2023 Nexus Championship Concludes, Lake Placid Crowned Winner of Senior Nexus Championship

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The 2023 Nexus Championship (NXC), presented by Osaka Hockey, concluded on Sunday, July 16 after eleven days of competition. The event concluded with the Senior NXC, where eight teams of elite athletes competed over two days at the Virginia Beach Regional Training Center in Virginia Beach, Va. to see who would take home the gold.

Athletes from around the country showed off their skills in front of selectors, coaches and fans as they competed for evaluation to further opportunities. Congratulations to all the athletes for their hard work and dedication the last few days.

The gold medal match went down on Saturday afternoon between Berlin and Lake Placid – a team comprised of players from the U-21 U.S. Women’s National Team. It was an intense match that showcased the skill and promise of upcoming talent in the U.S.

The first goal of the match came from Lake Placid, seven minutes into the first quarter, when Ryleigh Heck (Berlin, N.J.) dribbled into the circle and sent a reverse shot into the back of the cage. Heck utilized her stickwork again in the second quarter to win a penalty corner for Lake Placid, which Olivia Bent-Cole (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished in the cage with a lift. Lake Placid entered halftime leading 2-0 over Berlin. Looking to score late in the fourth, Berlin opted to pull their goalkeeper and add an extra field player. Despite their increased time up on the offensive, Berlin was unable to make it happen, and Lake Placid tallied one more with four minutes left to play in the match, as Heck snuck in a low angle shot. Lake Placid took home the gold with a 3-0 victory.

USA Field Hockey would like to thank all the athletes, coaches, umpires, technical staff, umpire managers, staff and volunteers who continue to make the Senior NXC a success, and to extend its congratulations to the following teams on their tournament victories:

Coach: Jordan Page

In Alphabetical Order: Mia Abello, Lucy Adams, Olivia Bent-Cole, Charlotte Bruder, Jans Croon, Katie Dixon, Pyper Friedman, Ryleigh Heck, Josie Hollaman, Daniela Mendez-Trendler, Madison Orsi, Hope Rose, Annabel Skubisz, Kiersten Thomassey, Ellie Todd, Reagan Underwood, Laurean Wadas, Rayne Wright

Coach: Mark Egner

In Alphabetical Order: Maria Armaganian, Emily Berlinghof, Paige Bitting, Ashlyn Carr, Kaiya Chepow, Tamera Cookman, Lauren DeRose, Madison Herb, Lane Herbert, Carly Hynd, Devin Kinzel, Gianna Miller, Dru Moffett, Ericka Morris-Adams, Molly Nye, Callie Rogers, Bryn Underwood, Kylie Wall

Congratulations and thank you to the winners for most sold raffle tickets in the Senior division. This year's team winner was Paris, and individual winner was Abygail Deverka from team Paris.

USA Field Hockey would like to thank NLV for providing live stream coverage during the Senior NXC.

For more information including rosters, schedule, results and more, check out the NXC Event Page.

#NXC2023

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