Islanders & Olympic Club Win 2022 USFHL Adult National Club Championship

NEWARK, Del. - For three intense action-packed days, the top eight men’s and twelve women’s adult club teams in the United States competed at the Rullo Stadium on the campus of the University of Delaware in the fifth annual United States Field Hockey League (USFHL) Adult National Club Championship (NCC).

 

Teams qualified locally through USFHL Certified Organizations, and it ended with the Islanders against Lone Star in the men’s title match and the Olympic Club against Atlanta FHC in the women’s championship game. The Olympic Club and Islanders were able to edge out their opponents in shootouts to be named the 2022 Adult National Club Champions.

 

For the men, it was a rematch as the Islanders beat Lonestar in pool play 5-1. The Islanders were coached by John Boyce (Edgwater Park, N.J.) and Lonestar by Ken Cho (West Lake Hills, Texas), both who play U.S. Masters and Cho is the USA Field Hockey Texas State Chapter President.

 

Lonestar adjusted their strategy, regrouped and it was Wander Hommes (Dallas, Texas) from Lonestar who scored first. However, Islander’s Peter Alleyne (Brooklyn, N.Y.) answered back which tied the game sending them into shootouts.  he only goal in the shootout was Teague Marcano (Brooklyn, N.Y.) of the Islanders who said, “I don’t have a strategy going into my shootout, I wait to see what the goalkeeper does. He came out quick, so I played the ball in the air and responded from there.”

 

The Islanders goalkeeper Stephen Dennis (Fairfield, Conn.), commented, “I practiced shootouts before the Adult NCC and my strategy was to stay on my feet.” The practice and strategy paid off as he was able to block every Lonestar attempt securing the Adult NCC title for the Islanders.

 

Dennis added, “This team is special because it is a family. We just love to come together and play.”

 

Congrats to the Islanders FHC on winning the 2022 Men’s National Club Championship!

 

 

The women’s championship game was a cliffhanger. Atlanta FHC’s Elizabeth Hitti (Atlanta, Ga.) scored in the first quarter, but Brittany Knouse (San Francisco, Calif.) from the Olympic Club answered back with a goal in the second quarter. The Olympic Club coach was Malachai Mahan (Walnut Creek, Calif.), and Kendall Beveridge (San Francisco, Calif.), the USFHL Northern California representative, commented “The gameplay in the first half started to get end-to-end with several fast breaks on both sides. [Malachai and the team] made adjustments at halftime to sure up the midfield and close some gaps.”

 

The second half remained scoreless, and the Olympic Club was able to secure the championship in shootouts.

 

Hitti, who was named the Women’s Tournament MVP, commented that the matchup was incredible because “both teams practice often during the year and play structured and disciplined [field] hockey relying on teamwork.” Beveridge added, “The Olympic Club is one of the oldest athletic clubs in the United States, with over a dozen adult teams, and the core of this field hockey team has been together since we founded the field hockey program in 2015 and we are regularly reminded of how lucky we are to have convened such a wonderful group of women.”

 

Congrats to the Olympic Club on their second Adult NCC title, both in 2019 and 2022!

 

 

The semifinals were hard fought battles, with half being decided by shootouts with some local rivals taking place.

 

In the men’s game, Lone Star came out fierce winning 3-0 against the two-time defending Adult NCC Champions, dcDragons. Two goals from David Deprez (Dallas, Texas) and one from Ronan Taggert (Austin, Texas).

 

North East Field Hockey Association rivals Greenwich and Islanders ended regulation with no goals. The shootout went to sudden victory with Islanders putting in the victory shot at the buzzer.

 

For the women, Miami Surf and Atlanta FHC played in the pilot Southeast Regional Qualifier (RCC). Miami Surf edged out Atlanta FHC in the RCC, but at the Adult NCC it was Atlanta’s Leah Maceroli (Atlanta, Ga.) lone goal that gave them the 1-0 victory to advance to the championship game. 

 

Olympic Club and Blackouts Bears ended in a 2-2 tie with Olympic Club winning the shootout. Olympic club’s goals by Nicole Ng (San Francisco, Calif.) and Katie Garrity (San Carlos, Calif.) were scored in the first half and Blackouts Bears goals by Taylor Nolan (Columbia, Pa.) and Amanda Dinunzio (Las Vegas, Nev.) in the second half.

 

Teams who qualified locally and competed in USFHL Adult National Club Championship:

Men		Women
dcDragons (DC Metro)		Atlanta FHC (Atlanta, Ga.)
Greenwich FHC (New York, N.Y.)		Baltimore FHA (Baltimore, Md.)
Islanders (New York, N.Y.)		Big Apple (New York, N.Y.)
Lone Star FHC (Austin, Texas)		Boston Blackouts (Boston, Mass.)
Miami Surf FHC (Miami, Fla.)		dcDragons (DC Metro)
NE Blackouts (Boston, Mass.)		Delaware FHA (Newark, Del.)
North East Frontier (New York, N.Y.)		Lone Star FHC (Austin, Texas)
Philly Premier FHA (Philadelphia, Pa.)		Miami Surf FHC (Miami, Fla.0
		Olympic Club (San Francisco, Calif.)
		Running on Empty (Philadelphia, Pa.)
		Strikers (Lancaster, Pa.)
		Washington FHA (DC Metro)

 

The All-Star teams and Tournament MVPs were named from nominations from the USFHL Captains.

 

2022 USFHL National Club Championships MVP
Men		Women
Kadirzhan Kozhym (Blackouts)		Elizabeth Hitti (Atlanta FHC)

 

2022 USFHL National Club Championships All-Star Team
Men		Women
David Deprez (Lone Star)		Afton Hess (Baltimore FHA)
JaJa Kentwell (Greenwich)		Alayna Harris (Lone Star)
Jelle Prins (Miami Surf)		Ally Lokey (Strikers)
Johnny Orozco (Northeast Frontier)		Elizabeth Hitti (Atlanta FHC)
Kadirzhan Kozhym (Blackouts)		Emma Bozek (Blackout Bears)
Mal Mahon (Philly Premier)		Jannelle Benner (Strikers)
Stephen Dennis (Islanders)		Jess Cortellino (Delaware FHA)
Teague Morcano (Islanders)		Kacey Bulman (Big Apple)
Trevor Shattuck (dcDragons)		Kendall Ballard (dcDragons)
		Nicole Ng (Olympic Club)
		Rachel Huang (WFHA)
		Rebecca Beatty (Blackout Bears)
		Theresa Delahanty (Running on Empty)
		Tollie Bell (Olympic Club)
		Vicky Jover (Miami Surf)

 

USFHL is officially recognized and sanctioned by USA Field Hockey as the adult league structure and sanctions the Adult National Club Championship to name the best adult club teams in the United States in 2022. Starting in 2023, the USFHL Adult National Club Championship will have regional qualifiers. This allows more organizations to get USFHL certified or endorsed to send teams to the playoffs which will be the RCC to earn bids for the 2023 Adult NCC. Contact info@USFHL.com if your organization wants to join to send a team to a Regional Qualifier for the 2023 National Club Championship.

 

USFHL piloted College Summer Series this year for college aged athletes to play through fun, organized competitive local adult organizations. This program is designed to prevent the drop-off in participation after graduating and build a bridge from college to lifetime engagement through local adult field hockey.

 

For more information check out usfhl.com, or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  For questions email info@usfhl.com to find out how your adult club, league or organization can get endorsed or plugged in for 2023.