Recognized as one of the premier programs in the region, Sacred Heart Greenwich’s varsity field hockey team is intent on continuing an impressive tradition that’s seen it contend for the FAA and NEPSAC Tournament championships for well more than a decade.

Winning championships, advancing to the finals or semifinals of tournaments and producing highly successful seasons has been the Tigers’ legacy for numerous seasons and they’re, obviously, aiming to continue to excel on the FAA and NEPSAC field hockey scene.

Sacred Heart recently opened its 2026 season in style, posting a 7-0 win over School of the Holy Child and an 8-0 victory against Kent School, displaying its depth and skill at Magnetti Field. A five-goal first quarter clearly set the tone for the Tigers in their home win over Kent School on Sept. 19th.

“We have such great group of girls, they all work so hard,” said SHG defender/captain Caeley Clough, who has committed to play field hockey at Williams College. I’m just really excited for the season and how everything works out.”

Last season saw SHG win all but three of its games against its FAA foes, with the losses coming against neighborhood rival Greenwich Academy. The Tigers were edged by the Gators, 2-1, in the championship game of the 2025 FAA Field Hockey Tournament and lost by just one goal to GA in the NEPSAC Class A Tournament semifinals last season. Sacred Heart was victorious against Greenwich Academy in the 2024 FAA Tournament final and the two squads should once again, be in the running for the league title this fall.

“Everyone is looking forward to our more competitive games later in the season and we’re looking forward to maintaining how we’re playing already,” Sacred Heart senior Alexandra ‘Xan’ Collins said. A midfielder, Collins serves as a team captain, along with Clough.

“The girls on the team are so amazing,” Collins said. “Even the freshmen and the eighth graders, they all work so hard. It’s been such a privilege to be able to lead the team. Being here my freshman year, it feels so special to be able to look out for the younger girls. I know what it’s like to be new to the team and I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to help the younger girls.”

Indeed, the Tigers are benefiting from the leadership from their captains and seniors, which include Whitney Rousseau and Olivia ‘Liv’ Starr.

“It’s such a privilege to be a part of the team, let along lead it,” said Clough, older sister Ainsley plays field hockey at College of the Holy Cross also helped captained the Sacred Heart squad.

“It’s been really great, all of our legacies have been really strong and I think that’s what’s allowed us to be as strong as we are right now,” Clough said of competing with her sister in the past and the team’s previous captains and seniors. “Their legacy and how hard they worked and how they taught us to play has really helped us”. 

In Sacred Heart’s latest conquest, an 8-0 triumph against visiting Kent School, Rousseau, a forward, recorded a hat trick, while Katherine Cerami, an eighth grader, who is performing well beyond her years, registered two goals.

Cerami scored the game’s first goal 1:01 into the opening quarter, then Rousseau tallied at the quarter’s 10:42 mark. Another Cerami goal extended Sacred Heart’s advantage to 3-0 with 7:54 to go in the first quarter, then junior midfielder Lauren Clark made it 4-0 by scoring with 6:56 still remaining in the quarter.

“We’re very excited to start the season SHG head varsity coach and Director of Field Hockey Alex Gheorghe said. “We’ve been training really hard every single day. The girls are very motivated and we’re just looking forward to having a good season.”

Assisting Gheorghe on the coaching staff is Sarah Hill, who has been dedicated to the Sacred Heart program for more than several decades. Indeed, the Tigers were the aggressors throughout their matchup versus the Lions, controlling possession most of the game, while consistently pushing the ball forward and generating a number of shots on goal.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the team play this well,” said Rousseau, who will play field hockey at Columbia University next fall. “We all connected so well. The second you get it, you send it and I think we did a really good job of getting shots off and the forwards being there to deflect the balls and put it in. Just textbook field hockey, I think.”

Allowing no shots on goal to Kent, Sacred Heart has been stellar defensively over its first two matchups of the season.

“I feel like the team is really good, we get along on and off the field and I think it’s showing in the way that we are playing, we’re connecting really well,” said Starr, the Tiger’s starting goalie.

“We’ve played the past two games where it hasn’t been much action on defense and the defense has been playing really well to keep moving the game forward, which I think is something that’s super important and that we’re going to see throughout the season,” continued Starr, who relishes her role as the squad’s goalkeeper.

“It feels great, it’s my second year here and it feels really nice to be the backbone of the team and it’s a great team to be a part of,” she said. “They are super supportive.”

The season-opener against FAA foe Holy Child, recently, saw junior center midfielder Cordelia Blanc score a team-best three goals for the Tigers (2-0). Cerami, junior midfielder Lauren Clark (committed to play field hockey at University of California Berkeley), Clough and junior midfielder Kingsley Ely each added a goal in the victory versus Holy Child.

Blanc, who Princeton University field hockey commit, spent the previous three seasons playing for Greenwich Academy.

“I’ve been playing in the FAA since I was in eighth grade,” Blanc noted. “It’s been such great competition every single year. Every single game, there’s always a couple of players that definitely bring a challenge each time. It’s such a family, everyone works so well together, even off the field, which is awesome.”

Clough, defender Annabelle King, Collins, Rousseau and Starr are the Tigers’ seniors. Blanc, Clark, defender/midfielder Kinley Dierckson, forward Joanna Eken (Columbia University field hockey commit) midfielder Lindsay Schwind (committed to play field hockey at Fairfield University) defender/midfielder Hadley Caras, junior midfielder Kingsley Ely, defender/forward Elizabeth Devine are SHG juniors, defender Mia Kinney is a sophomore, Maeve Butler (forward) and Hollis Koch (forward) are freshmen and Cerami is an eighth grader.

“We’re excited to kick off the season with a home game,” Gheorghe said following the team’s triumph against Holy Child in the season-opener last week. “The team performed well and we are pleased overall, with the result.”

Sacred Heart has significantly tougher challenges ahead. They will travel to Taft School Wednesday (Sept. 23rd) for a 2:45 p.m. game, then will play King School on the road in an FAA game on Saturday (Sept. 26th) at 1 p.m.

The Tigers’ next home game is Sept. 30th against Choate Rosemary Hall.

“We’re doing great right now, we’re connected off the field and it shows on the field,” Clough said. “Everyone is determined and wants to play for each other, not just for themselves. Everyone is working hard. They want success and it’s working out.”

Sacred Heart was victorious vs. Kent and is 2-0 for the season.

It was a great game for SHG against Kent.

Sacred Heart excelled on the field hockey field vs. Kent.