The fall season delivered! High school playoffs wrapped with overtime thrillers and historic championships, NCAA teams battled for conference titles and tournament berths, and local athletes earned major honors. We're recapping all the big moments and sharing winter opportunities to keep you connected to the field hockey community.
Community Spotlight
Mia Karine Myklebust Earns All-Ivy Honors, Heads to Junior World Cup: Los Gatos native M.K. Myklebust (Brown University) was named to the 2025 All-Ivy First Team and selected for the U.S. U-21 Women's roster competing at the FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile (December 1-13). This marks Myklebust's third major tournament with Team USA in 2025, following her gold medal at the Junior Pan American Games and silver at the Pan American Cup.
Jordan Reicher Named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year: Congratulations to Jordan Reicher (St. Francis '23, NorCal Impact) on earning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year! The American University junior led the conference in goals (13) and game-winners (4), nearly doubling her production from last season while leading the Eagles to the regular season title. Reicher earned Offensive Player of the Week honors four times and finished third in the league in both shots on goal (33) and points (27). Check out some of her highlights here.
Competition Recap
High School Playoffs
MCAL Championship: Tam Makes History - Tamalpais captured the first field hockey championship in school history with a dramatic shootout victory over defending champion Redwood on October 31. After 80 scoreless minutes, sophomore goalkeeper Sierra Duncan stopped four of five shootout attempts to clinch the title. Senior Veronica Ray scored the winning goal, capping a historic season in which Tam defeated Redwood twice—a first for the Hawks program. Read more here and watch the shoot outs (or the full match!) here.
EAL Championship: Davis Claims Double Crown - Davis Senior High School finished the season as both league champions (11-1) and tournament champions, defeating Chico in an overtime thriller in the finals. The Blue Devils' only regular season loss came against Chico, making the overtime tournament victory especially sweet as they secured their second consecutive year of EAL dominance.
CCS Division I: Los Gatos Caps Dominant Season - Los Gatos claimed the CCS Division I Championship with a 3-0 victory over St. Francis on November 12, capping off one of the most dominant seasons in Northern California history. After the Lancers held the Wildcats scoreless in the first quarter, Los Gatos broke through with a penalty stroke and added two more goals in the second quarter to seal the win. The Cats finished the season 22-1 overall and 14-0 in league play, outscoring opponents an astonishing 176-4. Their only loss came to St. Ignatius in a crossover match that determined playoff seeding—St. Ignatius later fell to St. Francis in the semifinals, making Los Gatos the clear team to beat all season long.
CCS Division II: Valley Christian's Underdog Run - Valley Christian captured the Division II CCS Championship with a second-overtime goal, completing an improbable playoff run. The fourth-place finisher in the SCVAL De Anza division (6-5-1 regular season), the Vikings upset top-seeded Los Altos in a shootout after double overtime in the semifinals, then outlasted Willow Glen through 70 minutes before scoring the golden goal. Both semifinal matchups ended in upsets, but Valley Christian proved they belonged on the biggest stage.
Local Athletes Capture Conference Titles
The first weekend of November brought NCAA conference championships across all three divisions, with teams battling for automatic NCAA Tournament berths. We're spotlighting three NorCal athletes whose teams captured titles and punched their tickets to the postseason. Read more about all the conference winners: D1, D2, D3.
Sophia Cordoni (St. Francis '25, NorCal Impact) helped Bates win the NESCAC Championship in her freshman season. The 2024 SCVAL Junior and Senior of the Year made an immediate impact for the Bobcats.
Leah Froemming (Leigh ‘24, NorCal Impact) and Johns Hopkins captured the Centennial Conference championship. The former BVAL All-League selection continues to contribute at the Division III level.
Katie Garrison (Christopher '24, HTC) and UNH captured the America East title with a 1-0 double-overtime win over Vermont, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. The Wildcats face No. 3 Harvard in the first round.
NorCal NCAA Season Wrap-Up
All three local DI programs ended their seasons in early November with hard-fought postseason battles.
- Cal (8-8) faced extraordinary circumstances in their ACC Championship first-round match against Duke, losing 7-1 after most of the team and coaching staff fell seriously ill the night before. Liz Klompmaker scored Cal's lone goal, securing her place as ninth all-time in program history with 31 career goals and earning her second straight First Team All-ACC selection.
- Stanford (7-10) nearly pulled off an upset in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, mounting a furious second-half comeback before falling 4-3 to No. 4 Virginia. After trailing 3-1 at halftime, the Cardinal outshot Virginia 7-0 in the fourth quarter alone. Despite creating numerous chances, Stanford couldn't find the equalizer.
