For a fifth season, the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls field-hockey team continued to find success under the leadership of Megan Sullivan.
This fall, the high school squad won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament for the first time, nipping top seed St. John’s, 1-0, in the championship match.
St. John’s had defeated second-seed O’Connell (16-6-1) in regular-season action.
O’Connell was 3-0 in the tournament, blanking St. Paul VI Catholic, 3-0, in the semifinals and Holy Cross, 5-0, in the first round. Overall, the team was 8-1 against WCAC opponents this season.
Sophomore Ysens Mason scored the goal in the title match against St. John’s, with classmate Lizzie Guy having the assist. In goal, junior Sophia Lianos earned the shutout.
Against Paul VI, Mason and senior Caitlin Musolino scored goals, with freshman Charlie Mitek having two assists.
Sullivan initially thought this season might be a rebuilding year, with so many graduating from last year’s squad and the Knights playing a difficult schedule.
“This was the smartest team I’ve ever had,” the coach told ARLnow. “They wanted to learn, watch film, go over things and work hard. This team was locked in and exceeded my expectations. After last season, these players knew what kind of shoes they had to fill.”
In addition to winning the WCAC tourney for the first time, the Knights’ 16 victories tied last season’s mark for the most in a single season. The 68 goals O’Connell scored and 10 shutouts also were season bests.
The Knights consistently struggled to win in conference play before Sullivan took charge in 2021. They quickly and steadily improved under her leadership, finishing an all-time best of second in last year’s WCAC tourney.
Following this year’s WCAC tourney, O’Connell was the fifth seed in the Division I private school state tournament, finishing 1-1 in that event. O’Connell nipped fourth seed and host St. Catherine’s, 1-0, in the first round, then was blanked in the semifinals, 4-0, by top seed and state champion Trinity Episcopal.
Forward Lena Sullivan had the goal against St. Catherine’s, and Lianos made 13 saves for the shutout in goal.
The loss to Trinity Episcopal ended the Knights’ season and snapped its six-match winning streak, which included five straight shutouts. The victory over St. Catherine’s avenged a 3-2 regular-season loss, also on the road.
“Our defense was entirely new this season and it was phenomenal,” Megan Sullivan said.
Last year O’Connell finished an all-time best second in the state tournament, topping previously unbeaten Trinity Episcopal in the semifinals.
The Knights’ difficult non-conference schedule in 2025 included games against strong Virginia public-school teams Tabb, Woodson, McLean, Robinson and South County.
The squad also played perennial top Virginia private-school teams Collegiate and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, Annapolis of Maryland along with Episcopal of Texas and Moorestown, N.J., in a national regular-season tournament.
Second-seed Collegiate finished second in this year’s Division I state tournament. The Tabb Tigers of Yorktown entered the Virginia High School League’s Class 3 state tournament with an undefeated 22-0 record.
The two goals that O’Connell scored against Tabb in a 5-2 opening-season loss were the most that the Tigers allowed in a match entering the state final. O’Connell bounced back from that loss to Tabb by winning four straight games.
Lena Sullivan was the team’s top goal scorer this season, with 21 goals and 11 assists. The 21 goals were a single-season individual best, as were the 19 assists by Mason, who also had seven goals. Both players were chosen first team all-WCAC and first-team all-state.
Musolino had nine goals and six assists. Junior Anelia Werner had eight goals and eight assists, Mitek had seven goals and four assists, senior Katherine Jordan had seven goals and two assists, Guy had four goals and four assists, senior Isabelle Vivarelli had two goals and four assists, and sophomore Nora Smith had one goal.
Also chosen first-team all-WCAC were Werner, Guy and Lianos. Making second team was Vivarelli. Chosen honorable mention were Jordan and fellow seniors Abby Freitas and Julia Vernau.
NOTE: In the two seasons prior to Megan Sullivan taking over as O’Connell’s head coach, the Knights won just one match, one by a forfeit, each season. The Knights won eight games her first year, 10 each of the next two, 16 in 2024 and 2025 and have played in the state tournament four of the five campaigns. Sullivan played Division I college field hockey at University of Pennsylvania and founded the first recreational field hockey program in Arlington.
