What a season!
October 14, 2016 by Charlie Eisenhood in Rankings with 9 comments
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Although we are announcing these decidedly later than we planned to, the 2016 High School Girls Power Rankings are finally here! These are a look back at last season (not a predictive set of rankings for the coming one) and are based on season results, coaches input, and subjective analysis.
With the High School National Invite announced for June 2017, we will be closely monitoring high school results throughout the fall and spring. Biweekly power rankings will begin in February. If you expect your team to be competitive this season and want to be considered for a bid to the National Invite, please get in touch with Arnoush “Java” Javaherian.
1. Lakeside (Seattle, WA)
Resume: DiscNW Washington State Champions
Key wins: Northwest, Nathan Hale
Key losses: Franklin
Last Year’s Rank: #2
While Lakeside didn’t have the kind of lights-out consistency they did a year ago, they repeated as DiscNW champions and established themselves as the premier program in the country. Claire Trop missed a chunk of the season, but when she played, she was an unstoppable force. She returns alongside Kate Daugherty in 2017; Lakeside will again feature a fearsome senior duo, much as they did when Jaclyn Verzuh and Hallie Dunham blazed an unbeaten trail through the season in 2015.
2. Amherst Regional (Amherst, MA)
Resume: Northeasterns Champion, Massachusetts State Champion, Amherst Invite Champion
Key wins: Watchung Hills, Allderdice
Key losses: None
Last Year’s Rank: #3
Another undefeated season for Amherst as they waltzed through their competition to another State and Regional title. Josephine Coppinger was a superstar; she tallied an insane 11 goals, 17 assists, and 12 blocks at Northeasterns. With the dissolution of Regional tournaments in 2017, perhaps we will see Amherst travel to compete with top teams from the Central or South at regular season tournaments.
3. Holy Family Catholic (Cincinnati, OH)
Resume: Centrals Champion, Ohio State Champion
Key wins: Paideia, Neuqua Valley, Great River
Key losses: None
Last Year’s Rank: #4
Holy Family improved on a strong 2015 performance by winning Centrals this year and finishing the season undefeated. With the Samson twins, Hayley and Maddie, leading the way on a deep and talented roster, HFC was barely ever challenged this season. It is worth noting that HFC is a collection of players from around Cincinnati (many of them home schooled), not a school-based team.
4. Nathan Hale (Seattle, WA)
Resume: Westerns Regional Champion, Seattle Invite Champion, DiscNW Washington States semifinalist
Key wins: Northwest, Franklin, Corvallis
Key losses: Lakeside
Last Year’s Rank: #20
Frankly, Nathan Hale was woefully underranked at #20 last season; they move into their rightful spot in the top 10 after a strong 2016. The feather in their cap is certainly a win at the Seattle Invite; losing to Lakeside at States is nothing to be ashamed of. Sophomore Ally Constantino was the leader for this very talented team.
5. Lone Peak (Highland, UT)
Resume: Utah State Champion
Key wins: Northwest, Nathan Hale, Paideia
Key losses: None
Last Year’s Rank: NR
Lone Peak got some big early season wins over Northwest and Nathan Hale, although Hale was playing a mix of JV and Varsity players in the contest. Lone Peak does an admirable job of scheduling games against out-of-state competition, despite their inability to compete on Sundays at traditional tournaments. They are a very talented squad that plays to their depth. Maegan Anderson was a standout.
6. Northwest (Seattle, WA)
Resume: DiscNW Washington State Runner-up
Key wins: Franklin
Key losses: Lakeside, Lone Peak
Last Year’s Rank: #13
Northwest got an 11-10 win over Franklin in the DiscNW Washington state semis that defined their season. Although they went on to lose to Lakeside in finals, reaching that game capped off a strong year for the long time program.
7. BFA Fairfax (Fairfax, VT)
Resume: Vermont State Champion
Key wins: Montpelier, Lyndon Institute
Key losses: None
Last Year’s Rank: NR
BFA Fairfax may not have played games outside Vermont this season, but they were truly dominant in an undefeated 2016 season. They crushed all challengers and have a history of performing well against out-of-state competition (they finished second at Northeasterns in 2014).
