Conestoga Valley field hockey eager to move into high-powered Section 1 of L-L League | High School Field Hockey

The Conestoga Valley field hockey team is wading into uncharted waters.

After tearing through Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, going 10-0 en route to the sectional title a year ago, the Buckskins now find themselves among the league’s — and arguably the state’s — best of the best in Section 1.

It’s a section that includes Penn Manor, the defending District 3 Class 3A champ and a state semifinalist last season; Warwick, last year’s District 3 Class 2A and PIAA runners-up after winning district and state titles in 2024; Manheim Township, a state qualifier last season that won the district title and finished second in the state in 3A in 2023; and Hempfield, which reached the district 3A semis and qualified for states last year.

But that’s exactly where Conestoga Valley, spearheaded by its junior trio of Etienne Dillman, Delaney Rivera and Brianne Buckwalter, feels at home.

“We know where we can be and where we want to be,” Rivera said. “(The move to Section 1) gives us that motivation to put in those extra hours and extra reps to get to where we know we can be.

Added Dillman, “It’ll be a different kind of competition but we have the confidence in what we can do.”

Dillman, a second-team Class 3A All-State selection, and Buckwalter will look to provide an offensive encore after combining for 31 goals and 14 assists a year ago, when the Bucks lost to Hempfield in the first round District 3 playoffs.

Rivera leads a defense that helped the Buckskins allow just over a goal per game last season (including 11 shutouts) but the graduation of goalie Jane Younger leaves a massive hole in front of the cage.

Enter a pair of underclassmen, sophomore Lucy Splain and freshman Avrie Harpster, who have impressed their elder peers as they prepare for the Section 1 voyage.

“(Lucy) is such a hard worker and has really developed,” Buckwalter said. “Seeing her in our scrimmages gives me all the confidence. She’s scary, but in the best way for us. I’m so proud of how far she’s come.”

Underclassmen stepping into important roles will again be a theme for the Buckskins, whose only available seniors will be twins Riley and Sophia Heller (fellow senior Paige Hershey underwent knee surgery and won’t be able to play this season).

Conestoga Valley hasn’t had large senior classes the past few years, even featuring zero seniors two seasons ago.

Last year’s senior class — Younger, Ellen Buckwalter and Emily Lapp — stepped up in leadership roles as juniors in the absence of seniors.

That trio set the table for the current Buckskins on and off the field, as Conestoga Valley went .500 in 2024 before its perfect run through Section 2 last year.

The current trio of juniors said they feel, thanks to the lessons they learned from the previous group, that this season will be closer to their 2025 performance than 2024.

“That year, we really worked on being one as a team,” Dillman said. “From there, plus going through a difficult season, really helped us develop that culture where everyone works together.”

Added Brianne Buckwalter, “There was no varsity and JV split (in 2024). It was all one team. We were all close and it feels like that this year. I think we’ve carried that over because we want to be there for each other but also, on the field, we know it works well.”

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