Much like NASCAR, the St. Louis-area field hockey scene is packed with huge events at the start of its season. The Lafayette Field Hockey Tournament supplied the drama during the opening weekend and the Gateway Classic – the largest high school field hockey tournament in the Midwest – supplied energy, enthusiasm and intensity over Labor Day weekend.
Sponsored by Athletic Republic, this list of players excelled from the moment the green flag waved on the field hockey season.
Annie Tilghman, senior, Ladue (feature photo)
With advanced knowledge of attacking angles, Tilghman owned the midfield, creating passing lanes and scoring opportunities. She scored six goals and added two assists in the Rams’ first five games while producing an impressive 23 shot attempts as Ladue opened the season with a 4-0-1 record and the Pool D championship at the Gateway Classic.
Lexi Nichol, junior, Ursuline
The selfless Nichol scored seven goals during the Gateway Classic, including a pair of game-winners, then donned the pads and produced 60 minutes of shutout goalkeeping as Ursuline captured the Pool E championship with two wins and and a tie. Nichol ranks fourth in scoring in the St. Louis area, with nine goals and an assist through five games.
Hayden Duffy, sophomore, Visitation
A speedy and creative forward, Duffy scored four goals during the Gateway Classic, including a hat trick against Deerfield and the game-winner in the fourth quarter during a 1-0 victory over South Oldham – a win that propelled the Vivettes to the Pool J title. Duffy has amassed six goals and two assists to help Visitation start the season with a 4-2-1 record.
Charlotte Wilson, senior, Ladue
A soccer star committed to play at Saint Louis University, Wilson uses her sense of positioning and field awareness to see plays before they develop. A defensive center midfielder, Wilson scored two goals on penalty corner, tip-ins in the Rams’ season opening win over Cor Jesu and played a major role in Ladue capturing the Pool D championship at the Gateway Classic.
Carly Hebner, senior, United
A lefty playing with the right-handed field hockey stick, Hebner possesses great speed and an uncanny ability to evade defenders. She has compiled one goal and four assists, figuring in on all but two of the goals scored by United. Her game-winning goal against Lutheran South and her two assist performance against Parkway Central helped United start the season with a 2-0 record.
Kayla Arb, senior, Summit
Mired in a five-game losing streak, Summit turned around its season at the Gateway Classic and Arb played a huge role, Arb scored the game-winning goal in the fourth quarter of a 2-1 victory over Louisville Ballard to open the tournament, scored twice in a 2-0 win over Arrowhead Union (WI), and scored again in a 2-1 win over Pembroke Hill to secure the Pool F championship.
Lauren Hagan, senior, Villa Duchesne
A captain of the Saints defensive unit, Hagan helped Villa Duchesne earn shutouts in its first eight games, including outscoring its opponents 9-0 en route to the Pool D championship at the Gateway Classic. Hagan set the tone for the Saints, scoring the opening goal and adding an assist in a victory over Charlotte Latin while applying her trademark shutdown defense.
Cat Miller, senior, Nerinx Hall
A slick playmaker and energy-producer, Miller can be found in the center of impactful plays for the Markers. The defensive midfielder scored a goal and added two assists against Parkway South and played a pivotal role in 1-0 victories over DePaul and Atherton, leading Nerinx Hall to the Pool I championship at the Gateway Classic. The Markers are 4-2 this season and have only surrendered two goals.
Mackenzie Ikeda, junior, Lafayette
A fearless competitor on both offense and defense, Ikeda shined during the Lafayette Tournament, notching three goals, one assist and thwarting dozens of corner opportunities as the Lancers’ flyer. Her assist in the opening minute against Westminster proved to be the game-winner as Lafayette won the season-opening tournament it hosts for the first time since 2022.
Grace Isberra, senior, Visitation
Moving into a larger leadership role, Isberra led Visitation through actions and words at the Gateway Classic. Isberra used her excellent tackling ability to thwart offensive attacks, then produced the offensive punch, including the game-tying goal against Westminster with four minutes remaining to send the Vivettes into the Pool J championship game, which they won 1-0 over South Oldham.
Lydia Blind, senior, Edwardsville
A stellar ball-stopper and organizer of the defense, Blind made 33 saves in the Tigers’ first five games, including 17 denials in a 3-2 loss to Lindbergh. She saved 10 shots against Lafayette in the season opener and recently saved 12 more in a 1-0 loss to Nerinx Hall. She currently ranks fifth in total saves (43) and seventh in save percentage (.827) in the STL area.
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