m very excited to have her back with another year of experience, and I’m already seeing her make a big impact.”
With this team coming so close a season ago, it’s easy to wonder what might happen if the Wildcats can make one more save this time around.
Between its impressive crop of returning talent, ironclad team bond, and outstanding coach, all the pieces are falling perfectly into place for 2024 to be the season St. Mary’s Academy finally breaks through.