Sessa’s move to EA paid international dividends – PA Prep Live

NEWTOWN SQUARE – Ashley Sessa arrived just in time for the last two days of the field hockey training camp. The older attacker had a valid excuse to be so late.

He was in Santiago, Chile, in the last week of August to help a U.S. under-22 team win a bronze medal at the Junior Pan-American Games. So second-year Episcopal Academy coach Stefanie Feen didn’t have to worry about Sessa being okay.

It was his second medal at Team USA this summer. The senior, tied to North Carolina in June, earned MVP honors and when Team USA successfully defended its Indoor Pan American Cup title, qualifying for the FIH Indoor World Cup in Liege, Belgium next February. Sessa was also named to the U.S. women’s national team in June in its pre-Pan American Games tuning series with Canada in November.

Episcopal Academy’s Ashley Sessa shoots this season against Notre Dame. Sessa led the church women to the Inter-Ac and PAISAA titles. (PETE BANNAN / MEDIANEWS GROUP)

“It’s always been my dream to be at the highest level, and now that I’ve achieved it, I know I still need to improve every day,” said Sessa, who has been involved in the national program since 2017 and has earned two. international caps. “I know I’m not at the top yet. Playing with these girls on the national team every day makes me feel better.

It certainly helped kick off an awesome season. Sessa showed he was ready to start the opening match a few days after his return with two goals and two assists, winning a 7-5 Gwynedd Mercy Academy team that would win the District 1 Class 2A championship and reach the PIAA 2A final.

Sessa scored a record 34 goals for the team and shared the team’s top 25 passes, synchronizing Churchwomen with a 20-1 record, their second consecutive Inter-Ac League championship and the third consecutive crown for the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association.

This made him an easy choice as the Daily Times Player of the Year.

Sessa is the second player in a row and the third player from EA to earn the Player of the Year award. Former teammate Kelly Smith received the honor in 2019. Margaux Paolino was the choice in 2015.

Following Sessa on All-Delco’s first team are EA guys Macy Szukics, Mia Garber, Charly Bruder and Gianna Ciluffo; Saylor Milone and Maeve Seeger of Inter-Ac League rival Notre Dame; Radnor’s Hope Delaney; Garnet Valley Kayla Snyder; Maeve Boston Cardinal O’Hara; Archbishop Carroll’s Cate McConaghy and Agnes Irwin’s Lauren DeRose.

Sessa and Szukics are the only re-selections since 2019. Last year, the All-Delco team was not selected due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sessa, Szukics, Garber, Ciluffo and Delaney are the only seniors on the team. Bruder, Boston, Snyder, McConaghy and DeRose are juniors. Saylor and Seeger are sophomores. The All-Delco team was selected by the Sports staff of the Daily Times after consultation with the county coaches.

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Sessa began her schooling at Spring-Ford but moved to Episcopal Academy before her sophomore year.

“I came here for a smaller school,” Sessa said. “Spring-Ford was too big for me. I loved it there. I went there from kindergarten, but it became too big and overwhelming. I needed a smaller environment and more focus from the teachers, too. I realized EA had a smaller classroom environment and all the academic support they had. That was a big reason to come here. “

He learned about EA through two of his WC Eagles teammates, Smith and Sophia Acosta, who now play in North Carolina and Penn State.

Sessa has also started to love EA, even though the commute from home in Schwenksville is quite a long one.

“I love coming to school every day,” Sessa said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sessa has thrived in the EA class and on the field. In the last two full seasons (2019 and 2021) Sessa have scored 64 goals and shared 38 assists to help Churchwomen 45-2-1.

His combination of skill, speed and endless energy sets him apart. His stick skills are excellent; he is usually the fastest player on the field and is in constant motion. He never stops moving and uses speed to quickly move from defense to attack and vice versa.

“I feel like one of my best qualities is the change in speed,” Sessa said after EA’s 6-1 win over Notre Dame this season. “Sprint, but I’ll make sure I make my cut as fast as I can to catch the defender.”

Being on a talented team like EA also helps. Szukics is on his way to Duke. Garber plays at Boston College. Bruder is scheduled to join Sessa in North Carolina after he graduates in 2023. They push each other every day, and it showed up on the field. EA’s only loss was a 3-1 loss to Eastern Regional in the MaxPreps tournament at Proving Grounds in Conshohocken. Eastern Regional won the New Jersey Group IV and Tournament of Champions titles.

Churchwomen ended the season with 14 wins in the tube and finished 2nd in the final Max Field Hockey National Top 25 poll.

“I feel like having good players around you, energetic players, makes you a better player,” Sessa said. “We support each other. It keeps your self-confidence high and makes you want to play harder. You are not afraid to make a mistake because you know that your teammates will support you if you make a mistake. They will support you. “