October is peak hockey season. High school league titles are on the line, college programs are deep into conference play, and the postseason is coming into view. Leading the charge: Cal is ranked #14 by NFHCA and #12 by RPI — the program's best ranking in recent memory — after road upsets of #8 Michigan and #11 Virginia turned heads nationally. This month's newsletter is packed: two outstanding NorCal juniors committed to Division I programs, St. Ignatius is ranked #1 in California and #2 nationally, and a new community tool is tracking all the high school action in one place.
Community Spotlight
Two outstanding juniors commit to Division I programs
Olivia Van de Braak → University of Iowa (#6): The St. Ignatius junior has been one of Northern California's most decorated players since she arrived — earning SCVAL Player of the Year honors as both a freshman and sophomore, starring for SF Hawks, and recently reaching 100 career high school points. She'll join a Hawkeyes program ranked #6 nationally. A well-deserved commitment for one of NorCal's brightest talents.
Ryan Hemeon → UC Davis: The Christopher High School junior and Infinity Sports Club player earned First Team All-BVAL honors last year as just a sophomore (the only underclassman on the first team) and followed that up with a Nexus U18 National Selection this summer. She'll stay close to home at UC Davis, and there's a fun family connection: her aunt Dani Hemeon, who coaches at both Infinity and Christopher, played at Iowa. Field hockey runs in the family!
Know someone who's committed? Let us know!
Calling all uncommitted seniors! The Field Hockey Analyst runs an annual form connecting senior recruits directly with college coaches. Over 70 players who filled out last year's form are now playing across 50 college programs in all three divisions. And more than 15 colleges have already reached out about this year's form. Fill it out here — it takes five minutes and could change your path.
NorCal Represents U21 USMNT in Mexico
Congratulations to the NorCal athletes selected for the U.S. U21 Men's National Team's three-game series against Mexico in Mexicali this weekend (October 9-11): Gurmyn Gosal, Jovan Bains, Reid Smithwick, Kabir Mandir, Kethan Labana, and EkNaam Singh. The full squad competes at Ciudad Deportiva in Mexicali, with games Friday evening through Sunday morning. Looking ahead, Mexico travels north for scrimmages at the Moorpark training camp November 24-25.
SF Hawks Celebrate New AstroTurf Field
The SF Hawks marked a major milestone on September 18 with the grand opening of their brand new practice field at St. Ignatius. The occasion brought together SI varsity and JV teams alongside SI alumni for a ribbon cutting ceremony. A long time coming and a huge step forward for the program — made possible by the entire community's generous support!
Competition Recap
High School Season: Halfway There
With several leagues entering their final weeks and others just finding their footing, the 2026 high school season is producing some compelling hockey. And for the first time, ncfh.net is tracking all of it in one place. Built by a member of our own community and updated daily, it's an easier way to follow standings, scores, and playoff pictures across all five leagues. Big thanks to Yi Ding who, “got tired of hunting through MaxPreps.” We agree!
MCAL is the tightest race (and farthest along) in NorCal right now, with the league tournament set for the last week of October. University (8-0-2, ranked #8 in California) leads on winning percentage and recorded a key 2-1 win over Redwood on 9/29. Tamalpais (10-1-1) leads on points but has already lost to Redwood and tied University. Marin Catholic (5-2-5) is the wild card, drawing with both University and Redwood. Three critical matches this week: Redwood hosts Tamalpais, University travels to Tamalpais, and Marin Catholic visits Redwood.
SCVAL De Anza is led by a historic St. Ignatius squad currently ranked #1 in California and #2 nationally by MaxPreps. Saint Francis has been nearly as dominant, making their 4-1 loss to SI on September 23 the only real blemish on an otherwise remarkable season. The Lancers will have a chance to answer when they host the Wildcats on October 19. Before that rematch, SI heads to San Diego on October 16 to face Bishop's, the top Southern California program. It’s a game that could settle the question of who's actually California's best regardless of what any ranking says.
SCVAL El Camino comes down to two teams. Archbishop Mitty handed Los Gatos their only loss of the season in a 2-1 overtime match on September 24. The rematch on October 20 at Los Gatos should settle the league title. Mitty's rise is no accident: the Monarchs reached the CCS Division I semifinals last fall and returned a strong coaching staff alongside last season’s freshman of the year, Hana Mercado, and seniors Emma Traverso and Bridget Schilb driving the attack.
PCAL has a clear leader in Stevenson (10-4-2, league 6-0), who has been dominant within the league while seeking out challenging non-league competition. Their four losses all came against quality programs outside PCAL, and a 4-6 result at home against Los Gatos shows they can compete with anyone in the state. Hollister (5-1) is the only PCAL team within striking distance.
EAL tells two different stories about how to build a season. Pleasant Valley (6-0, 24 goals for, 3 against) has been dominant and focused — winning EAL is the mission, and with a 4-2 win over Davis already in hand they're firmly in control. Davis (3-2 in league) has taken a different approach, scheduling some of the toughest non-league competition in NorCal: losses to Redwood, Tamalpais, and Stevenson alongside a tournament in Berkeley. The EAL finale on October 28 (Davis hosting Pleasant Valley) sets up as a genuine test of which philosophy paid off.
