District 2 Field Hockey Preview: Familiar Powers, Rising Stars Set the Stage for a Wide-Open Season
By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | August 24, 2026 | Photo courtesy Danielle Petros
The tradition runs deep, the rivalries are intense and the talent throughout District 2 continues to grow.
Another field hockey season has arrived in Northeastern Pennsylvania, bringing a loaded group of championship contenders and young players prepared to make their mark. Crestwood enters as the early team to beat, but Wyoming Area, Lake-Lehman, Wyoming Valley West, Lackawanna Trail, Wyoming Seminary and the Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack all have the talent to make this race interesting.
Last season showed just how competitive the area has become. Crestwood and Wyoming Area both finished 9-1 in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1, while Lackawanna Trail and Lake-Lehman were close behind at 8-2. When the postseason arrived, Lake-Lehman captured the District 2 Class A championship, Crestwood won the District 2/4 Class 2A title and Wyoming Valley West claimed its third consecutive District 2 Class 3A championship.
Now the standings reset, but the expectations remain high.
Crestwood Starts at the Top
Crestwood has earned its place at the front of the preseason conversation.
The Comets finished 18-3-2 last season, captured the conference title and added another district championship to one of the region’s most successful field hockey traditions. They enter this season with another talented core led by Kasey Obes, Allie Myers and Lexi Zabroski.
Myers has committed to Fairfield, while Obes, a versatile midfielder and forward, has committed to Miami University. Zabroski, a 2025 second-team Class 2A all-state selection, gives the Comets another experienced player capable of impacting the game throughout the field.
The Comets also have an intriguing young player in Piper Kleban-Harden. The 2029 forward and midfielder earned varsity experience as a freshman and found the cage during Crestwood’s 2025 season. At 5-foot-9, Kleban-Harden brings size, developing skill and the versatility to contribute in several roles. She may be one of the younger players on the roster, but she is a name worth following as the season progresses.
Crestwood carries the biggest target, but this will not be a season without challengers.
Wyoming Area Is Built for the Chase
Wyoming Area enters with championship expectations of its own.
The Warriors reached the PIAA Class A semifinals in 2024 and followed that run with another outstanding season in 2025. Their bid for a second consecutive district championship ended with a 2-1 loss to Lake-Lehman, giving an experienced returning group no shortage of motivation.
At the center of everything is Ella Campenni, one of the most accomplished young players in the region. The Penn State commit was selected to the 2026 United States U16 Women’s National Team and gives the Warriors a difference-maker who can create, distribute and take over stretches of a game.
Talia Pizano, Claudia Rehill and Shannon Kearns provide additional talent around her. Pizano finished last season with 11 goals and 16 assists, while Rehill recorded 10 goals and eight assists. Kearns, a defensive midfielder committed to Millersville, provides experience and stability behind them.
The Warriors have the skill to score, the experience to handle close games and enough unfinished business to make them one of District 2’s most dangerous teams.
Wyoming Area will face several important tests throughout the season, including a trip to Crestwood on September 14. The Warriors will meet Lake-Lehman on October 5 in a rematch of last season’s District 2 Class A championship game.
Lake-Lehman Has No Plans of Giving Up Its Crown
Lake-Lehman enters as the reigning District 2 Class A champion after defeating Wyoming Area 2-1 in last season’s title game.
The Black Knights bring back a strong collection of players led by Kate Hynick, Alexa Thompson, Sara Womach and Reese Jenkins. Hynick has already demonstrated her ability to finish around the cage, while Thompson and Womach provide experience for a group that learned how to win under postseason pressure.
Lucia DeCesaris is another young player capable of taking an important step forward. The 2029 midfielder and defender contributed as a freshman, including scoring in a shutout victory over Dallas. Her ability to help defensively, advance the ball and contribute in the attacking end makes her an intriguing part of a Lake-Lehman roster featuring both established leadership and emerging talent.
Lake-Lehman proved last fall that postseason experience matters. The challenge now is handling the expectations that accompany a championship.
Wyoming Valley West Remains the Class 3A Standard
Wyoming Valley West did not finish near the top of the conference standings last season, but the Spartans were at their best when a championship was on the line.
Valley West captured its third consecutive District 2 Class 3A championship before falling to District 1 power Avon Grove in the opening round of the state tournament. That postseason success gives the Spartans a foundation few teams can match.
Charlotte Yelen and goalkeeper Kaylah Sewell earned first-team Class 3A all-state recognition last season, while Ava Mullery received second-team honors. Lily Watchilla adds another versatile and experienced piece to the group.