- UC Davis (6-10) fell 2-1 to Delaware in the MPSF Championship on home turf despite outshooting the Blue Hens 16-9. In late October, Jr. midfielder Morgan Caldera (Mitty '23, NorCal Impact) earned her first career MPSF Offensive Player of the Week honor after her standout performance in the Aggies' 4-1 overtime victory against Queens.
Playing Opportunities
High School season may be over, but there are still plenty of chances to connect with the hockey community.
- Adult:
- Co-ed Pickup in San Francisco - Fog City Field Hockey offers weekly games at Raymond Kimbell Playground in SF. Join the friendly, all levels crew on Tuesday nights at 7pm. RSVP here.
- NCFHA Fall Women's League - Wrapping up 11/23 at Hayward High School, the league is hosting a Friendsgiving on Saturday, Nov 22 at 4pm in Berkeley. RSVP here.
- Youth:
- Good Company Sports Clinic: Train with top DI college coaches on Saturday, December 6 in Moorpark, CA, with customized sessions featuring coaches from Boston, Columbia, Cornell, Davis, Duke, Tufts, and more. There's also a friendly 7v7 tournament on Sunday, December 7 for clubs and individual players. Register here
- SF Hawks Winter Season: Hawks winter registration is open (Dec 7 - Mar 8) for ages U8-U19, with weekly practices in San Francisco, optional skill sessions, and tournaments. Register here
- Pac Heights HC Winter Season: Registration is open (closes November 27) for winter season (Dec 1 - Feb 25) with twice-weekly practices at Raymond Kimbell and other SF locations for grades K-12. Register here
- Roseville Field Hockey Grand Opening Event: Free tryouts and clinic for ages 5+ on Nov 21 (6-8:30 PM) at Placer Valley Soccer Complex in Roseville. No experience needed; sticks provided. More info
Coaching Corner
The high school season is behind us, and while coaches finally have a moment to catch their breath, the off-season is prime time for growth. We've rounded up resources for coaches at all levels to strengthen technical, tactical, and strategic skills because great coaching never stops evolving.
- USA Field Hockey Virtual National Coaches Forum: Learn from U.S. and international national team coaches at this three-day virtual event (December 2-4) covering topics from modern defense to athlete mindset training. Registration is $50 per day or $125 for all three days, including live access and recordings. Register here
- NEW: Free Beginner Guide for PE Teachers & Community Leaders: USA Field Hockey and Leap Hockey have released an updated FUNdamental Field Hockey Guide—a free resource designed to help PE teachers, youth program leaders, and community organizations introduce field hockey to kids. The guide includes a 12-session curriculum with drills, tips, and instructional videos covering core skills and concepts. Perfect for schools, camps, clubs, YMCAs, and recreation centers looking to bring field hockey into their programming. Download the free guide | Watch instructional videos
- Host a Discover Clinic: USA Field Hockey's turnkey Discover Clinics make it easy to introduce field hockey in your community—they handle registration, equipment, insurance, and curriculum while you provide the field and coaches. Participants go home with a stick, ball, and t-shirt for just $30. Learn more Questions? Email sportdevelopment@usafieldhockey.com
- USA Field Hockey Level 2 Coaching Clinic - La Jolla: Advance your coaching skills at USA Field Hockey's Level 2 clinic on December 14 (9 AM-5 PM) at The Bishop's School in La Jolla. Topics include coaching philosophy, team culture, and training design. $250 members/$325 non-members. Level 1 certification required. Register
What to Watch
This week marks the start of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship—the most exciting two weeks of collegiate field hockey! Whether you're cheering for a favorite team, an alma mater, or just want to watch the nation's best compete, now's the time to tune in. All opening games stream on ESPN+, with the semifinals and championship airing on ESPNU. Check the official bracket and print your own to predict the winners!
2025 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship
- Opening Round - November 12, 11 AM PT (ESPN+)
- First Round - November 14, 9 AM & 11:30 AM PT (ESPN+)
- Second Round - November 16, 10 AM PT (ESPN+)
- Semifinals - November 21, 9 AM & 11:30 AM PT (ESPNU)
- Championship - November 23, 10 AM PT (ESPNU)
Looking Forward
What a season it's been! With high school playoffs wrapped and so many achievements to celebrate across all levels, our small but mighty NorCal field hockey community has plenty to be proud of.
Next month we'll share our plans for 2026, but until then—enjoy these cooling November days and happy early Thanksgiving. We're grateful for everything this field hockey community brings into our lives, and we hope it nourishes you just as much.
See you on the sidelines,
The Stick Together Team
