Looking at each team's day one performance and what led to their standing heading into elimination play.

On day one of High School National Invite , the pool play matchups in the Girls’ Division saw unexpected upsets, down to the wire games, and friendly but fierce competition. The Pennsylvania fields felt little brotherly love as a top seed went winless and the no. 10 seed reached quarterfinals. Twelve teams will still be vying for the trophy as play begins tomorrow.

Shining Stars

The stars were bright tonight for Roosevelt (WA). The Rough Riders rode their momentum to three big wins, going undefeated in pool play. Team USA U24 stars Chloe Hakimi and ZsaZsa Gelfand commanded the team on both sides of the field. Hakimi had the green light to fire away, finding teammates in the end zone for numerous scores. She comfortably went every other, moving the disc down the field and hitting looks whether they seemed open or not. Gelfand was dominant in the cutter and handler spaces, posing both a deep threat and a throwing threat.

Roosevelt’s defense was feisty and strategic, running a variety of zones that forced their opponents to make more throws than desirable. Handler defenders poached on the open side and stayed tight on the break side, yet another display of their elevated level of play. The Riders were comfortable with any pace of play, sometimes scoring in a throw or two but also being willing to slow it down and work through their resets. Turnovers were more common than Roosevelt wished, a factor that didn’t impact their games today but they’ll want to iron out before tomorrow. A fairly close win against Washburn and dominant games against Alexandria City and Provo should have Roosevelt feeling confident headed into quarterfinals.

Amherst (MA) must have been propelled by hurricane force winds to catapult them into the winners bracket, a no.10 seed going undefeated and taking down no.3 seed Summit. Seniors Isla Cusick and Felix Goeckel led the way for the ‘Canes, Goeckel with two game winning plays, suffocating defensive pressure, and effortless skies. Cusick turned defense into offense with blocks, assists, and scores. Amherst’s roster is loaded with seniors and juniors, their presence evident in the patience and confidence the team displayed. The Hurricanes were described to have the “identity of a beehive”, all working together for a common goal. This identity clearly got the job done today, as Amherst climbed the ranks to earn a spot in quarterfinals. They don’t show any signs of stopping their onslaught of raining discs and lightning fast run-through blocks.

From early on in the day, it seemed like Garfield (WA) finally laid off the lasagna as they tore up the fields with speed and high-flying bids. Their first game of the day was a nail-biter as the team struggled to convert consistent defensive turns to break points. With notable efforts from Nor Luloff, Mira Schneeweiss-LarRene, and Maeve McArdle, they managed to turn the tide in subsequent games. In a huge upset to take down the pool’s top seed, Luloff offered up spectacular bids on the offensive and defensive sides. Schneeweiss-LarRene’s presence in the handler space was palpable in every hold while McArdle took control in the deep space and made the team’s vertical stack system function like a well-oiled machine. This is a team to watch out for going into quarters.

Second in point differentials across all 16 teams this weekend, South Eugene (OR) stood their ground as the no.2 seed. Audiences were at the edge of their grassy, dusty seats as over-the-top throws from Helen Burruss and impeccably placed pulls by Dana Herrmann spread the field of play, disrupting any defense thrown at them. Asa Kimball and Neala Anderson, meanwhile, worked the downfield space with impressive cutter timing and created countless turns with intuitive defensive positioning. The elite level of trust between all handlers and cutters on the South Eugene team created a confident on-field environment where all players were encouraged to take risks. While many of their throws may be deemed atypical in comparison to the traditional high school repertoire, they were met with high reward in the form of a well-deserved spot in the quarterfinals.

Meet Me in the Middle

While Lincoln (WA) missed claiming the top spot in their pool, their efforts against South Eugene’s refined systems were valiant and showed potential for a strong showing in Saturday’s prequarter games. In an ode to their presidential namesake, the team played honest person defense and forced high-level opponents to make uncharacteristic turns in pivotal moments. Strategic positioning was of obvious importance to the team as players made a point to shut down power position hucks with well-placed marks.

