Sullivan, Larkee named NFHCA October Scholastic Players of the Month

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Madeline Sullivan, a junior defender from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia, and Shea Larkee, a junior forward from Norwood High School in Norwood, Massachusetts, have been named the October Scholastic Players of the Month.

Netting four goals, tallying seven assists, and recording three defensive saves, Sullivan led her team to the best performance in school history. She scored three game-winning goals across nine contests in October and the game-tying goal for overtime play against the conference rival, proving to be clutch and composed for Bishop O’Connell.

Recording goals in all nine October contests, Larkee tallied two or more points in eight games, recording a hat-trick in five of the nine matches. She finished the month with 37 goals and 13 assists – setting a new record for single-season goals at Norwood. For her efforts, Larkee was named to the 2023 league All-Star team and also received the league’s MVP honor.

Honorable Mentions

Madison Tibbals, a junior goalkeeper from Gorham High School in Gorham, Maine, Krista Lilienthal, a junior midfielder from Pompton Lakes High School in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, and Megan Smith, a senior midfielder from  Joseph Case High School in Swansea, Massachusetts, all received honorable mention nods for the month.

Across seven contests on the month, Tibbals led her team to six wins and three shutouts. She faced 52 shots – only allowing five goals – while achieving a .904 save percentage.

Lilienthal netted 29 goals and recorded seven assists with one defensive save across 12 team contests in October, including two game-winning goals in league title and county championship matches and reached her 100th point on the season.

Meanwhile, Smith tallied 29 goals and 11 assists, accounting for 69% of her team’s goals across 12 October matches, leading her squad as key playmaker in their 14-1-1 record this season.

The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) is a nonprofit organization serving field hockey coaches and supporters of the game from across the United States. The mission of the organization is to stimulate the professional development of coaching leadership within the sport of field hockey. The NFHCA strives to cultivate and recognize the professional contributions of its membership and to foster and promote the growth of the sport. The NFHCA is responsible for providing a recognizable presence and voice in regard to legislation affecting the sport as well as interscholastic and intercollegiate programs.