CHSAANow

Category: Field Hockey

  • To help the sport grow, field hockey committee recommends expanding the playoff field

    Field hockey generic
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    AURORA — In an effort to help the growth of the sport, the field hockey committee is recommended an expansion of the state tournament from eight teams to 12.

    “The point is to keep more teams engaged throughout the season,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Justin Saylor, who oversees the sport. “Looking back at historical data, the same eight programs have traditionally been in the tournament and we wanted to expand it to increase the opportunity for more teams to not only qualify for the tournament, but to potentially win a playoff game, because they’ll be playing like competition.”

    Under the recommendation, the top six seeds would receive byes while the next six seeds compete in play-in brackets. In one play-in bracket, the No. 9 and No. 12 seed would play, with the winner facing the No. 8 seed. The winner of that game would then face the No. 1 seed.

    In the other first-round play-in bracket, the No. 10 and No. 11 seed would play, with the winner facing the No. 7 seed. The winner of that would then face the No. 2 seed.

    “Additional time practicing can only help some of our programs,” Saylor said. “I think the fact that teams will be fighting for a spot in the playoffs for the majority of the season will help those programs.”

    Here is an example of what the bracket would look like:

    Coinciding with this change, the field hockey committee’s hope is to add at least two more programs prior to the start of the next season. The sport currently has 15 varsity teams.

    “As we look to expand field hockey in the state, we want to get ahead and start looking at ways to promote that growth with an expanded playoff format,” Saylor said.

    One possibility is another program within Douglas County School District. Mountain Vista had more than 80 players last season.

    “There’s an obvious need for a second program, and we’re hoping to add that for the next cycle,” Saylor said.

    Additionally, another program within Denver Public Schools is a possibility. The district’s only program at Denver East routinely has more than 100 players.

    “We’re hoping that with the popularity of field hockey in that district there will be room for another program in Denver Public Schools,” Saylor said.

    The committee is also recommending a change to the seeding criteria for the state tournament, using a combined data approach with RPI, Coaches Poll and MaxPreps rankings. The bracket field will still captured by RPI, which is mandated by the Board of Directors.

    “We’re fortunate to have multiple data points available to us, and it just makes sense to be able to utilize those to get a more accurate field seeded for the tournament,” Saylor said.

    Finally, field hockey added nine new officials this year. The sport had 16 returning officials, so it was a major increase.

  • Colorado Academy ends perfect season with a state field hockey title

    Colorado Academy Regis Jesuit field hockey
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    DENVER — Up into the night sky went the trophy, hoisted there by dozens of hands.

    Colorado Academy, once more, is the best field hockey team in the state of Colorado.

    The top-seeded Mustangs put the finishing touches on a perfect season Tuesday night with a 2-1 victory over defending champion Regis Jesuit in the state field hockey championship game.

    “It’s kind of a bit surreal, to be honest,” said Colorado Academy coach Veronica Scott, now in her sixth year.

    Colorado Academy ends the season at 18-0-0, becoming the first champion with an unblemished record since the Mustangs did it in 2014.

    “These seniors — when these seniors were my freshmen, they were the ones who they were hockey players. They wanted to be hockey players,” Scott said. “And that was a difference. Normally we’ve got the lax players or the soccer players who want to mix in, but these kids were going to win the state championship. They’ve prepared, and they’ve done it. And I couldn’t be prouder.”

    It is the program’s first title since 2015, which was the last of four-consecutive championships, and sixth overall. Only Kent Denver, with 10, has won more.

    Julia Hall, a junior, opened the scoring in the waning minutes of the first half following a penalty corner. Camielle Doherty had an assist. The goal came with just under three minutes remaining.

    “That was so important,” said junior Katharine Merrifield, a captain for Colorado Academy. “It was definitely a momentum-builder.”

    Then, in the second half, Merrifield, the state’s leading scorer, made it 2-0. It was her 25th goal this season — the highest total in at least a decade.

    After Merrifield’s goal, Regis Jesuit turned up the pressure and won a number of penalty corners. But Rebecca Kerr, the Mustangs’ goalie, made a number of key saves to keep the Raiders scoreless midway through the second half.

