The United States Coach of the Year: 2019
Ali Good, Summit Oak Knoll (N.J.)
The Oak Knoll Royals finished the 2019 season with a 26-0
record, but also accomplished something remarkable: not one, but two
wins over the nation's best field hockey program over the last two
decades: Voorhees Eastern (N.J.).
For her efforts, Ali Good is the United States Coach of the Year for 2019.
Oak Knoll, a small Roman Catholic school in Summit, N.J., first got
onto the national radar in 2007, when the team beat Eastern 3-2 in
overtime of the Tournament of Champions semifinal round on a goal by
future U.S. women's national-team member Michelle Cesan.
Since that first meeting, the two sides have met on a number of
occasions in the postseason. And for the last five years, the two
titans have met in the regular season.
But Oak Knoll's 4-1 win in September was not the only gold star on the
Royals' resume. The team swept two games at the National High School
Invitational, including the defending large-school champion from
Pennsylvania. Oak Knoll also defeated Louisville Sacred Heart (Ky.),
Mamaroneck (N.Y.), Pottstown Hill School (Pa.), and Greenwich (Conn.)
Academy.
Once the state tournament began in New Jersey, Oak Knoll, ratcheted up
the defensive intensity. After giving up a goal to Glen Ridge (N.J.) on
Oct. 7, Oak Knoll shut out their next 10 opponents. They could have had
an 11th but for the late goal that Eastern scored in the Tournament of
Champions final. By then, Oak Knoll had built a 4-0 lead.
The Oak Knoll performance this season was a manifestation of two
decades' worth of effort on the part of Good and her coaching staffs
over the years, to the point where the Royals have elevated themselves
to a position of being a main rival of Eastern.
The resulting "Garden State Firm" rivalry has captured the attention of
not only a state, but a country: the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic
Committee's news service wrote an advance for the 2019 Tournament of
Champions final.
That's what Good has done.
ALSO CONSIDERED:
Erin Creznic, Los Angeles Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) — Winning has
become a habit for the team the last three years, winning the Los
Angeles Field Hockey Association title while remaining unbeaten
Adrienne DiSipio, Burlington (N.J.) Township — Township was very much a
marginalized side for most of the last 30 years, but this year DiSipio
completely changed the culture and brought the Falcons their first
NJSIAA South Jersey sectional championship
Casey Eck, Easton (Pa.) — Red Rovers won their first PIAA Tournament
game in 30 years, but lost a close match to the defending state
champions in the quarterfinal round
Danyle Heilig, Voorhees Eastern (N.J.) –Her Vikings not only won a 21st
consecutive state championship, but had a schedule which included wins
over multiple state champions
Jodi Hollamon, Delmar (Del.) — This young and extremely skilled side
has its best days ahead of it, with several players in the lineup who
started for the team while still in middle school
Stephanie Kearns, Newtown (Conn.) — With an offensive-minded lineup as
well as ten seniors, the Nighthawks had an undefeated regular season
Lynn Mittler, St. Louis Mary Institute-Country Day School (Mo.) —
Overcame two years’ worth of heartache in the Midwest Tournament final
and finally beat St. Louis Villa Duchesne (Mo.) with a late goal
Stephanie Nykaza, Winnetka New Trier (Ill.) — Veteran coach had a
number of major victories this year including gripping OT wins against
Villanova Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Pa.) and Lake Forest (Ill.),
the latter of which clinched the state title
Gwen Smith, New Hope-Solebury (Pa.) — Took what had been a program
which had averaged about three wins per season and transformed them
into a skilled collective that shut out 22 consecutive opponents in 2019
Jen Sykes, Guilderland (N.Y.) — Coming over from Clifton Park
Shenendehowa (N.Y.), she has given Guilderland immense confidence and
the team has responded in kind. The team was the first to win its
sectional and to win a state playoff match
Kim Underwood, West Lawn Wilson (Pa.) — Her vision 11 years ago of
starting a youth field hockey league, then drawing players from it,
paid off handsomely as a team with her twin daughters Reagan and Bryn
won the PIAA Class AAA state championship