BVAL Mt. Hamilton is still early in league play, but Christopher (7-3, league 2-0) has established itself as the team to beat. Against BVAL competition they're perfect while their three losses all came against elite programs: a 1-0 overtime loss to Mitty, a 2-0 defeat to Saint Francis, and a 3-0 loss to St. Ignatius. Gilroy (4-4-2) is the closest challenger. Santa Teresa has Prospect and Westmont knotted at the top with several league games still to play.
Live standings and playoff pictures
The College Season Is Getting Interesting
Cal Bears (7-3, No. 14 NFHCA / No. 12 RPI)
Cal is having one of the best starts in program history. Ranked #14 nationally by NFHCA and #12 by RPI, the Bears have turned heads with road upsets of #8 Michigan (1-0) and #11 Virginia (2-1 in overtime). Their three losses have all come against top-12 opponents (#1 Northwestern, #12 Louisville in OT, and North Carolina), which speaks to the difficulty of their schedule. All of this in Co-Directors Tara and Steve Danielson's first season at the helm. Two more marquee tests this weekend: #5 Wake Forest (Oct. 9) and #3 Duke (Oct. 11, Senior Day) at home. Schedule
Stanford Cardinal (7-4) Stanford started 7-1 through non-conference play before ACC competition exposed some vulnerabilities — the Cardinal have dropped all three conference matches so far, including an 8-1 loss to North Carolina and a 3-1 defeat to #1 Northwestern. Sophomore scorer Natalie Hoppe and senior captain Mia Clark anchor a team with talent, but Stanford will need to find its ACC footing quickly. Coming up this weekend: #3 Duke and #5 Wake Forest at home — two more steep tests. Schedule
UC Davis Aggies (3-8) UC Davis made history on September 27 in Berkeley, upsetting #12 Louisville 1-0 — the program's first-ever win over an ACC opponent and first victory against a ranked team since 2013. Senior forward Molly Main scored her first career goal for the lone tally, and sophomore goalkeeper Addy Collingwood, a two-time MPSF Defensive Player of the Week, made it stand up. It's been a tough season overall against a demanding schedule, but that upset is one worth celebrating. Schedule
Playing Opportunities
Fall seasons are underway for many youth programs throughout NorCal. Many clubs will announce winter sessions soon, ahead of the popular spring club season. Check out our Community Calendar for all of these events and more.
Stanford ID Clinic | October 17
Show your interest in becoming a future Cardinal while learning from the varsity coaching staff and players. Open to 2028, 2029 and 2030 high school graduates only. Register
GoodCo Field Hockey Clinic | Chula Vista | December 12
Train with Division I coaches at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista on Saturday, December 12. Open to 7th-12th graders (grad years '27-'32), the clinic lets you choose which coaches you work with in small-group sessions. The lineup is strong: Ball State, Columbia, Davidson, Michigan, Northeastern, Northwestern, Penn, Stanford, and UC Davis are all participating. Sessions are divided by age group and take place on water-based turf. Open to all skill levels on a first-come, first-served basis. Register now
Get Involved
Masters Town Hall | October 8, 5 PM
Join USA Field Hockey Masters to hear highlights from the 2026 Outdoor World Cup, strategic priorities for 2026-27, and the future vision for Masters hockey. Help sustain the momentum from this year's historic summer and build on successes on and off the pitch. Join on Zoom
USA Field Hockey Foundation Town Hall | October 14, 5 PM
With LA28 less than two years away, the USA Field Hockey Foundation's new Executive Director Jennie Trayes is hosting a virtual Town Hall to share her vision and launch Pave the Way to LA — a fundraising initiative to support the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams as they prepare for the Olympics. Unlike many countries the U.S. competes against, American national team athletes rely heavily on philanthropic support rather than government funding to train, travel, and compete. National Team coaches and athletes will also appear. Register here
Level 2 Coaching Certification | Berkeley | October 24
Former Cal head coach Shellie Onstead leads a USA Field Hockey Level 2 Instructional Coaching Clinic in Berkeley. Building on Level 1, the program includes an online course plus in-person clinic. $250 for members / $325 for non-members. Questions? Contact Pete Smith. Register here
What to Watch
The Final Whistle is your best resource for tracking what's on and how to watch — but here are a few matchups worth circling this weekend and beyond.
This weekend:
- #1 Northwestern vs. #6 Iowa — Friday, October 9. Iowa looks to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the season.
- #1 Tufts vs. #2 Middlebury — Saturday, October 10. The top two Division III programs go head-to-head, with SF Hawks and University HS alum ('25) Scarlett Carpenter suiting up for Tufts.
- #3 Duke at Stanford — Friday, October 9. A top-5 ACC showdown on the Farm.
- #3 Duke at Cal (#14) — Sunday, October 11. A top-15 conference matchup in Berkeley.
Coming up:
- Stanford and Cal travel to Davis — October 16 and 18 respectively, where the Aggies will be eager to build on their historic upset of Louisville.
- Stanford hosts Cal — October 29, their final regular season conference clash before the ACC Tournament begins November 3.
Looking Ahead
The next few weeks will go a long way toward answering the big questions of the NorCal fall season. Which MCAL teams survive the gauntlet this week? Can St. Ignatius make a statement in San Diego? Will Mitty or Los Gatos claim El Camino? And can Cal keep its remarkable run going against Wake Forest and Duke?
We'll have answers and a full postseason preview in next month's newsletter. In the meantime, follow the action at ncfh.net and The Final Whistle, and as always, if you have results, stories, or events to share, reach out at admin@sticktogetherfh.com.
See you on the sidelines,
The Stick Together Team
