This junior is a national standout in field hockey
Photograph courtesy Boland family
You can say Ava Boland is gifted enough to play three sports at a very high level in high school and for well-respected club programs. Boland, a junior at St. Mary’s High School, competed in lacrosse, field hockey, and swimming. More like dominated, at times.
For years, Boland toiled between favoring field hockey or lacrosse. She has been that good in both that the chance of playing either in college could be in her future. “I have always been indecisive with the two,” Boland admits. “I really liked whatever sport was in season.”
With some life-changing things ahead of her, she decided to go with field hockey. “I saw more of an opportunity, especially in the future,” Boland says.
Boland was right. Within a four-month period this year, Boland made the U.S. Women’s Under-16 National team and received all kinds of attention from Division I field hockey teams. Boland, a 5-foot-6 midfielder, pretty much had her choice of any college to attend on an athletic scholarship.
“Almost all the top 20 schools in the country were recruiting her,” St. Mary’s Field Hockey Coach Karen Zarchin says. “She was on the phone for eight hours on the first day of recruiting.” About 35 colleges recruited Boland and that meant non-stop texts, emails, and phone calls for nearly three months.
Making the U.S. National Under-16 Field Hockey meant more to Boland. This is the team that players suit up for on the way to being an Olympian. Boland made the squad after trying out at two junior national camps in Charlotte, North Carolina, in December and February.
Part of the reward for making the team: competing in the international 4 Nations Field Hockey tournament in the Netherlands. The U.S. team played opponents from Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany in June.
“I know all my hard work finally paid off,” says Boland, who has played the sport for nine years, including six for the Freedom Field Hockey Club. “I felt so great. I’ve been able to represent the U.S. I don’t know if I will ever get that opportunity again.”
Zarchin was thrilled that Boland made the U.S. team. She’s the first field hockey player from St. Mary’s to earn the achievement. Now, Boland is going through the process of trying to make the U.S. Under-18 team. “That is such a great honor,” Zarchin says of being on the Under-16 roster. “She was selected as one of the top-15 players in the country. It’s a well-earned recognition after years of training at a very high level.”
After the tournament in the Netherlands, Boland, who carries a 4.0 grade-point average and plans to major in biology, concentrated on picking a college. She visited the University of Maryland and Iowa and Northwestern universities in August.
Before Boland goes off to college, she has two more years of high school field hockey to play. She helped the Saints to consecutive Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference championships the past two years. Boland scored the game-winning goal against Severn for the first title, and she had a goal and assist versus John Caroll in the 2024 final. The Saints went 20-0 in conference play during that stretch.
“The skill and determination that she plays with truly sets her apart,” Zarchin says. “It’s those things that consistently elevates the team’s performance.”
For her U-16 club team, Boland served as lone captain during the national club championships in Virginia Beach in June. She played for the U-18 team in the same tournament.
“What sets her apart is that she is very fit,” Kyler Greenwalt says of Boland’s. “She can run for miles, and she can play an entire game.
Boland would have loved to continue swimming after two years on the St. Mary’s varsity swim team, and playing lacrosse. She competed in lacrosse for 10 years, including six years for the Chesapeake Club Lacrosse program. But the field hockey college recruiting process and the time needed to devote to field hockey required Boland to make some sacrifices.
“She is a gem,” Zarchin says. “She is a rarity when it comes to the way he conducted herself playing multiple sports. She puts players on her shoulders and makes the whole group better.”
