LADUE – The margin between the Ladue field hockey team and perennial state semifinalist St. Joseph’s is as thin as a headband.
Specifically, a pink one worn by Mia Ryan.
Ryan, who scored the overtime winner to beat the Rams in a thrilling state quarterfinal last season, scored both goals to power the Angels to a 2-1 victory over Ladue in another classic battle Thursday at Ladue High.
“That game last year really fired us up for this one,” said Ryan, an Indiana University commit. “We knew they were going to be tough competition.”
Both of Ryan’s goals Thursday looked eerily similar to the overtime game-winner from last October, as the St. Joseph’s junior positioned herself near the back post, waited for her opportunity and directed the bounding ball into the net.
With the score tied 1-1 in the fourth quarter Thursday, Ryan aligned for a penalty corner as the farthest player from the ball. After the insert, Ryan made a beeline to the far post, saw the ball rolling towards her and patiently flipped it over the pads of Ladue goalie Mimi Tabscott.
“Coach Claire (Aubel) always tells us it’s a lift. When the goalie is on the ground, lift it over her, and that’s what played in my head,” Ryan said.
The game-winning goal occurred going the same direction and next to the same post as when she buried the overtime winner to defeat Ladue in a state quarterfinal at Sportport last October 28.
Game Story from 2024 State Quarterfinal: https://metrosportsstl.com/2024/10/29/time-stands-still-as-st-josephs-survives-ladue-with-late-game-magic-in-riveting-state-quarterfinal/
St. Joseph’s (7-0) applied tremendous pressure from the start Thursday. The Angels earned nine penalty corners in the first half and a penalty stroke less than two minutes into the contest.
“We knew we had to come out strong against them,” Ryan said.
Senior KK Dooley sent the penalty stroke attempt inches wide of the cage, but undeterred, the Angels kept pressuring in waves. During an early corner opportunity, Ryan raced to the far post, waited for senior Maddie Croghan’s pass, and deftly tipped it into the cage to give St. Joseph’s a quick 1-0 lead.
“I just stay low, make sure I’m facing towards the goal and try to get a one-time touch off the pass from the top of the circle,” Ryan said. “We practice it a lot. It’s about being there at the right time.”
Ladue (6-2) withstood the early St. Joseph’s barrage thanks to outstanding defense, led by sophomore Melia Saffold and acrobatic goaltending by Tabscott, who flashed her right pad at the last instant to make two of her seven saves for the game.
In the second quarter, the Rams offense joined the party.
“We came out a little hesitant. It looked like we were playing a little scared, but as soon as we took a deep breath after the first quarter, we started taking advantage of what we’re good at – our speed, our breakaways – and once we leaned into the things that have been working all season, we started seeing more offensive success,” Ladue coach Leah Jones said.
Led by senior Vicky Derdoy, a University of Albany commit, Ladue raced into the offensive end and earned several scoring opportunities, including an untimed corner at the end of the third quarter. It was the identical situation that St. Joseph’s used to tie the game at the end of regulation in the state quarterfinal, with 10 players positioned in the offensive zone facing only four defenders and a goalie.
But St. Joseph’s senior defender Bella Greco flew to the ball and forced a Ladue shot to sail harmlessly wide of the cage. Greco was outstanding throughout the game in disrupting and rerouting Rams’ corner attempts.
“I try to use my speed, keep my stick down and run strong. We work at it. I just try to give to everything I have,” Greco said.
With Ladue trailing 1-0 in the fourth quarter, junior Annie Tilghman earned a corner and the Rams made it count. Senior Mackenzie Durbin found a loose ball during a wild scramble near the goal mouth and whipped it into the cage to tie the score.
The Rams withstood St. Joseph’s early pressure, changed momentum and found the equalizer, but the satisfying exhale did not last long.
“That (Ladue) goal gave us more energy,” Ryan said. “We were hyped up. ‘Ok, we have to score, now.’”
Within 30 seconds of the Ladue goal, St. Joseph’s earned another penalty corner. The ball entered the circle, avoided sticks and bounded towards the far post, where Ryan and her pink headband awaited to break the hearts of the Rams once again.
“(St. Joe’s) has great corners, and it happened the same way both times, on that (far) post,” Jones said. “That’s something we’re going to have to go back and look at and adjust, but overall, our defensive corner unit made a lot of saves and I want to give them credit.”
For Ladue, which scored twice against John Burroughs, defeated Cor Jesu for the first time since 2009 and took St. Joseph’s to the final buzzer once again, the emergence as one of the area’s top teams is no longer a secret.
“Even though a couple of these (results) didn’t go our way, I hope it shows that we can play with any team in this area. There are teams looking at us in a different light for the first time, and hopefully it gives the girls confidence going into the rest of the season,” Jones said.
St. Joseph’s (7-0) has not been unbeaten and untied this far into a season since 2001 when the Angels started with 15 consecutive wins. Among the Angels seven victories this year are three games decided by a 2-1 score, none more difficult than the latest installment of a terrific, new rivalry between Ladue and St. Joe’s.
“They play really well. They’re tough competition,” Ryan said.
For a photo gallery from this game, visit: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Field-Hockey/2025-Season/St-Josephs-at-Ladue-9-11-25