The last six iterations of the National High School Invitational have played out a bit like a wedding in a soap opera. After the wedding, alliances and romances change radically and the storylines change to match, and there are plenty of surprises throughout.
This year’s NHSI resulted in a number of interesting and dramatic results involving members of our Top 10. But, as we have also seen, a number of the NHSI teams have scheduled each other outside of the weekend of games, and several matches this weekend were games borne from the Invitational. This should be a delicious week.
This week’s RightToRightIsRight.com honorary No. 11 Team of the Week is the women’s field hockey team representing the Amsterdam Hockey & Bandy Club. Amsterdam started its women’s Hoofdeklasse season with a 2-1 win over Den Bosch over the weekend. Scoring the opener for Amsterdam was a 16-year-old American whom you might have heard of: Reese D’Ariano, the homeschooled wunderkind who is in the U.S. women’s national team pool.
1. Emmaus (Pa.) 11-0
The Hornets have been getting great play from sophomore Riley Povalaitis, who has 19 goals thus far this season; the team’s next prominent non-conference game is this Saturday against Millersville Penn Manor (Pa.)
2. Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) 8-0
The Irish had a couple of big wins at the National High School Invitational, but I think the key game from last week was a 4-1 win over Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.). Irish face Villa Maria today and Camden Catholic tomorrow
3. Uxbridge (Mass.) 6-0
The Spartans sent an enormous message over the weekend with an 8-1 win over Somerset-Berkley Regional (Mass.), a team which won the Division 2 state final last fall
4. Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) 7-0
The Hurricanes go from the frying pan (the NHSI) into the fire with today’s game against Academy of Notre Dame; this should be a titanic matchup
5. Louisville Sacred Heart (Ky.) 13-0
Might this be the best SHA team since the mid-2000s? The Valkyries beat two sitting state champions in Mullica Hill Clearview (N.J.) and Tredyffrin Conestoga (Pa.) at the NHSI
6. Glenbrook (Ill.) North 9-0
The Spartans, featuring age-group national teamers like Ella Beach and Reese Anetsberger, will get a tough challenge next Weekend as they visit Worthington Thomas Worthington (Ohio)
7. Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.) 6-1
The Royals got wins over Lititz Warwick (Pa.) and Houston Kinkaid (Tex.) at the NHSI last weekend, but will have an enormous match against PAISAA titleist Hill tomorrow
8. Cherry Hill Camden Catholic (N.J.) 4-1
The Irish got an overtime win over Palmyra (Pa.) at the NHSI, and will have to come up with that same effort tomorrow against Academy of Notre Dame, Moorestown, and Oak Knoll in a four-day period
9. Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.) 7-1
The Churchwomen dropped a 4-1 defeat to Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.), but impressed with two NHSI wins
10. Yorktown Tabb (Va.) 8-0
A win today over rival Yorktown Grafton (Va.) would stretch the Tigers’ winning streak to 99 games
11. Amsterdam Hockey & Bandy Club 1-0
Pulled out a win thanks to a 48th-minute goal to start the season successfully against Den Bosch, one of the Tigers’ main rivals and winners of 23 of the last 27 Hoofdeklasse titles on offer
Who’s out: Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) 3-2 loss to Winnetka New Trier (Ill.); Lititz Warwick (Pa.) 2-1 loss to Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.)
And bear in mind: San Diego Scripps Ranch (Calif.) 9-2, Westport Staples (Conn.) 8-0, Smyrna (Del.) 6-0, Baltimore Bryn Mawr (Md.) 3-1, Watertown (Mass.) 6-0, Mullica Hill Clearview (N.J.) 6-1, Mamaroneck (N.Y.) 8-1, Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) 2-2, Lititz Warwick (Pa.) 10-1, Rosemont Agnes Irwin (Pa.) 7-1
