LADUE – Nine months to stew, to wait, to prepare.
Last November, the John Burroughs field hockey team watched from the opposing sideline as Villa Duchesne, a team they defeated convincingly during the regular season, celebrated the 2024 state championship. The Bombers had scored at least three goals in every game during a 15-game winning streak but were shut out by Villa Duchesne on the sport’s biggest stage.
“It was disappointing, but the next day. we said, ‘Next year is our year,’” sophomore Lila Merlin said. “We knew what we had to do. Head down, work hard, we’re coming for revenge.”
2024 Championship Game Story: https://metrosportsstl.com/2024/11/02/poncirolis-game-winner-punctuates-dominant-second-half-as-villa-duchesne-defeats-john-burroughs-to-earn-15th-state-championship/
Revenge was sweet Thursday as the Bombers scored a barrage of fast-break goals in the second half and sprinted past Villa Duchesne 6-1 at John Burroughs School.
The six goals were the most surrendered by the Saints since a 6-5 loss to Visitation on Sept. 17, 2013.
“I honestly didn’t think we played a bad game,” Villa Duchesne coach Kate Graft said. “We had a lot of attack and had quite a few corners. The score reflects a little differently, but I thought it was a good game. Hats off to Burroughs. They’re a great team and they’re hungry.”
At first, John Burroughs’ pent-up hunger was released in the form of a sloppy joe, with misguided passes and misdirected shots. Villa Duchesne countered, and when Taylor Brown powered home a centering feed from Trudy Redmond, the Saints took a 1-0 lead after one quarter.
“We’ve been waiting for this game since we ended last season and we had so much excitement that we were a little frazzled at first,” senior Sophie Buchowski said. “That (goal) told us, ‘Oh, this isn’t going to come easy. We’re going to have to fight for everything.’”
The Bombers (7-0) earned a penalty corner early in the second quarter that Villa Duchesne appeared to thwart, but an errant Saints’ pass landed on the stick of Burroughs’ senior Kate Logsdon, who patiently settled it, surveyed the net and blasted home the tying goal.
Two minutes later, off another corner, Buchowski provided the insert and then tipped in a pass from Finnley Desloge to give the Bombers a lead they would not relinquish.
Buchowski scored her fifth goal of the season and second game-winner, but it was her calm presence as the captain of the Bombers’ defense that stymied several Villa Duchesne advances into the circle.
“Something that clicked with us is that even if we don’t have the ball, we can still control the game. We can dictate how they play, how they pass and what shots they take,” Buchowski said.
Leading 2-1 at intermission, John Burroughs entered the second half in another gear.
A beautiful tic-tac-toe play went from Logsdon to Katy Chapman to Reese Rafferty for a tap-in goal. One minute later, Logsdon raced through the midfield and found Merlin available for another fast break goal.
The Bombers scored their third goal in a 2 minute 23 second span when Chapman accepted a feed from Merlin and blasted home a reverse shot from the top of the circle. It gave John Burroughs a 5-1 lead with five different goal scorers.
“It clicked for us,” Merlin said. “It took a little time to get into our groove, but once it was there, we were a machine.”
John Burroughs did Thursday what Villa Duchesne (4-2-1) has done so many times during its run of four state titles in five years – bring wave after wave of sustained pressure until the dam breaks.
“They had great scoring opportunities and they capitalized on them,” Graft said. “I’m not disappointed in the girls’ effort. We have to tighten up a few things and work on transition defense. It’s a growth opportunity. The girls will learn and grow.”
And part of the growth of the John Burroughs team this year has been a free-flowing, ball-carrying, speed-generating approach that has produced 5.85 goals per game and put opponents on their heels.
“This is what we’re bringing this season,” Merlin said. “This is Bomber hockey.”
For a photo gallery of this game, visit: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Field-Hockey/2025-Season/Villa-Duchesne-at-John-Burroughs-9-11-25