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.
Two girls fall teams at Yorktown High School enjoyed success in recent Liberty District tournaments, with each recording upsets along the way.
The second-seeded Patriots’ field hockey squad won the district title for a fifth straight time, with the third-seed volleyball unit finishing second in its tournament.
The standout fall season enjoyed by multiple Bishop O’Connell High School sports teams was highlighted when four different head coaches for the private-school Knights athletic program received Coach of the Year accolades.
Earning Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors were Megan Sullivan for girls field hockey, Chris Jennings for boys soccer and Alerto Starace for girls soccer. Mehdi El Alaoui was the Division I state Coach of the Year for girls volleyball.
Over the past five seasons, there were two aspects worth noting about home girls varsity field-hockey matches at Yorktown High School.
First and foremost, there were the Patriots’ contests on the field. But simultaneously, there was a free, live YouTube-streamed broadcast of the matches.
Three standout senior girls field-hockey players who helped the Yorktown Patriots win a 2024 state championship were honored with Class 6 all-state selections.
Senior forward Elena Reiser was chosen as the Virginia High School League Player of the Year at the Class 6 level. Reiser scored 15 goals, had nine assists and took 62 shots in 22 games for Yorktown, which finished 18-4 in winning its second straight state title and third in four seasons.
The four-year stretch of success the Yorktown Patriots have enjoyed in field hockey is unprecedented in program history — and at some other levels, as well.
Dating back to the 2021 season, Yorktown has won three Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship, including the 2023 and 2024 crowns. Yorktown finished second in 2022.
Five members of the Yorktown Patriots were selected to the all-6D North Region girls field-hockey teams for their performances during the high-school season.
Senior Elena Reiser, with 14 goals, nine assists and 60 shots taken through 20 matches, was selected as the Player of the Year and to the first team. Also making first team were senior Olivia Stafford, who had 18 goals and nine assists through 20 matches, and senior Quincy Greene, with 11 goals and four assists.
The Yorktown Patriots set a firm goal at the start of the season: Repeat as state field-hockey champions.
And the squad delivered on Saturday (Nov. 16) in Virginia Beach.
Add more first-time accomplishments earned by the Bishop O’Connell Knights field-hockey team this season.
They have become an annual thing since Megan Sullivan took over as head coach four seasons ago.
It was a busy afternoon, with Bishop O’Connell High School girls teams playing in three different state-tournament contests at home last Tuesday (Nov. 5).
In the end, O’Connell teams won all three — soccer, field hockey and volleyball — to advance in the Division I private-school state competitions.
With the state tournament now ahead, the Yorktown Patriots are very much in the running to finish on a high note and repeat as Class 6 girls field-hockey champions.
Like a year ago, Yorktown (15-4) enters the Virginia High School League’s state tournament as the runner-up in the 6D North Region tourney. The host Patriots lost to the defending champion Oakton Cougars, 1-0, in the Nov. 6 region final.
It will be deja vu all over again in the championship match of this season’s girls 6D North Region field-hockey tournament.
For the second straight year, the defending champion Oakton Cougars and Yorktown Patriots will meet in the high-school title match, set for tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 6) at 7 p.m.