8. Franklin (Seattle, WA)
Resume: DiscNW Washington State Semifinalist, Seattle Invite Runner-up
Key wins: Corvallis, Bush
Key losses: Northwest, Nathan Hale
Last Year’s Rank: #21
Franklin was just a couple of points away from landing in the top five this season. They lost by one to Nathan Hale, 9-8, in the final of the Seattle Invite, and lost 11-10 to Northwest in the DiscNW Washington State semis. They had a strong season either way, but what could have been!
9. Watchung Hills (Warren, NJ)
Resume: New Jersey State Champion, Northeasterns Runner-up
Key wins: Allderdice, Yorktown/Lee, HB Woodlawn
Key losses: Amherst
Last Year’s Rank: #10
Watchung Hills retained their New Jersey crown and gave Amherst the best game of their season in the Northeasterns final in a 9-5 loss. Jessie Sun and Rachel Tigol were notable talents this season.
10. Corvallis (Corvallis, OR)
Resume: Oregon State Champion, Westerns Runner-up
Key wins: South Eugene, Crescent Valley
Key losses: Nathan Hale
Last Year’s Rank: #22
Clea Poklemba. Need we say more? The youngest player on the 2014 USA Under-19 team was the heartbeat of this Corvallis team. Just look at the numbers from Westerns: 13 goals, 35 assists, 18 blocks, and 42 turnovers. Yea, she’s pretty involved.
11. Ingraham (Seattle, WA)
Resume: Westerns 3rd Place
Key wins: Crescent Valley, Roosevelt
Key losses: Nathan Hale, Crescent Valley
Last Year’s Rank: NR
A young team featuring no juniors or seniors in 2016, Ingraham made steady improvements over the course of the season and got a big season-ending win over Crescent Valley at Westerns to land at #11. Kaia Roast will be a key contributor for two more seasons.
12. South Eugene (Eugene, OR)
Resume: Oregon State Runner-up
Key wins: Roosevelt, Crescent Valley
Key losses: Corvallis, Roosevelt
Last Year’s Rank: NR
South Eugene may not have had an answer for Clea Poklemba and Corvallis, but they had a solid season as the second best team in Oregon, finishing the year with a strong appearance at Westerns. Yausi Khajavei was one of three All-State selections from the Eugene team.
13. Crescent Valley (Corvallis, OR)
Resume: Westerns semifinalist, 3rd Place At Oregon States
Key wins: Roosevelt
Key losses: Corvallis, South Eugene, Ingraham
Last Year’s Rank: NR
Crescent Valley gave strong games to their cross-town rival Corvallis all season, but couldn’t quite get the win over either them or South Eugene. Gabrielle Vandevelder was a rock with the disc in her hands as Lilly Steen and Crystal Still tallied up the scores.
14. Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
Resume: Westerns 7th Place Finisher
Key wins: Monarch
Key losses: Nathan Hale, Corvallis, Ingraham
Last Year’s Rank: NR
Berkeley, led by Lauren and Chloe Carothers-Liske, were a solid middle-of-the-pack team out west this year, dropping games at Westerns to the top Seattle programs but cleaning up against everyone else.
15. Bush (Seattle, WA)
Resume: DiscNW Washington States quarterfinalist
Key wins: Roosevelt
Key losses: Franklin
Last Year’s Rank: NR
A win over Roosevelt at the Seattle Invite lands Bush in the top 15 this season. They weren’t able to get anything going at Washington States as they were soundly beaten by Franklin in the quarterfinals.
16. Roosevelt (Seattle, WA)
Resume: 6th Place At Westerns
Key wins: Monarch
Key losses: Nathan Hale, Ingraham, South Eugene
Last Year’s Rank: #24
Roosevelt failed to make the DiscNW tournament, but held their own at Westerns and lost by just one to South Eugene in the 5th place game.
