HONESDALE — The first annual spring indoor field hockey tournament at Wayne Highlands was held in the high school and middle school gymnasiums 26 years ago.
The event was the brainchild of Hall of Fame coach Dennis Lonecker, and the star player at the time was a tough farm girl named Becca Henderson.
Henderson was an All-American at East Stroudsburg University before returning home to teach, coach and start a family. After settling in at her Damascus school, she married Jason Maciejewski, who eventually replaced Ronnecker as head coach of the national team.
Last weekend, Maciejewski oversaw the 26th annual indoor tournament. The tournament spanned his three days and featured 45 teams from across the region.
“It's a great weekend,” Maciejewski said during his final day of high school play. “We have worked hard over the years to establish our reputation and it has really paid off. Everyone is here and having a good time. The atmosphere is very good and the field hockey It's a great environment for.”
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More than 400 athletes participated in the tournament, with competitive and recreational slots divided across four age divisions: high school, middle school, elementary school, and open.
end of an era
Over the past four years, Honesdale has enjoyed a golden era of varsity field hockey.
Under Coach Maciejewski, the Lady Hornets reached four consecutive District 2 finals, won two Class AAA championships and advanced to the PIAA state tournament twice.
Two student-athletes who played key roles in this unprecedented run are Claire Campen and Jillian Hoey. Both are seniors and each served as team captains in this year's indoor tournament.
Kampen is an All-State honoree and the program's all-time leading scorer. She will continue her academic and athletic career at Monmouth University. But before her departure, Kampen was determined to add one last sentence to her field hockey resume. It was an indoor tournament title.
“My teammates and I both knew this would be our last year playing in the high school division, so we wanted to make it meaningful,” Kampen said. “I am proud to say that I finally achieved my goal and am a champion.”
Hoey is also a senior who is coming off a standout varsity career. She will be attending college in the fall, aiming to attend medical school, and she hopes to one day become an endocrinologist.
With this laudable goal in mind, Hoey decided to focus on his university studies. So her indoor tournament could be her last athletic hurray, and she came out on top.
“I started participating in this tournament in the sixth grade,” Hoey said. “I've played every year since then. This is an event that all HHS field hockey players look forward to. This was my last year of playing, and it couldn't have ended any better. ”
Other members of the Lady Hornet mini-dynasty who participated in this year's tournament include Roz Maciejewski, Roz Mikulak, Miranda Roegner, Jordan Patzuk, Lily Murray, Alyssa Czekai, Kady McElroy, Jocelyn Hunas, Addie Labruno, Molly Diehl, and Emelia. Zielinski, Haley Brady, Kaylin Bunting, Jaydan Beisner, Kaitlyn Brescia, Bridget Murray, Chloee Spry.
on the podium
Honesdale's 26th annual indoor tournament began Friday night and ran through Sunday afternoon.
The winner of each bracket is…
•Open competition category: Not Fast, Just Furious defeated Sabotage in overtime in the championship match.
•Open fan category: Field hockey Waiolu defeated the Red Rockets in the final.
•Stinger division: The Pawpac Bucks defeated Delaware Valley to compete for the title.
•Junior high school student section: The Rugrats (Valley West) defeated the Big Red Machine (Crestwood) in the championship match.
•High school section: In the finals, Queen Bees (Hornsdale) defeated Black Widow (Valley West).
•Fun high school student category: Claire's Crew defeated Honesdale in the title tilt.
“After 26 years, this tournament has truly been a labor of love,” Macijewski said. “And we are now in our 26th year thanks to all the people who selflessly support us. It is all very much appreciated and brings our program to life. .”