On the offensive end, Lou Shernoff acted as a classic but powerful hybrid player, taking control whenever the team most needed it. Amelia Nash took over in Lincoln’s endzone set, showing off sticky fingers under variable wind conditions and saving ill-fated throws by cutting into open spaces at just the right time. Julia Coco seemed to take a step back until fighting hard in the final game against the two seed, but her ability to read the field should be a great asset for the team in Saturday’s tricky matchup.

Fighting their way into prequarters, Holy Family Catholic (OH) started as the bottom seed in their pool but took down Summit in a universe point game to earn their spot in the bracket. Omega had a strategy for every defense they faced, countering Summit’s zones with smooth swings to flip the field. Despite their relatively small roster, Omega kept up their energy and maintained flow and motion, never giving opposing defenses the chance to catch up. The ability to spread the field and create space while also being confident in weaving down the middle through traffic made HFC a strong offensive threat, keeping up with their opponents.

Anna Hoffmann was a huge contributor for the team, with a sliding score for a break against Summit and countless blocks. Captain Ruth Findley was a reliable veteran who made impacts on both sides of the game, and Sarah Hale’s offensive quarterbacking abilities were just as exciting as her big late-game blocks. The fairly close scores of Omega’s games reflect the team’s grit and determination.

“All gas, no brakes,” was the chant before a Nathan Hale (WA) pull, and this mantra carried Hale through a strong pool play performance. After a close loss to Amherst, Nathan Hale beat Holy Family Catholic and Summit to advance to prequarters. Their defense kept opposing teams trapped, forcing them to move laterally or negative. With the disc, Hale posed both deep and shallow threats as their cutters stretched the fields and communicated with the handlers. Senior Hazel Geiger had a terrific day, filling up the stat sheet with blocks, scores, assists, and overall consistency. Even in their loss to Amherst, Nathan Hale remained calm and focused, never letting Amherst pull too far away.

The entire roster contributed to Hale’s success, notably Helen Golden, Lily DiGioia, and Jane Cater. The small ball ability of these players kept possession alive until one of them inevitably made a highlight-reel play. DiGioia’s veteran leadership kept things under control while Golden and Cater racked up the points. Nathan Hale’s stars are looking to extend their 2-game win streak tomorrow morning.

After an uneventful and exhausting two games with a limited roster, Oakland Tech (CA) stepped it up in their final round of pool play to take the game and hold their seeding. Early on, the team struggled to find connections between a solid handler core and a heads-up line of cutters. Thankfully, players such as Meirav Roisman and Ilana Zimmernan bridged the gap by throwing and running down pivotal hucks to the endzone to propel Oakland to their first, and hopefully not last, win of the tournament.

In the team’s final round, Mrida Sadhu and Samantha Wulkan took command of the field with low, step-through break throws and multiple endzone skies to make up for the deficit at halftime. If Sadhu and Wulkan continue to grow their connection and find players such as Ray McNeil downfield, they’ll surely be worthy opponents in forthcoming rounds.

The only team in their pool to consistently run a horizontal stack and run it well, El Cerrito (CA) had a surprisingly tumultuous day of pool play. Although this is their first Nationals showing in team history, El Cerrito came out swinging with an ironed-out offensive system against teams lower in the pool. Late in their second game, players in all positions seemed to struggle with stamina and injuries, but they pushed through until the final round. Nora Draut and Rani Millstein continued to put pressure on the offensive end with astonishing on-field chemistry, but exhaustion was apparent in the slow decomposition of the team’s defense. Against a deep-shooting team like Garfield, more players like Day Martinez, with her persistent help defense, were necessary to change the tide of the game. El Cerrito will get a second chance to prove their worth in tomorrow’s games, but the young team has proven they have a bright future and incredible depth in any case.

Despite it being their first appearance at Nationals, Provo (UT) knew they belonged. Turning defense into offense with powerful run-through blocks was their specialty today. The vertical stack they ran could get stagnant and passive, but never for too long. All-State player and Provo captain Lily Payne dominated, creating space for her teammates while being impactful with the disc. Payne had assists and blocks, often going every other. Provo had consistent, strategic sets but also some wild heads-up plays, including a seemingly accidental catch for a point in their game against Washburn. With a few tweaks, the Utah squad will be looking to break seed in tomorrow’s games.

