Summer may be winding down, but field hockey season is just heating up across Northern California! As we head into what promises to be one of the most competitive high school seasons in recent memory, there's no shortage of storylines to follow—from St. Ignatius looking to defend their CCS title to Redwood chasing their seventh straight MCAL championship.
But the action isn't just happening on high school fields. Our local NCAA programs are settling into their new conference realities, youth clubs are gearing up for fall training, and our community continues to shine on national and international stages. Whether you're a player, parent, coach, or fan, there's something exciting happening at every level of the game right here in the Bay Area.
In this issue, we're diving deep into the key matchups and roster moves that will shape the season ahead, celebrating some incredible recent achievements by our local athletes, and making sure you know where to catch the best games and training opportunities this fall.
Let's make this season one to remember!
High School Hockey Heats Up
Here in the Bay Area, we have five athletic leagues with field hockey: Santa Clara Valley (SCVAL), Blossom Valley (BVAL), Marin County (MCAL), Eastern (EAL), and Pacific Coast (PCAL). Each league varies in size, strength, and legacy. SCVAL and BVAL are the most well-established, with two divisions each and CCS playoffs that crown an unofficial NorCal Champion. MCAL, EAL, and PCAL are smaller leagues not officially recognized as sections by CIF, but they feature some real legacy powerhouse programs. Here are the key storylines we'll be following throughout the season:
- SCVAL: St. Ignatius, 2024’s CCS Champions, is positioned to continue their success next season, losing only two First Team All-League seniors while returning three First Team underclassmen including rising-juniors Storey Lewis and Maggie Magnano plus 9th-grade Co-Offensive Player of the Year Olivia Van de Braak. Archbishop Mitty should remain competitive by keeping two First Team rising-seniors despite losing three senior starters, while Los Gatos faces a rebuilding year after losing their entire First Team of four graduating seniors, though they'll benefit from having reigning Junior of the Year Leaya Cleary to anchor their new lineup.
- BVAL: Reigning league champions and CCS semifinalists, Leigh looks to remain dominant returning Junior of the Year Elle Obenour and First Team rising-senior Cora Thomas. Willow Glen faces significant challenges despite keeping rising-senior goalie Lucas Roper, as they're losing co-MVP Adya Kaddam and three other graduating First Team players while also dealing with coaching staff turnover. Christopher should remain competitive by building around Sophomore of the Year Alyssa Montejano and rising-senior First Team midfielder Danica Lopez, despite losing co-MVP Ella Miura and senior defender Laurel Lopez.
- MCAL: Coming off their sixth consecutive MCAL title, Redwood is positioned to continue their championship dynasty, returning their front line trio of Lucy Jeffers, Caitlin "KK" Titcombe, and Mariel Goodhart, despite losing standout goalkeeper Eva Layton to transfer. Tamalpais showed they've closed the gap significantly by reaching their first MCAL championship game in school history and should remain competitive with First Team rising-senior Emi Navesi anchoring their young core, even after losing star senior Rowie Scobie. Despite being the only team to beat Redwood twice during the regular season, University faces a rebuilding year after losing Player of the Year Scarlett Carpenter and standout athlete Whitney Froeb, leaving them to build around rising-senior Anabelle Vander Marck.
- EAL: Davis Senior High School is positioned to repeat as both league and tournament champions, returning nearly their entire roster from an undefeated 2024 season after losing only three seniors, including just two starters, making them the clear favorite to continue their dominant run.
- PCAL: Stevenson High School looks to continue it's success after a '24 undefeated 11-0-1 league record in the Gabilan Division, securing the championship and hosting a historic home playoff game for the first time. The Pirates look to defend their title while losing graduating standouts Macey Torres (League MVP & Offensive Player of the Year) and Grace Ishii (Defensive Player of the Year).
A New Era of NorCal NCAA Continues
Last fall was the first season with Cal and Stanford joining the ACC, which meant a big leap in terms of strength of schedule for those programs. With one year under their belts and the ability to recruit athletes into a highly competitive conference, it will be interesting to see how these storied programs evolve. Also of note, this season marks the first year that UC Davis will be an independent team without a league as the university realigns its conference affiliations.
