Wilson defeats Oly Valley to win 2024 BCIAA field hockey championship

A familiar matchup ended with a new result Saturday night at Governor Mifflin Stadium as the Wilson field hockey team defeated Oly Valley 3-0 to capture the 2024 BCIAA field hockey title.

“This group has worked hard since January to continue to grow, continue to work together and learn to be confident,” Bulldogs coach Kim Underwood said. “And we’ve seen so much growth in them over the last couple of weeks, and I’m really proud of their belief in themselves and their belief in each other.”

Top-seeded Wilson (16-4-1) and the second-seeded Bobcats (11-10) met for the third straight year and fifth time in the last eight years for the Berks championship.

Oley Valley went 3-1 in last year’s championship game, and Saturday’s win for the Bulldogs gave them their first title since 2022. Earlier in the regular season, Wilson defeated the Lynx 2-0 at Oley Valley.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Wilson senior Caroline Horace said. “We started very well. We won it my sophomore year and I had a lot of upperclassmen that I looked up to. So it was a full circle moment for me when I became an adult and won again.

“There’s definitely a lot of rivalry in this (the Olay match), but there’s also a lot of friendship because I play for the club team that Oley’s head coach (Tiffany Cappellano) leads, so I know a lot of the players there. And yes, it’s a high school rivalry, but it’s also nice to know that my friends are on the other side of the field too.”

Wilson took a 1-0 lead after senior Olivia Reinhart scored 46 seconds into the game. Reinhart was assisted on the play by freshman Sydney Adams.

The Bulldogs led 1-0 after one quarter and scored two more goals before halftime.

“It was very impressive,” Underwood said of the fast start. “We were just trying to get it right from the start, but obviously you never expect that (goal) to happen straight away. I think it allowed us to take a deep breath and calm down, because there are always nerves before a game like this. Everyone is delighted, and that’s what you do with your nerves. And I think they, fortunately, found a way to put the ball in the cage and get results.”

Wilson continued to find a way to put the ball in the cage with strong corner play. After a penalty corner with 11:20 left in the first half, Horace scored and was assisted by junior Laura Crocona.

“My main job in the corners is to set the shot,” Horace said. “So I knew that once Cameran (Hyatt) hit the ball and the goalkeeper saved it, the rebound was mine. So every time I know I need to do it, and it was in my head.”

Six minutes later, after another penalty, sophomore Sydney Templeton scored and was assisted by senior Evelyn Melograna with 4:56 left in the first half.

“We have a lot of girls who can shoot the penalty corners effectively,” Underwood said. “We have a lot of strong options and we work really hard not to give up when we’re in the circle. And just keep hitting, keep hitting and keep getting results after you hit the ball. I think we did a much better job this time than the last time we played them to make that happen.”

Wilson maintained possession for most of the second half and held the Bobcats to just three shots. Senior goalie Katherine Wolf made three saves for the Bulldogs.

Oly Valley junior goalkeeper Charlotte Prout made eight saves for the Bobcats. Wilson recorded 12 shots on goal and converted 12 penalty corners, while the Bobcats had four penalties.

Wolf said she has faith in her classmates’ ability to continue the winning tradition.

“I think it’s very exciting for me,” Wolf said. “I know Oley and I know my team. I have a lot of trust in them and I came into this game knowing that we have everything in stock and we will come out of the game with confidence. We know this opponent and I knew we would be fine.

“I think we have a lot of potential now to play younger kids. We now have a really good team with strong leadership. And I think we as high school students have taught the younger students what leadership looks like. Now they can pass that on and they’ve developed those fundamentals and that team culture and I think they’ll go far.”

Wilson is seeded sixth in the upcoming Class 3A District 3 Tournament and will begin the tournament with a home game against No. 11 Ephrata (9-8) on Wednesday at West Lawn at 7 p.m., while Ollie Valley will begin play in the Class 3A District 3 Tournament at Susquenita High School against eighth-seeded Newport (14-4) on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

“The Third District is filled with a lot of great teams,” Underwood said. “So I think we continue to improve and get better and as we head into districts we need to continue like that, just sticking to our game plan and seeing each other on the field. It’s very important to move away from the ball and then just create something in the circle.

“I’m just really proud of these girls. Oley is an amazing team. They train well. They play hard and that’s why it’s great for Berks County field hockey to have such a great game for people to come and watch.”

Originally published: October 20, 2024 8:21 am