Washburn (MN) only got better as the day went on, and they started off strong. The Minnesota team stayed chilly in the face of the no.1 seed Roosevelt, putting up an impressive fight to only lose 12-8. Solid wins against Provo and Alexandria City bolstered the team’s confidence as they were led to victory by sophomore stars Kumari Okumura and Kaelani Hoyt. Okumura used her agility and speed to cut into spaces that didn’t seem viable and make them viable. The matchup of Chloe Hakimi and Okumura was one of the best of the day, the young, up-and-coming star Okumura being willing and able to contest a national team player. Hoyt was consistent on all ends, generating blocks, throwing scores, and racking up the points herself. Washburn’s patient, gritty offense was boosted by Zoe Wagner and Riley Gage. The group looks like a formidable opponent for the bracket play games.

Middle of the road at HSNI, but top in their respective region, Jordan (NC) proved themselves in a devastating but close game against Garfield. Caroleen DeWolf and Lily Brooks paved the way when cutters fell stagnant in their vertical stack, creating momentum which eventually led to downfield connections and powerful throws. High energy was carried forward into their final game, in which Neela Van Kanegan made multiple bids to keep the disc in play and ran down a handful of well-placed deep hucks to take the game. Jordan obviously and rightfully places emphasis on on-field communication, as players could be heard discussing strategic decisions while on the field. This skill led to the necessary heads-up defense in tricky situations and will hopefully continue to impress their fans moving forward.

Homeward Bound

Potentially the most surprising outcome of the day was the no.3 seed from Oregon, Summit , going 0-3 and dropping out of contention for the title. The Storm still had a lot going for them, led by the Melner triplets and Cassidy Miller. The chemistry between Danika, Taylor, and Maya Melner generated so many points for Summit, as they seemed to find each other immediately. Danika’s cannon of an arm racked up assists while Miller had an all-around strong showing. Sylvia Bodo was a reliable defensive presence, directing traffic from the deep space when her team would run a zone. Summit’s talented stars gave their all, but impressive showings from lower-seeded teams and inconsistency with the Storm’s play led to a placement in the lower bracket for tomorrow.

The last seed in their pool, Strath Haven (PA) was unable to break through the tough matchups and earn a spot in bracket play. However, valiant efforts from Lilly Hodges in the handler space and dominating moves by Alice Rieger everywhere else did not go unnoticed. In a closer-than-expected first half against South Eugene, Hodges went every other with the disc while the team’s go-to handler, Katie Stack, was frustratingly tied up by lockdown person defense. Rieger’s freshman year will be one to remember as she continually demonstrates great maturity in down field positioning and inspires a spirit of competitiveness with her relentless on-field intensity. Even though Strath Haven won’t be taking home the tournament’s first-place trophy, they’ve won first place in the battle for best cheers and sideline enthusiasm.

Another young and talented team with great future potential but struggled to close-out games, Four Rivers (MA) brought together an exciting group of players who needed a bit more time to develop their chemistry. Athleticism from Hazel Bird-Richards and Sylvia Guillaume quickly made-up large point deficits and kept the team in the running until the final minutes. Strong defensive showings from Seneca Smith kept up the team’s energy through the tough turns and kept opponents from laying off the pedal. Each player on the team took the opportunity to show off their respective skill sets from cross-field hucks to layout endzone points followed by intense celebration. Four Rivers has some skills to work on but more than enough to work with.

Sideline energy and Norah Curry’s dominant offense kept Alexandria City (VA) in all of their games, even though it wasn’t enough to bring home a win. Losses to Provo, Roosevelt, and Washburn eliminated the squad from the running, but they still had a lot of smaller wins to take away from the day. Leo Dienstrfrey’s blocks, scores, and chemistry with Curry and her electric hammer throws highlighted him as a huge contributor for the Virginia team. They kept Roosevelt in check for the first half, weaving through traffic and getting the whole team involved. Alexandria City and their eight upperclassmen have much to be proud of, with a smooth-flowing offense that challenged each of their opponents today.