    Kerr and Madeline Gordon have shared goalie duties for Colorado Academy this season, with Gordon starting the first half, and Kerr starting the second.

    “They’re such a great combination, and we had no reason to separate them,” Scott said. “And it worked.”

    Regis Jesuit made it a one-goal game when Caitrin Lombardo poked home a loose ball in front of the goal with eight minutes to play.

    The Raiders (14-2-2) looked to have a great chance to tie the game with 4:27 remaining, but a Colorado Academy defender was able to clear the ball in front of an open net. The Mustangs’ defense held firm as the clocked ticked down the remaining time, setting off a celebration.

    The semifinals and championship game were pushed back a week by a massive snowstorm. Ultimately, the two rounds were played on back-to-back nights.

    “Credit to the girls: It just didn’t phase them,” Scott said. “They just said, Alright, the business is the business, and we’ll carry on how we have to carry on: rain, hail or snow. They took it all in stride.”

    Colorado Academy Regis Jesuit field hockey
    More photos. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • Photos from the state field hockey championship game

    Colorado Academy won the state field hockey championship with a 2-1 victory over Regis Jesuit on Tuesday night.

  • Field hockey semifinals: Colorado Academy and Regis Jesuit advance to the championship

    Colorado Academy field hockey team
    More photos. (Paul Soriano)

    Colorado Academy will take on Regis Jesuit for the state field hockey championship on Tuesday.

    The top-seeded Mustangs, now 17-0-0, beat No. 4 Kent Denver 1-0 in the first semifinal on Monday at All-City Stadium. Then, in the late game, No. 2 Regis Jesuit beat No. 3 Cherry Creek in double overtime, 1-0.

    The two teams will play on Tuesday at All-City. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

    [divider]

    (1) Colorado Academy 1, (4) Kent Denver 0

    Colorado Academy Kent Denver field hockey
    More photos. (David Harvey/ImageProPhotography.com)

    The Mustangs put an end to a scoreless affair midway through the first half, and then held off all kinds of scoring chances from Kent Denver to advance.

    Kent Denver had most of the pressure early in the first half, with a number of penalty corners and shots on goal, but it was Colorado Academy which struck first.

    When the Mustangs finally got some sustained pressure on Kent Denver’s side of the field, it led to two penalty corners. On the second, Anderson Dodge, a senior, scored from the left side after her shot deflected off a defender and found the top right corner.

    That goal came with 12:21 to play in the half.

    Things stayed that way through halftime, and into the second half. Once again, Kent Denver continued to put pressure in the offensive zone, and had a number of corners, but nothing found the goal.

    The Sun Devils had a great chance with 15:21 to play, off another penalty corner, but Colorado Academy goalie Madeline Gordon make a good save to preserve the shutout.

    With about nine minutes to play, Kent Denver’s Camille Marsh made a great individual run and had a chance in close with a defender closely trailing her, only to watch her shot just missed to the left.

    Kent had another great chance with 6:48 to go, when a loose ball following a corner squirted free to the left of the goal. But a shot attempt was just wide.

    Ultimately, Colorado Academy was able to hold on and advance.

    It is Colorado Academy’s first appearance in a title game since 2015, which was the last of the program’s four-consecutive state championships. The Mustangs will be making their 12th championship game appearance.

    [divider]

    (2) Regis Jesuit 1, (3) Cherry Creek 0 (2 OT)

    Cherry Creek Regis Jesuit field hockey
    More photos. (Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

    Regis Jesuit’s Zoey Dale scored on a give-and-go just 1:16 into the second overtime to lift the Raiders to a second-straight appearance in the title game.

    The tightly-contested game, which was a rematch of last year’s state title contest, saw a couple of good chances by both teams during regulation.

    Cherry Creek had a chance in close less than four minutes into the game following a penalty corner, but just missed on a shot towards an open goal. Another chance off a corner from the Bruins with six minutes remaining in the half hit the right post.

    The most prominent scoring chance came with 10.7 seconds remaining in the half, when Regis Jesuit’s Zoey Dale appeared to have scored, but the goal was disallowed because the ball did not come out of the circle prior to the shot on a penalty corner.

