No. 9 Holy Child Looks to Clinch ISL Title Against Episcopal in MSP Game of the Week
Connelly School of the Holy Child field hockey travels to Alexandria to take on Episcopal in the MSP Game of the Week and the regular-season finale for both schools. With a victory, the No. 9-ranked Tigers can clinch the Independent School League (ISL) regular-season championship and secure the No. 1 seed in next week’s highly anticipated conference tournament. The top five teams in the ISL are separated by just half a game in the standings heading into the final weekend, setting the stage for an exciting finish.
Episcopal head coach Alexandra Blunt has her team peaking at the right time, as the Maroon enter the matchup riding a three-game winning streak that has improved their overall record to 9-6-1. On offense, senior captain Winnie Hughes, a Houston, Texas, native, has been incredibly dangerous, leading the team with 19 goals and 10 assists. Defensively, Episcopal is anchored by junior Claire Walsh and senior goalkeeper Elle Young, who has recorded 150 saves this season.
At 10-3-1, Holy Child head coach and alum Emily Trees Rothert has her program competing at an exceptionally high level. The Tigers have advanced to the ISL conference finals in each of the past two seasons, and with this year’s regular-season title on the line, Rothert will lean on senior captains Maeve Christmas (D) and Sophia Harris (MF), both of whom bring four years of varsity experience to the table. Senior forward/midfielder Josie Molinari is one of the premier offensive talents in the area, leading Holy Child with 16 goals and three assists. The Northwestern commit has earned All-ISL and All-Star honors in each of the past three years and will leave Holy Child as the most decorated athlete in school history. As the regular season draws to a close, Molinari will look to add a championship to her already impressive legacy and help lead her teammates to a title.
