Honesdale field hockey stars Campen and Maciejewski dazzle at national tournament
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Two of Honesdale's top varsity field hockey players recently put the finishing touches on a stellar showing at one of the country's elite invitational events.
Claire Campen and Roz Maciejewski participated in the 2023 USA Junior Nexus Championships, which were held July 10-16 at the Virginia Beach Regional Training Center.
Both are seniors and each has been selected to serve as a captain for this year's Lady Hornets squad.
“This is a big honor and an incredible opportunity for both girls,” head coach Becca Maciejewski said. “Claire and Roz have been considered to be among the best players in our league since they were freshmen.
“It’s an event that most field hockey players only dream of attending. Earning their way into this national tournament really testifies to how good Claire and Roz really are.”
More: Honesdale field hockey stars Campen and Maciejewski earn national honors
Also by Kevin Edwards Honesdale field hockey players receive All-State honors after historic season
Honesdale is currently competing at the Keystone State Games with contests being played out at both Klassner Field and the Stadium Field in Kingston.
Opening day of the fall sports season is slated for Monday, August 14, at which time the Red & Black will officially begin defending their District 2 Class AAA crown.
Headed to Monmouth
When the history of Honesdale field hockey is finally written, Claire Campen’s name will have a prominent place among the program’s greatest players.
A varsity starter since her freshman season, Campen has been a fixture on All-League, and All-Region teams. As a junior, she earned First Team All-State honors after leading the Lady Hornets to an overall record of 18-4-0.
Campen set a new single season school scoring record in 2022, hammering home an eye-popping 30 goals. She’s headed to Monmouth University to continue her field hockey career on full scholarship.
“Being selected for the Junior Nexus Championship was a goal of mine when starting the program back in March,” Claire said. After going through three long, hard weekends, it feels amazing to be looked at as one of the top players in the country.”
For her part, Coach Maciejewski believes that Campen is without question one of the most talented players she’s ever worked with.
“Claire is a fantastic teammate and a fierce competitor,” she said. “The national spotlight level of play is where Claire’s wired to thrive in. Claire is an explosive, unpredictable fire on the forward line and exactly what you'd expect at this elite level.”
Campen has earned recognition as one of Top 150 Players in the Country by Max Field Hockey.
In addition, she's also a standout basketball player and a stellar student having received a place on the PA State All-Academic Team.
Signed by Temple
Roz Maciejewski has a field hockey pedigree unrivaled by any player in Lady Hornet history to date.
Her Mom, Becca, is the winningest head coach in program history and a former All-American during her college days. Her aunt, Brooke, was Honesdale’s first breakout star and held the team’s single season scoring record for more than two decades.
So it came as a surprise to exactly no one that Maciejewski took to the sport like the proverbial duck to water. She dominated at both the club and junior high levels before bursting into the varsity scene as an All-Star midfielder.
Maciejewski is coming off a season that saw her score 10 goals and handed out nine assists. She set new single season school marks for free hits, passes, aerials and transfers as well.
The tall, athletic senior has also been named a team captain for the upcoming campaign. She’s a returning All-Star at the league, regional and state levels.
“I am super-thankful for this opportunity,” Roz said. “This has been a goal of mine for quite awhile and it feels good to reach my goal. Many girls have tried out across the country to reach this point and it is quite an honor to be chosen.
“I’m also really grateful for my teammates, coaches and family who have motivated me to reach this point in my hockey career. I truthfully wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”
For Becca, it’s a dream come true to see her daughter blossoming as a player and as a person.
“Roz has had to work incredibly hard behind the scenes to achieve this honor and punch her ticket to the Nexus Championships,” she said.
“Roz has a unique and sophisticated style of play. She’s the vision and the legs behind our success. Her overall endurance and ability sews the offensive and defensive lines together. She uses sideline-to-sideline power passing and deceptive elimination skills.”
Nexus Nationals wrap-up
When the 2023 USA Field Hockey Nexus Championships finally came to a close, both of Honesdale's star student-athletes had made key contributions to their respective squads.
A total of 280 players from all over the country competed in the U-18 division, which consisted of 16 teams divided into four different pools.
Campen played center forward for Team Berlin, which went 2-3-0 and finished 11th in the overall standings. The highlight of her tournament came in a 3-1 victory over Team Rome. She scored one goal and assisted on two others.
“This was a super-competitive environment,” Campen said. “Having such talented teammates is definitely a cool thing. It was really neat to see the connection between us start to increase as we played together.”
Meanwhile, Maciejewski was assigned to Team Athens, which also fought its way to a Top 20 finish in the rankings. She played in the midfield and on the back line, recording three dazzling defensive saves across five games.
“This was such a fun experience,” Roz said. “I really enjoyed playing with my teammates. They were all super-nice and really talented.”
For her part, Becca Maciejewski was thrilled to see all the hard work her girls have put in manifest itself on the national stage.
“For Claire and Roz, their maturity and repeated exposure at top tier events really paid off,” she said. “They played with poise and were anchor members to their line-ups. They led verbally and showcased their best attributes.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale's Campen and Maciejewski return from field hockey nationals