    Then, with 9:32 remaining in the second half, Regis Jesuit’s Cate Lord broke in alone on the goal, but Cherry Creek’s Tallulah Fuhs sprinted third yards to catch up with her and push the ball away at the last moment before a shot attempt.

    The teams — who played on Sept. 18, a 2-0 Regis win — went to overtime. Neither team had a particularly great opportunity to score in that period, so they went to a second OT.

    In that overtime, Dale took the inbounds pass on a penalty corner, passed to a teammate, who immediately returned the ball, and Dale buried the shot in the lower right corner.

    Regis Jesuit, the defending champion, will now continue its quest to defend its title on Tuesday night.

    Cherry Creek Regis Jesuit field hockey
    More photos. (Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

  • Photos: Colorado Academy and Regis Jesuit advance to field hockey final

    DENVER — Colorado Academy and Regis Jesuit won their respective field hockey semifinal games and will meet for the state championship on Tuesday.

    [divider]

    Colorado Academy vs. Kent Denver

    By Paul Soriano, Tim Bourke & David Harvey

    Colorado Academy Kent Denver field hockey
    (Paul Soriano)

    [divider]

    Regis Jesuit vs. Cherry Creek

    By Paul Soriano, Tim Bourke & David Harvey

    Cherry Creek Regis Jesuit field hockey
    (Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

  • Field hockey’s semifinals and championship game postponed to next week

    The state field hockey semifinals and championship game are being postponed to next week.

    Below is what has been communicated to the schools involved:

    After careful consideration and discussions with all involved, the decision has been made to push the CHSAA state semifinals and final for Field Hockey back to Monday, November 4 and Tuesday, November 5, respectively.

    Semifinal games will be played at 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. (All-City Stadium) and the Final will be played at 6:00 p.m. (All-City Stadium).

    The change allows for proper preparation of playing surfaces and the ability for all four schools to adequately prepare for what is the marquee event in the state for the sport.

    The bracket has been updated to reflect these changes.

  • Field hockey’s state tournament schedule shifts due to weather

    Field hockey generic
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Field hockey’s semifinals and championship game are shifting two days each due to inclement weather this week.

    The semifinals will move from Tuesday to Thursday, with games remaining at All-City Stadium. The championship is shifting from Thursday to Saturday, and the site is also changing to Stutler Bowl.

    The state tournament bracket has been updated to reflect the changes.

    A snowstorm rolled into the Denver metro area on Sunday, and snow is expected to continue throughout the day on Monday, and pick up heavily on Tuesday. In addition, Tuesday’s forecast calls for a high of 20 degrees — and 16 degrees when the second game was scheduled to start. That weather necessitated a change in the tournament schedule.

    No snow is in the forecast after Wednesday, and temperatures also pick up.

    No. 1 Colorado Academy and No. 4 Kent Denver will play at 5:30 p.m. in the first semifinal on Thursday at All-City, with No. 2 Regis Jesuit and No. 3 Cherry Creek following that at 7:15 p.m.

    The championship game is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. at Stutler Bowl.

  • Photos: Cherry Creek field hockey beats Palmer Ridge in first round

    Cherry Creek field hockey punched its ticket to the semifinals with a 3-2 win over Palmer Ridge on Thursday.

  • Weather contingency for field hockey’s semifinals and final

    Arapahoe Regis Jesuit field hockey
    (Paul Soriano)

    With poor weather expected in the metro area next week, the CHSAA office has communicated its weather contingency plan for state field hockey to all schools involved:

    The State Field Hockey Tournament is scheduled for October 29th and October 31st at All-City Stadium.

    The following is the weather contingency plan:

      • Should inclement weather interfere with play next week, our contingency plan is to move the Semifinal Games to Thursday, October 31st at All-City Stadium. Start times for the Semifinals would be 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 31st.
      • The CHSAA Field Hockey State Championship Game would be moved to Saturday, November 2nd at Stutler Bowl Stadium. Start time for the Championship would be 3:00 p.m.

    The decision to put the contingency plan into effect will be made at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28th.

  • Photos: No. 2 Regis Jesuit tops No. 7 Arapahoe in field hockey’s first round

    Lauren Pendergast scored two early goals to lift No. 2 Regis Jesuit to a 4-0 win over No. 7 Arapahoe in the state field hockey tournament.