St. Dominic began its field hockey program in 2017 playing against junior varsity competition. The program has grown exponentially since then with 37 girls trying out this year, many of them freshmen. It will be the first season the Crusaders will field both a varsity and junior varsity team.

Rankey sees the unusual scheduling situation as an opportunity to better acclimate the newcomers to the program.

“We have a lot of new faces. I hope we can take in the younger class and make them feel welcome on the team.” Rankey said.

Patterson, who also coached at University City and Ursuline, already has planned the first intra-squad scrimmage.

“For our parent meeting, what’s going to be new this year is that we’re going to have a blue versus white scrimmage and then a parent meeting.”

Field hockey is considered an emerging sport by the Missouri State High School Activities Association and conducts its own postseason tournament apart from those sanctioned by the MSHSAA.

Patterson does not envision the uncertainty of the fall season stunting the growth of the sport in St. Louis.

“Even if it’s not a fall sport (this season), there’s a winter indoor league, a spring outdoor league and Gateway and Aim are two fantastic club teams, so the sport has really grown here in St. Louis,” Patterson said. “There are opportunities to play field hockey throughout the year and it’s just the kids being aware of those opportunities.”