17. HB Woodlawn (Arlington, VA)
Resume: Southerns Champion, Virginia State Runner-up
Key wins: Paideia, Carrboro, Yorktown/Lee
Key losses: Watchung Hills, Yorktown/Lee
Last Year’s Rank: #8
Despite HB Woodlawn dropping nine spots in this year’s ranking, that has more to do with last year’s under-ranking of western teams than Woodlawn’s 2016 performance. In fact, they had their best season in years, taking home a Southerns title. They couldn’t beat Yorktown/Lee again at States, however, falling to them in the final. Maddie Boyle was tremendous for Woodlawn this season.
18. Paideia (Atlanta, GA)
Resume: Southerns Runner-ups, Georgia State Champion
Key wins: Neuqua Valley, Yorktown/Lee, Carrboro
Key losses: HB Woodlawn, HFC, Lone Peak
Last Year’s Rank: #1
Paideia didn’t have quite the season they did a year ago when they dominated the season en route to a #1 ranking. Still, they were a talented team, losing in the finals of Southerns and their home tournament, Paideia Cup. Isabel Arevalo was one of a number of strong players on this year’s roster.
19. Monarch (Louisville, CO)
Resume: Colorado State Champion
Key wins: Summit
Key losses: Crescent Valley, South Eugene, Berkeley, Roosevelt
Last Year’s Rank: NR
Colorado’s overwhelming #1 team, Monarch, was just a point away from wins over Crescent Valley and Roosevelt at Westerns. Ellie Cameron was excellent in her senior season; watch out for rising sophomore Grace Brown to make a big impact in the coming seasons.
20. Neuqua Valley (Naperville, IL)
Resume: Illinois State Champion, Centrals Runner-up
Key wins: East Chapel Hill, Great River
Key losses: HFC, Paideia
Last Year’s Rank: #5
Neuqua Valley regressed a bit from their excellent 2015 campaign in which they claimed a Centrals title. But they remain the cream of the crop in Illinois and an elite team in the Central region. Mary Sullivan was an offensive force all season.
21. Carrboro (Carrboro, NC)
Resume: North Carolina State Champion, Southerns Semifinalist
Key wins: Yorktown/Lee, East Chapel Hill
Key losses: HB Woodlawn, Paideia
Last Year’s Rank: #6
Carrboro again claimed the North Carolina state title in 2016 and lost only to the finalists at Southerns. Kate Lanier (sister of CFS standout Dillon) led the way for the Koi this year.
22. Yorktown/Washington-Lee (Arlington, VA)
Resume: Virginia State Champion
Key wins: HB Woodlawn
Key losses: Watchung Hills, Carrboro, Paideia
Last Year’s Rank: #25
The Y-Lee Coyotes (what a name) took home their second straight Virginia championship over HB Woodlawn in their second year as a program. The combo team is led by the strong play of Rachel Hess.
23. Great River (St. Paul, MN)
Resume: Minnesota State Champion, 3rd Place At Centrals
Key wins: Hopkins, South
Key losses: Neuqua Valley, HFC
Last Year’s Rank: NR
Great River, Minnesota’s top team, was the decisive third place finisher in the Central Region this year behind two very good programs in Holy Family Catholic and Neuqua Valley. Christine Siebels-Lindquist was a goal scoring machine.
24. Allderdice (Pittsburgh, PA)
Resume: 3rd Place At Northeasterns
Key wins: Lower Merion, Lexington
Key losses: Watchung Hills, Amherst
Last Year’s Rank: NR
Allderdice blew past their seventh seed at Northeasterns to finish third behind two top ten ranked teams in Amherst and Watchung Hills. They smashed Pennsylvania state champion Lower Merion along the way1. Sophia Kosowsky and Carlisle Turner were particular standouts.
25. East Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
Resume: Southerns Semifinalist, North Carolina State Runner-up
Key wins: Grady
Key losses: Carrboro, Paideia, HB Woodlawn, Y-Lee
Last Year’s Rank: #18
East Chapel Hill was a couple steps behind Carrboro this season, but had a strong year against all teams not ranked above them here in the top 25. Ellie Cubrilovic was excellent for ECH this season; she is one of many returners for this rising squad.
Allderdice did not compete at PA States ↩
