Saint Louis University head field hockey coach Zoe Adkins has announced the addition of seven student-athletes to next season's roster.
The new Billikens are:
• Sydney Acker | B | St. Louis, Mo. | Villa Duchesne
• Ava Calma | F/M | Avon, Conn. | The Ethel Walker School
• Caroline Doyle | GK | St. Davids, Pa. | Academy of Notre Dame
• Shaya Dry | F/M | Chesterfield, Mo. | Principia Upper School
• Olivia French | F/M | Avon Lake, Ohio | Magnificat
• Carson Pike | F | Wilmette, Ill. | Loyola Academy
• Abby Vidas | M/B | West Vancouver, British Columbia | Sentinel Secondary School
Sydney Acker • B • 5-8 • St. Louis, Mo. • Villa Duchesne
A two-time state champion (2020 and 2021) … three-year member and two-year starter on varsity … played on the U19 Gateway team that won Regionals and placed second at Nationals … voted to the senior All Star game … also ran track for two years and played one season of lacrosse.
Adkins on Acker: "Sydney is a sound defender who has great presence. She is able to come up with big stops when the team needs it. Sydney is a major communicator and strong distributor who directs the field well while maintaining a good sense of composure under pressure."
Ava Calma • F/M • 5-3 • Avon, Conn. • The Ethel Walker School
Named to the Central Connecticut South All-Conference team (2018) … an All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) honorable mention (2019) … 2020 and 2021 varsity co-captain … a 2019 NEPSAC Class C Tournament Finalist … 2019 WNEPSFHA Class C - Conference Champions.
Adkins on Calma: "Ava's versatility is an impressive feat to her game. Her skills are so transferable that she can be a dangerous addition to us in many areas of the field. Her ability to exploit spaces when possessing the ball nods to both a level of smart decision making and sharp skill execution."
Caroline Doyle • GK • 5-8 • St. Davids, Pa. • Academy of Notre Dame
Team finished the season ranked 11th in the state of Pennsylvania (2018) … team finished the season ranked 12th in 2019 and 13th in 2021 … club field hockey team finished first in Mystx Sporsplex Tournament (2021) … goalkeeper for Top U16 Indoor 2019 Winter Super Sixty Camp ... finished undefeated in Winter Escape 2020.
Adkins on Doyle: "Caroline is a dynamic goalkeeper with a versatile skill set that allows her to to make agile and explosive saves. Her technical skill and athleticism will make her a strong addition to the Billiken backline."
Shaya Dry • F/M • 5-2 • Chesterfield, Mo. • Principia Upper School
Named to the Metro Women's Athletics Association first team in 2019, 2020 and 2021 … picked All-Metro third team in 2019 and 2020 … team's Most Valuable Player in 2020 … selected the Best Offensive Player in 2019 and 2021 … Aim Field Hockey team placed second at the Disney Field Hockey Showcase (2021).
Adkins on Dry: "You can't miss Shaya out on the field. Her speed with the ball in open space is very dangerous. Her entire game displays total grit. Shaya has an excellent win-the-ball mentality on the defensive side of the game and knows how to put major pressure on her opponents."
Olivia French • F/M • 5-4 • Avon Lake, Ohio • Magnificat
Named to the All-Region first team in 2021 … All-Region second team in 2020 … All-Region honorable mention in 2019 … Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 … four-year varsity captain … All-Ohio Academic award in all four years … team finished Regional runner-up in 2020.
Adkins on French: "Olivia knows how to bring a spark to the field. She plays at maximum speed at all times. Her dynamic, unpredictable play on the forward line creates chaos in the attacking circle. She is hard to defend and contain."
Carson Pike • F • 5-5 • Wilmette, Ill. • Loyola Academy
Named to the All-Conference first team in 2020 and 2021 … 2021 All-State nominee … led the team in goals and points and was named offensive MVP for the 2020 and 2021 seasons … named an NFHCA Academic All-American and Scholar of Distinction … Loyola Scholar all semesters of high school … member fo the Windy City U19 field hockey team that ranked sixth nationally.
Adkins on Pike: "Carson is a total worker on the forward line. She knows how to be a threat with and without the ball in order to create dangerous opportunities for her team. One of her greatest strengths is consistency. Carson's game is always dynamic and disciplined in every play."
Abby Vidas • M/B • 5-6 • West Vancouver, British Columbia • Sentinel Secondary School
Captained high school team to provincial finals … captained Rob Short Coaching Academy tournament teams … one-of-two juniors on club premier division team with current and past Canadian National Team and former Division I players … named the Most Improved Player … helped high school team go from being unranked to qualifying for provincial championship.
Adkins on Vidas: "Abby is an explosive midfielder who can create opportunities under major defensive pressure. Her game is consistently explosive and makes her an attack and defensive threat. Her skillset will allow us to continue to develop an even more dangerous team game from the midfield."
