Dialog reporter
A busy week awaits the various girls’ teams around the diocese. This is the first full week of action.
Field hockey
Monday
Concord (0-0) at Archmere (0-0), 3:45 p.m. The Auks went 11-4 in 2016, reaching the state tournament, but they were left with a bad taste in their mouths after a season-opening defeat at Concord.
Archmere’s top returning scorers are juniors Lauren Ross and Caroline Donovan and senior Delaney Dearing. They will get support from a roster comprised mainly of juniors and seniors. Mady McDougal is back in net.
The Auks, ranked fourth in Division II by 302Sports.com face a typically tough schedule, with visits to Wilmington Charter, Friends and Tower Hill. Padua, Caravel and Sanford travel to Claymont.
Glenelg Country at Ss. Peter and Paul, 4 p.m. The Sabres are already a week into their regular season; they started with a win and a tie under coach Suzanne McGettigan. The team finished last year 6-6-1 and reached their conference tournament semifinals.
Returning players include seniors Maddie Boehm, Maggie Parchman, Sarah Morris, Hailey Flynn, Kelly Hertelendy and Brittany Cummings. Junior Sarah Bradley is also back, and freshman Nancy McGettigan looks to make a mark this season.
Coach McGettigan said all of Ss. Peter and Paul’s opponents are notable, and she encouraged other students and community members to come out and support the team and learn more about field hockey. Their schedule includes a home-and-home with Delmarva Christian and a home match vs. St. Thomas More.
Tuesday
Newark Charter (1-0) at St. Mark’s (1-0), 3:45 p.m.
St. Andrews (0-0) at Ursuline (1-0), 3:45 p.m.
Wednesday
St. Elizabeth (0-0) at A.I. DuPont, 3:45 p.m. A challenging slate of games begins this afternoon, and the Vikings have their eyes on a playoff berth after finishing 8-7 last season. The team returns a veteran roster of just seniors and juniors, led by senior Claudia Roncone and junior Taylor Glunt. Senior Jill Aranilla returns in goal.
St. Elizabeth will host five games at their new home, Ursuline’s Serviam Field, and one at Hockessin Montessori School. The home games include St. Georges, Ursuline, St. Mark’s and Padua, while they will hit the road to play Padua, Archmere, St. Mark’s, Ursuline, Brandywine and Conrad.
St. Georges (0-1) vs. Padua (0-0), 3:45 p.m. at Forbes Field. The Pandas enter the 2017 campaign as one of the favorites in Division I after a 17-1 effort last year, when the fell to Tower Hill in the semifinal in the last year of single-division competition. The Pandas bring back much of the offensive firepower they displayed, including four prolific scorers: seniors Ashlee Brentlinger, Kathleen Melia and Katie Buczik, and sophomore Angela Taglione. Taglione also added a bunch of assists.
Padua, the No. 2 team in Division I, allowed just six goals all last year, only two of which came during the regular season. They will be playing a new goalkeeper following the graduation of all-stater Hailey Power.
The Pandas play a tough slate, including home matches against their Catholic Conference sisters. The road stops include Archmere, Concord, Cape Henlopen and Wilmington Charter.
Thursday
Archmere at Delaware Military Academy, 3:45 p.m. at Kirkwood Soccer Club.
St. Thomas More (0-0) at Woodbridge, 4 p.m. The Ravens dropped a one-goal decision to Woodbridge last year, when the finished 2-13. The schedule this season includes home matches against McKean, Christiana, A.I. DuPont and Laurel. St. Thomas More will visit Ss. Peter and Paul and Padua. Seniors Ryan Anderson, Zoe Kelly and Sophia Stafford, along with sophomore Allison Windham, anchor the roster.
Friday
Delmarva Christian at Ss. Peter and Paul, 4 p.m.
Volleyball
Monday
North Caroline (Md.) at St. Thomas More (0-0), 4 p.m. See the team’s preview here.
Tuesday
St. Mark’s (1-0) at Wilmington Friends (0-0), 5:15 p.m. The Spartans, ranked fifth in the preseason by 302Sports.com, have an early test at No. 7 Friends. St. Mark’s defeated St. 
Georges on Friday in the opener. This match will feature a pair of outstanding hitters in the Spartans’ Erin Derick and the Quakers’ Dani Nathan.
St. Thomas More at Tiger Classic, 5:30 and 7 p.m. at A.I. DuPont High School. The Ravens will be joined by MOT Charter, Red Lion and the host Tigers. Each team will play two matches.
St. Elizabeth (1-0) at Archmere (1-0), 6:15 p.m.
Padua (0-0) at Newark Charter (0-0), 6:45 p.m. Padua takes on an up-and-coming Patriots squad. The Pandas are ranked fourth in the state, while Newark Charter sits just outside the top 10.
Wednesday
St. Georges at St. Elizabeth, 6:45 p.m.
Newark (0-0) at Ursuline (1-0), 7 p.m.
Thursday
Archmere at Wilmington Charter (0-1), 5 p.m. The first of two noteworthy matches this afternoon takes place at Charter. No. 2 Archmere visits in an early Diamond State Athletic Conference showdown. Archmere posted an impressive sweep at tough Smyrna on Friday, while the sixth-ranked Force will be looking to erase the bad taste left by a 3-0 defeat at Tower Hill the same evening. The Auks’ key hitters include Lexi Kelly and Julia Kochie; the Force counter with Maddie Matheny.
Wilmington Friends at Padua, 5:30 p.m. Padua’s home opener is no picnic, as the Quakers come in looking for a mild upset. Two of the state’s best hitters will do battle in this one: the Pandas’ Emily Jarome and the aforementioned Nathan. Padua will try to neutralize Nathan with its front-line height.
Friday
Smyrna at St. Mark’s, 5:30 p.m. It’s another test for the Spartans. The Eagles reside just outside the top 10 and will come at the hosts with hitters Marqueisha Bennett and Julia Luttrell, and setter Reece Trabaudo. This will be Smyrna’s third match this week, so fatigue may be a factor.
Saturday
Paul VI (Va.) at Padua, 2 p.m.
Soccer
Thursday
Ss. Peter and Paul at Friends, 4 p.m.
