Field hockey: Prediction for who'll be the elite of the elites this season
The annual Journal News/lohud Elite 11 list boasts the top returning field hockey players from Westchester, Rockland and Putnam County region. Players were chosen from more than 100 top-flight performers previously mentioned on the newspaper's Players to Watch list. Another 10 players have earned Best of the Rest status.
Below are the lists.
The Elite 11
Kate Astrab
School: Panas
Year: Senior
Position: Goalie
What makes Kate great? After Panas was blanked 5-0 last year by John Jay-Cross River, a team that ended up with 15 wins and was ranked No. 6 in the area, John Jay coach Debbi Walsh said Astrab merited all the attention from the game after her amazing 25-save performance. "Her poise under the pressure we put on her was absolutely astounding," she said. Astrab also had 16 saves in a 3-0 loss to13-win Yorktown and recorded four shutouts in earning all-section honorable mention honors in a field of multiple talented keepers.
Bella Basulto
School: Lakeland
Year: Senior
Position: Defense/Midfield
What makes Bella elite? The 2022 all-state honoree, who was also second team MAX Northeast All-Region, was a big reason a young Hornet team exceeded expectations last season to win the Section 1 Class B title. A shutdown defender, who's capable of stopping anyone one-on-one, Balsuto is also terrific on offense. A fine ballhandler with excellent field vision and a very hard shot, she had 13 goals and 15 assists in 2022.
Nina Byrne
School: Horace Greeley
Year: Junior
Position: Defense/Midfield
What makes Nina great? One of three local players last year to gain all-state honors as just a sophomore, Byrne was and continues to be a defensive shutdown artist. A starter since her freshman year, her contributions last season far exceeded her 10 points (seven goals, three assists). Despite her youth, she was a quarterback in the defensive end and her stick handling and ability to pass into space ignited multiple Greeley offensive rushes.
Rowan Dapson
School: Hen Hud
Year: Senior
Position: Midfield
What makes Rowan great? Hen Hud hasn't traditionally been a powerhouse, so Dapson hasn't drawn the playoff headlines of some of her fellow stars. But she's elite in large part because of her ability to dribble and carry the ball through crowds, her good speed (evident during her many 40-yard rushes) and her ability to bury her shots. Last year, she had 11 goals and seven assists and with this season still young, Dapson already has three goals and four assists.
Catherine D'Arcy
School: Mamaroneck
Year: Junior
Position: Forward/Midfield
What makes Catherine great? A player with a reputation for thriving under pressure, D'Arcy is also recognized for her determination, work ethic and game comprehension. An all-section honoree in 2022, she netted 10 goals and had 13 assists for the 2022 Tigers.
Shana Goldsmith
School: Clarkstown South
Year: Senior
Position: Midfield
What makes Shana great? Numbers don't begin to tell the story of the 2022 all-Section 1 and Rockland Player of the Year's contributions to last year's No. 7-ranked Viking squad. Officially, Goldsmith had nine goals and three assists. But, with high-level stick skills, she was her 13-4-1 team's top playmaker and, with speed, good anticipation and a terrier's tenacity, she was also one of the area's top defenders.
Dani Halperin
School: Horace Greeley
Year: Senior
Position: Midfield
What makes Dani great: A player with rabbit-like speed, Halperin was named to the all-state team for both her offensive and defensive contributions. She held key roles on both penalty corners as the Quakers' offensive feeder and defensive flyer. Her contributions were a big reason Greeley finished with 14 wins, 13 of them by shutout and also had another shutout in a scoreless tie.
Ruby Pearson
School: Mamaroneck
Year: Jr.
Position: Midfielder/Defense
What makes Ruby great? Pearson's offensive numbers (10 points) from 2022 don't leap off the page. But her role was more defensive on a team that had 14 shutout wins and she excelled in it. In the early going of this season, Pearson, who has superb field vision and is excellent at moving the ball, already has three goals and five assists in just three games.
Sam Reder
School: Fox Lane
Year: Junior
Position: Forward/Midfield
What makes Sam great? The junior Olympian, who was named to last year's all-state team as a sophomore, is known for her knack of dribbling past and around defenders and her skill in spotting and making spot-on passes to open teammates. She had 14 goals and 10 assists last year.
Gabby Santini
School: Lakeland
Year: Junior
Position: Midfield/forward
What makes Gabby great?: All-state as a sophomore, Santini seemed to make all her teammates better every game. Her personal stats were also compelling. The speedy Santini, who recently committed to play collegiate field hockey for Division I Vermont, finished with 23 goals and 16 assists for the 2022 Section 1 Class B champions.
Lilly Whaling
School: Rye
Year: Senior
Position: Forward/Midfield
What makes Lilly great?: Whaling, who has committed to play college lacrosse for Division I Cornell, garnered all-state field hockey honors in 2022. A star even when first playing for the Garnets, she amassed 40 points via 26 goals and 14 assists in 2022 for her17-win Class B runner-up team.
All the predicted stars: More than 100 field hockey players named to lohud Watch List but who will make Elite 11?
The best of the rest: Sophia Brown, Sr., MF, Pearl River; Ava Harman, Sr., MF., Putnam Valley; Kaycie Keeley, Jr., F, John Jay-Cross River; Bella LaPorta, Sr., MF/D, Mamaroneck; Parker Mauro, Sr., MF, Scarsdale; Evelyn Nelson, Jr., F, Sleepy Hollow; Caroline Nowak, Sr., MF/D, Ursuline; Emma Numme, Sr., MF/D/F, Lakeland; Juliette Patricot, Sr., D; Mamaroneck; Sydney Sicignano, Sr., F, Fox Lane; Emily Yazzetti, Sr., F, Lakeland.
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Field hockey: The Elite 11 honors those likely to star in 2023