All three NorCal Division 1 NCAA teams have announced their schedules—Cal, Davis, Stanford —and here are the matches we’re excited to attend:
- Local Rivals
- Sep 28 (Sun) 1 pm - Cal vs. UC Davis
- Oct 26 (Sun) 1 pm - Stanford vs UC Davis
- Oct 30 (Thu) 6 pm - Cal vs. Stanford (Cal Senior Game)
- Top Matchups
- Sep 5 (Fri) 6 pm - Cal vs. Harvard (Alumni Weekend for Cal)
- Sep 7 (Sun) 1 pm - Stanford vs. Harvard
- Sep 26 (Fri) 6 pm - Cal vs. Virginia
- Sep 28 (Sun) 12 pm - Stanford vs Virginia
- Oct 10 (Fri) 6 pm - Cal vs. Boston College
- Oct 12 (Sun) 2 pm - Stanford vs Boston College
Notable Roster Changes
- Cal: Leading scorer and ACC Freshman of the Year Liz Klompmaker returns, but with only eight other 2024 players back, the Bears welcome 10 newcomers—two graduate students, three transfers, and five freshmen, including Adya Kadam (Willow Glen '25; NorCal Impact). Two other NorCal Impact alums—Samantha Imokawa (Willow Glen '22) and Jaiya Labana (St. Francis '23)—will also return. Assistant Coach Manny Martinez will be replaced by Kieran Minton, bringing six years of NCAA coaching experience including consecutive MAC regular season championships at Kent State.
- Stanford: With all but two players returning from 2024, the Cardinal looks strong heading into 2025. The incoming class features three European players and Top-50 recruit Tyla Ozgen from Connecticut. Read more about Stanford’s incoming class.
- UC Davis: The Aggies return many familiar faces, adding local freshman Aidan Claeys (Los Altos HS '25) to a roster that includes junior Morgan Caldera (Archbishop Mitty '23; NorCal Impact) and sophomores Emma Robbins (Willow Glen '24; NorCal Impact) and Jamie Dempsey (Valley Christian '24; Infinity). Other freshmen join from Vancouver, Oklahoma City, the UK, San Diego, Louisville, Pennsylvania, and the Netherlands.
Fall Registrations for Youth and Adults
Beyond high school and NCAA, there’s plenty of hockey to be played this Fall for juniors and adults.
Youth: Clubs around the Bay Area kick off junior programs in late August.
- (New!) Pacific Heights HC: Saturdays starting 8/30 in the Presidio
- Hawks: Free Intro Clinic (8/17); coed U8-U14 starting 8/24
- Fly: Sunday mornings starting 9/7 at Los Altos HS for girls grades 3-8
- Lightning: Sat/Sun mornings starting 8/16 at Foothill College
- Find a field hockey club near you
Adult: NCFHA is hosting a Summer Session (8/16) for women at Los Gatos High School. Fog City's coed pickup games continue to be Tuesdays at 7pm at Beach Chalet while Raymond Kimbell Playground is under construction.
Community Spotlight
Lots of locals competed at the AAU Junior Olympics in Houston last month including the following Hawks players: Andrew Yang, Brody Chin, Bryan Yang, and David Gajdos; Anaya Mehta-Vasisht, Anoushka Gollerkeri, and Scarlett Gammack. Way to go!
Competition Recap
Adult NCCs: The Olympic Club represented the West Region at the 2025 USFHL National Club Championships at University of Delaware from July 18-20, competing alongside 19 other top men's and women's club teams who earned their spots through regional qualifying events. As reigning champions and three-time national titleholders, 'The Winged O' faced fierce competition in their pool, showing tremendous grit despite battling through disappointing serious injuries. The OC will return to action with a scrimmage against UC Berkeley on August 20th at 7pm.
Nexus Championships: Last month we honored the local athletes selected to compete in Virginia Beach, and this month we share their excellent results:
- U16: Amelia Zedonis (Gold medal), Kira Kelly (Silver)
- U18: Kushi Amogh and Francine Lemieux (Bronze)
- U21: Simarpreet Dhillon (Silver)
- Senior: Mia-Karine Mykelbust (Gold); Jordan Reicher (American University, NorCal Impact) also competed
Coaching Resources
USA Field Hockey’s Level 1 Coaching Clinic Join the NorCal coaching community on Saturday, August 9 at Chico High School for this 5-hour hands-on clinic! Perfect for those with basic field hockey knowledge who want to earn their Level 1 certification. You'll need to complete an online course plus this in-person session. Costs $50-$85 for online and $85 for the in-person, with member discounts available.
What to Watch
The USA U21 Women's National Team will compete for gold at the 2025 Junior Pan Am Games in Asuncion, Paraguay (August 9-23). This marks field hockey's debut in the quadrennial event, which serves as the premier international competition for U21 athletes. Mia Karine Myklebust is among the 16 athletes selected for the team. (Schedule)
Spread the Word!
As fall seasons kick off and teams come together for another year, help us grow the NorCal field hockey community! If you found this preview helpful, please share it with your teammates, fellow parents, coaches, or anyone else who loves following local hockey. The more connected we stay as a community, the stronger our sport becomes across the Bay Area.
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See you on the sidelines this season,
The Stick Together Team
