Loudoun County, Va. — As high school field hockey gets underway in Loudoun County, a few local teams have already started to stand out among the crowd. In a two-district county, we wanted a way to put things into perspective. Enter: the LoCo Top 5.
Of course, if you’re into hard numbers, check out the full Potomac and Dulles District standings.
[adrotate banner=”10″]1. Riverside (12-1) ?1
Simply put, Riverside has been dominant. The Rams are averaging more than five goals per game, while allowing less than half a goal. And with a bounce back win against previous No. 1 Heritage on October 9, Riverside has assumed the No. 1 spot on the LoCo Top 5. After falling to Potomac Falls in overtime on October 8, the Rams rebounded nicely, defeating the Pride, 4-1, in front of a home crowd in Leesburg. Sophomore standout Gurnoor Dhaliwal scored a pair of goals as Riverside improved to 12-1.
2. Heritage (10-2) ?1
Heritage has a whole lot of firepower. Led by All-LoCo Player of the Year Josie Rossbach, the Pride score more goals per game than any team in Loudoun and have posted seven shutouts. Back-to-back losses to perennial VHSL 4A State power Eastern View and No. 1 Riverside will serve as building blocks for Heritage moving forward. The Pride will look to rebound against Dulles District foe Loudoun Valley on October 10 in an attempt to get back on track.
3. Potomac Falls (10-2) —
So far this season, Potomac Falls is the only team to hand No. 1 Riverside a loss and, frankly, the only team that gave the Rams much trouble at all. However, coming off the big overtime win against Riverside on October 8, the Panthers fell, 1-0, to Stone Bridge on October 9. Potomac Falls still has a shot at claiming the top spot in the Potomac District but will have to battle through Briar Woods on October 16 in order to get there.
4. Briar Woods (10-2) ?1
Briar Woods is dangerous, but, at times, has also shown some uncertainty. The Falcons barely escaped Tuscarora, 2-1, on October 1 but their only losses come at the hands of No. 1 Riverside and No. 2 Heritage. A core of seniors – including midfielder Emma Brunet, defender Sammy Febles and midfielder Hannah Hooper – give the Falcons the leadership they needed to shine, and Briar Woods will need it down the stretch as the Falcons still have games remaining against Broad Run, Woodgrove, Potomac Falls and Rock Ridge.
5. Stone Bridge (8-4) ?1
Stone Bridge dropped four of five games between September 12 and October 3 – including a 4-3 loss to Dominion, who the Bulldogs beat 4-0 to open their season. Undeterred, the Bulldogs are currently riding a three-game winning streak, including a big win over No. 3 Potomac Falls on October 9. Stone Bridge senior Emma Logue scored the lone goal in the win over the Panthers off a pass from junior forward Ashlyn Hughes. Logue and Hughes will need to continue to rise to the occasion as Stone Bridge prepares for its final three regular season games.