crux (n.) — the most important or serious part of a matter, problem, or argument
I’ve always lauded Route 422 in Pennsylvania as the most competitive area for field hockey in the United States. It is the place to be today, as three high-level games will form the crux of the 2024 American scholastic field hockey season.
At 5 p.m, at Landis Field at Central Dauphin Middle School (actually, about five miles northwest of where the route begins), one of the Route 422 teams, Palmyra (Pa.) will be taking on Lititz Warwick (Pa.) in the PIAA Class AA semifinals. Palmyra has been remarkably consistent in state tournament play, making the PIAA championship game eight out of the last 10 years. The team has already gotten past two teams who have developed Olympic players in the last 20 years — Mountain Top Crestwood (Pa.) and Flourtown Mount St. Joseph’s (Pa.) in the first two rounds.
And now, Palmyra is taking on a third team which has developed an Olympian, Lititz Warwick (Pa.). They are led by forwards Bree Zoccolo and Karys Craver, but will be facing Palmyra for the second time in three weeks having beaten the Cougars 3-1 in the DIstrict 3-AA final.
An hour after the opening whistle in the Class AA semifinal, there will be a similar clash of field hockey powerhouses at Don Thomas Field at Reading Exeter (Pa.). Today will feature the closest thing to a PIAA Tournament of Champions you will ever see.
Your defending Class AAA champion Emmaus (Pa.) will be taking on defending Class AA champion Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) in a meeting of contrasting sides. Emmaus is a public school near Allentown, while Villa Maria is a private school near Philadelphia. In addition, the female enrollment of Emmaus is 1114, while Villa Maria is 328.
Both of these teams have plenty of players who are destined for the next level. Midfielder Autum Kernechel is one of those rare field hockey players to have ever had 30 goals and 30 assists for a season, and she is committed to Ohio State. Alongside her will be fellow senior Emmy Horner, and the sophomore tandem of Gracie Huffer and Sadie Nawarynski. The defense of Emmaus is very stout, and Riley Povalaitis showed out in an early-season win over Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.).
Villa Maria will be led by forward Caitlyn Connell, midfielder Jack Shaw, and back Alexandra Coupe. The Hurricanes had to have been stung a few weeks ago when they went into a non-league contest against Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) and, despite dominating possession in the first quarter, fell two goals adrift at quarter-time on the way to a 5-0 defeat.
Speaking of Hill, the Rams will be playing the PAISAA final at 7 p.m. at Ursinus College, which is located a few miles off Route 422 in Collegeville. Hill’s opponent will be Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.), a team which has been Hill’s equal over the last few years. Hill and Notre Dame have played several extremely tight games the last three seasons, and this should be a similar match.
Hill will be led by forwards Abigail Gerdeman and Mae Dixon, midfielders Riley Savage and Aubrey Turner, corner striker Opal Sparling, and goalkeeper Tane King. It is a side which has an abundance of talent, but it also has the extra pressure of being the No. 1 team in the TopOfTheCircle.com Top 10.
Notre Dame is led by all-around midfielder Kiera Sack, forward Reese Milone, and sophomore attacking midfielder Maeve McGinley.
If any of you have a chance to see any of these three matches, go and see these amazing athletes and teams. It should be a great show.