High Voltage has jolting offense
The 19-and-under all-star team features 15 of the area’s premier juniors and seniors, including eight members of Stafford’s Group AAA state quarterfinal squad and three from a Chancellor High School team that reached the Group AA title game.
High Voltage may be an appropriate moniker for a team that is loaded with offensive talent. The roster has so many scoring threats that coach Robin Woodie plans to use two forwards and two wings in front of a three-player midfield line.
“With us having so many forwards, I’m hoping we can do a lot of scoring,” Woodie said. “We have some big kids in there.”
With seven games scheduled over three days, High Voltage will be looking to equal the success it enjoyed three years ago when the team went 4-1-2 in its festival debut.
“My main objective is to win some games,” Woodie said.
The annual college showcase tournament, which is sponsored by the United States Field Hockey Association, is being held this year at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. After playing two games on Thursday and two on Friday, the competition concludes with three games on Saturday.
Stafford’s starting midfield line of Commonwealth District player of the year Maggi Chamberlain, Lara Meyer and April Carper will likely spend time together on the field. That trio combined for 10 goals and nine assists during the Indians’ 14-5 campaign. Indians wing Mary Freeman and postseason star Aimee Scott will be featured up front, along with North Stafford’s Erin Murphy, Nikki Hollibaugh of Massaponax and Chancellor’s Katie Lernihan.
Other contributors to the 4-3 offense will be Chancellor’s Dani Woodie, Stafford’s Nikki Noel, Kim Luckey of North Stafford and Cheyanne Brooks of Chancellor.
The defense will be led by 2002 Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger All-Area player of the year Lindsey Piester, of Stafford, who will start at center back and also be High Voltage’s first option on penalty corners.
Piester led the Commonwealth District and Northwest Region champion Indians with eight goals and three assists. North Stafford senior Karen Price will also defend the cage in front of goalie Caitlyn Faller, of Stafford, who allowed 17 goals in 19 high school games and earned four consecutive postseason shutouts.