Sewell’s presence in goal could be especially important. In a season expected to feature several close, low-scoring matchups, an experienced goalkeeper can be the difference between an early exit and another championship run.
Valley West has already proven it knows how to win in October. The question is whether the Spartans can turn that postseason toughness into greater regular-season consistency.
Lackawanna Trail Has Firepower
Lackawanna Trail is not far removed from its run to the 2023 PIAA Class A championship game, and another talented group has the Lions positioned to contend again.
Lyla Ryon emerged as one of the district’s most productive attacking players as a freshman, finishing the 2025 season with 25 goals and 18 assists. Emma Thomas added 11 goals and 16 assists, while London Lisk gives the Lions another capable presence through the midfield and defensive lines.
Trail finished 14-6 last season and reached the District 2 semifinals before falling to Lake-Lehman. With Ryon, Thomas and Lisk returning, the Lions possess enough offensive creativity to challenge any team on the schedule.
Their September 14 trip to Lake-Lehman should be one of the most important Class A matchups of the regular season.
Don’t Overlook a Reloaded Wyoming Seminary
Wyoming Seminary may be the most intriguing team in District 2.
After finishing 4-6 in conference play last season, the Blue Knights enter a new era under head coach Kelsie Sincavage. A former Dallas standout and Division I midfielder at Lock Haven University, Sincavage served as an assistant at Dallas in 2025 and previously coached collegiately at Randolph-Macon and Washington & Jefferson. She has also coached multiple age groups with Electric Surge since 2017.
Seminary is not approaching this as a long-term rebuild. The Blue Knights are reloading, and one confirmed addition is Emma Ey, a 2029 midfielder and forward who played for Wallenpaupack last season.
Ey earned second-team Class 2A all-state recognition as a freshman and was selected to the 2026 U16 United States Women’s National Team. She gives Seminary a dynamic young player around whom the program can begin building its next chapter.
The program’s history speaks for itself: 18 conference divisional championships, 12 District 2 titles and 10 PIAA state championships. That tradition creates expectations regardless of how much the roster changes from one season to the next.
With new leadership and young talent entering the lineup, Seminary has the potential to climb quickly. The Blue Knights may begin outside the leading group of preseason favorites, but they possess enough talent to disrupt the Class A race and become one of District 2’s most dangerous teams by the postseason.
The Wolfpack Could Be a Dangerous Sleeper
Wilkes-Barre Area rounds out the group of teams to watch and has two high-level pieces capable of lifting the Wolfpack.
Grace Simko, a Wagner commit, brings experience and versatility through the midfield and defensive lines. Katie Zukowski provides another dependable midfielder and defender to a team looking to close the gap against the conference’s established powers.
Simko earned honorable mention Class 3A all-state recognition last season, and her presence gives the Wolfpack a player capable of controlling possession and helping organize the group around her.
Wilkes-Barre Area may enter the season outside the leading championship conversation, but teams with experienced midfield play can disrupt expectations quickly. If the Wolfpack develops consistent scoring around Simko and Zukowski, it could become one of the season’s toughest matchups.
Matchups to Circle
Several games could shape the conference and district races:
Wyoming Area at Crestwood, September 14: Last season’s top two conference teams meet in Mountain Top.
Lackawanna Trail at Lake-Lehman, September 14: A rematch of last season’s District 2 Class A semifinal.
Wyoming Area vs. Wyoming Seminary, August 28 and September 28: Two opportunities to measure Seminary’s reload against one of the district’s established contenders.
Wyoming Area vs. Lake-Lehman, October 5: A rematch of last season’s Class A championship game with potential postseason implications.
Crestwood against the Class 2A field: The Comets remain the standard, making every conference game feel like an opportunity for an opponent to make a statement.
Wyoming Valley West against the Class 3A field: The regular season will test the Spartans, but their postseason résumé ensures that no one will overlook them.
Sportzwire Preseason Teams to Watch
Crestwood
Wyoming Area
Lake-Lehman
Wyoming Valley West
Lackawanna Trail
Wyoming Seminary
Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack
Crestwood may begin the season on top, but there is little room for error among the strongest programs in District 2. Wyoming Area has elite talent and plenty of motivation. Lake-Lehman owns the Class A crown. Valley West has won three consecutive Class 3A championships. Lackawanna Trail can score with anyone, Seminary is reloading under new leadership and the Wolfpack has the pieces to surprise teams.
The established stars are back. A talented new generation is arriving. Several familiar rivals believe they have championship teams.
Now they get to settle it on the field.
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