As far as we can tell, four players breached the 50-goal barrier in 2025. Three out of the four — Lola Conway, Adelaide Minnella, and Aida Ierubino — are the daughters of former collegiate players who just happen to be their head coaches for their scholastic teams.
In this context, Caitlin Connell, who scored 68 goals this season to be your national field hockey scoring champion for 2025, is a unicorn. Her mother was not a collegiate field hockey player. Heck, she didn’t have knowledge of the sport until she was introduced to it in elementary school. And at Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.), she was coached by former Duke all-American Katie Evans, who just happened to tutor her in middle school.
“I remember coming to the Villa field in 5th grade and having lessons with Katie for hours just working on my forehand and backhand shot,” Connell says. “She taught me all my fundamentals in hitting.”
Caitlin Connell is going to be remembered for being one of the best scholastic field hockey players in the last 116 years of organized play. It’s not just because of the voluminous goal totals she has posted (tied for sixth all-time with 223), but because of the quality of her skills, the reading of space, and the way in which she punishes opponents for their mistakes.
“I think I just try to always get something done,” Connell says. “If I have the ball in the circle I want to do something with it every time: a corner, an assist, a goal. Having this mentality has helped me to capitalize. As I’ve gotten older I also have the mentality that no shot is perfect. I used to focus on have the perfect set up and the perfect swing space. I have changed that to being able to create a shot, no matter what. Pre-scanning also helps me see the defense and goalie before I receive.”
If you need evidence of Connell’s lethality on the attack end, look at her second goal in a 3-0 win over Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) on October 4th. In the fourth quarter, she took a through pass from teammate Sadie Niewinski and took off into the attacking third. She dribbled around two foes into a space along the left wing, a difficult place to score from. She addressed the ball, threaded the ball over the goalkeeper, in between the narrow space between the goal posts, into the side netting.
The Hurricanes played one of the most difficult schedules in the 2025 season. The team plays out of the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, which is difficult enough. But Villa took part in the 2025 National High School Invitational, and scheduled a number of NHSI teams to fill out its regular-season schedule.
But the real work took place when Villa Maria embarked on a perilous trek through the PIAA District 1-AAA Tournament. In every game, the Hurricanes, a school with an enrollment of less than 330 students, were obligated to play against the larger schools in the PIAA, those who were in Class AAA competition. That’s because of a realignment ruling that came into being after the 2023 season.
In the 2025 postseason, all of Villa’s opponents on the way to the state semifinal round were substantially larger:
| School | Enrollment |
| Ridley | 682 |
| Garnet Valley | 552 |
| Methacton | 575 |
| Central Bucks West | 738 |
| Manheim Township | 789 |
| Mechanicsburg | 590 |
| Emmaus | 1114 |
Connell is continuing her playing career on several levels. Next month, she chases a roster spot on the U-21 junior national team. At the same time, she is going to be playing with her club side, Main Line Mayhem, as it chases a berth in the National Indoor Tournament. Mayhem is a club which has carved out its own history in an area which has, for decades, been dominated by xCalibur and the W.C. Eagles.
“It was fun being a part of the first Mayhem team to ever win a medal at the National Club Championships,” Connell says. “I grew up with those girls and it’s been awesome now watching them all play at the Division I level. That group is definitely special and I am proud to of helped build Mayhem up with them.”
This fall, Connell will be matriculating to the University of Virginia.
Caitlin Connell rejoins this amazing list of field hockey players who have led the country in scoring the last four decades. Please let us know if there are any additions or corrections that need to be made to the list below. This especially goes for 1988, the identity of which is unknown. If you have any ideas, let us know. It’s been driving us bonkers.
2025: Caitlin Connell, Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) 68
2024: Caitlin Connell, Malvern Villa Maria (Pa.) 67
2023: Paige Cornelius, New Albany (Ohio), 75
2022: Olivia Fraticelli, Toms River (N.J.) North, 89
2021: Ryleigh Heck, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 125
2020-21: Hope Rose, Harrisburg Central Dauphin (Pa.) 90
2019: Ryleigh Heck, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 78
2018: Mackenzie Allessie, Mount Joy Donegal (Pa.) 124
2017: Mackenzie Allessie, Mount Joy Donegal (Pa.) 91
2016: Megan Rodgers, San Diego Serra (Calif.) 81
2015: Nikki Santore, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 69
2014: Austyn Cuneo, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 95
2013: Austyn Cuneo, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 96
2012: Austyn Cuneo, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 68
2011: Austyn Cuneo, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 69
2010: Danielle Allan, Pompton Lakes (N.J.) 56
2009: Kelsey Mitchell, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) 69
2008: Lucas Long, Allentown William Allen (Pa.) 43
2007: Lauren Gonsalves, Harwich (Mass.) 56
2006: Kaitlyn Hiltz, Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox (Va.) 50
2005: Kelly Fitzpatrick, Palmyra (Pa.) 66
2004: Amie Survilla, Mountain Top Crestwood (Pa.) 64
2003: Anne Marie Janus, Kingston Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 44
2002: Shauna Banta, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) and Amanda Arnold, West Long Branch Shore Regional (N.J.) 49
2001: Tiffany Marsh, Marathon (N.Y.) 57
2000: Rebecca Hooven, Plumsteadville Plumstead Christian (Pa.) 54
1999: Rebecca Hooven, Plumsteadville Plumstead Christian (Pa.) 48
1998: Kelli Hill, Manasquan (N.J.) 43
1997: Tiffany Serbanica, Madison (N.J.) Borough 43
1996: Carla Tagliente, Marathon (N.Y.) 51
1995: Kim Miller, Virginia Beach Frank W. Cox (Va.) 63
1994: Michelle Vizzuso, North Caldwell West Essex (N.J.) 69
1993: Melissa Pasnaci, Miller Place (N.Y.) 60
1992: Diane DeMiro, North Caldwell West Essex (N.J.) 56
1991: Denise Nasca, Centereach (N.Y.) 56
1990: Shelley Parsons, Waterfall Forbes Road (Pa.) 50
1989: Christine McGinley, Medford Lakes Shawnee (N.J.) 40
1988: Unknown
1987: Kris Fillat, San Diego Serra (Calif.) 53
1986: Dana Fuchs, Centereach (N.Y.) 57
1985: Hope Sanborn, Walpole (Mass.) and Sharon Landau, Mamaroneck Rye Neck (N.Y.) 53
1984: Michelle Vowell, Garden Grove Santiago (N.Y.) 56
1983: Tracey Fuchs, Centereach (N.Y.) 82
1982: Mare Chung, San Diego Serra (Calif.) 48
