Three Pats scoring big as scholars

The Archbishop Carroll field hockey team, which will host Cardinal O'Hara on Friday in a big Catholic League showdown, boasts three Philadelphia Archdiocesan scholars. They are members of a program that offers seniors the opportunity to take college courses while in high school.

Patriots midfielder Rachel Walsh, forward Kim Zomojcin, and center back Jackie Krizovenski are taking two courses each, four mornings a week at Cabrini College.

The scholars program is offered to the top 30 seniors at Carroll. Those seeking to be archdiocesan scholars have to write an essay, get three teacher recommendations, and appear before an academic board to qualify.

All Carroll players are taking an introductory course in psychology as one of their courses.

"It's a great change of pace," said Walsh, who has accepted an academic-athletic scholarship to St. Joseph's. She plans to play field hockey.

For Zomojcin, one of Carroll's leading scorers with 15 goals, the best part about being a scholar is the different setting for her studies - the Cabrini campus.

"I can't take psychology at Carroll," she said. "We're looking at how people, particularly teenagers, think. It's weird because I am one, and I didn't know people looked at me like that."

Krizovenski started her field hockey career as a forward but moved to defense last year. She enjoys the personal responsibility required to take the college courses.

"It has a different feel," she said. "It's more on you."

District playoffs set. The District 1 Class AAA playoffs will begin on Oct. 22, with the championship game set for Nov. 3.

Twenty-eight teams will receive bids to participate, with the top four seeded teams drawing a first-round bye. The first three rounds will be played at the home field of the higher seed. The semifinals and finals will be played at neutral sites.

The top six teams will advance to the PIAA playoffs, which will open Nov. 6. The PIAA title game will be held Nov. 17 at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.

The Class AA playoffs will open Oct. 23 with a field of 12 teams. The top four seeds will receive first-round byes, with the top two finishers earning berths in the state playoffs. The state championship game will also be held Nov. 17 at Crum stadium.

Fun before finals. With its regular season finished, the Mount St. Joseph field hockey team, ranked No. 1 by The Inquirer, was planning to have a day of fun and games - no field hockey - today.

"It's sort of like a preseason for the postseason," Magic co-coach Tina Reinprecht said. "They're going to dress up in costumes and have different competitions."

The Magic (17-1), who won the regular-season title in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, and the other three top finishers - No. 5-ranked Villa Maria Academy, Merion Mercy and Gwynedd Mercy - don't begin league playoffs until Tuesday.

Gwynedd and Merion will play today to determine third and fourth places. The third-place team will meet second-place Villa in the first round. The fourth-place team will meet the Mount. The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at Immacuata College.

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The Inquirer TOP 10

Field Hockey

TeamRecord Records through Monday. Last week's rank in parentheses.

1. Mount St. Joseph (1)17-1

2. Perkiomen Valley (2)12-1

3. Haverford (6)14-1

4. Villa Maria Acad. (7)13-2

5. North Penn (3)11-2-2

6. Council Rock N. (5)10-3-1

7. Souderton (10)11-3

8. Strath Haven (8)10-1

9. Conestoga (9)11-2

10. Pennsbury (10)9-3-2

Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Archbishop Carroll (10-1-1), Bayard Rustin (11-2), Cardinal O'Hara (11-1), Central Bucks South (9-3-1), Christopher Dock (10-4), Merion Mercy (11-4), Neshaminy (9-4-1).

- Don Beideman

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Contact staff writer Don Beideman at 610-701-7613 or dbeideman@phillynews.com.