Young goalie has been a standout for O’Connell in field hockey

In sports that require them, goalies can play a vital role in a team’s success.

That’s certainly been the case for the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls field hockey team this fall.

The high-school squad’s starting goalie is sophomore Sophia Lianos. She has been in the cage for each of the team’s 13 matches, helping the Knights build an 11-2 overall record and a 4-0 first-place mark in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play.

Through 13 matches, Lianos has six shutouts and has made 59 saves. She made a couple of big saves in O’Connell’s recent 3-0 victory over the visiting Washington-Liberty Generals.

Lianos also made three big saves in the team’s first victory in program history over WCAC rival St. John’. She added seven more in the team’s only loss, coming in double overtime against Collegiate.

Lianos made one save in the Knights’ most recent victory, 1-0 over host South County. She was extra busy making 13 saves in a 1-0 loss to Trinity Episcopal.

“In all phases of the game she is outstanding,” O’Connell coach Megan Sullivan said. “She is a difference-maker back there.”

At an offseason combine event, Lianos was rated the event’s No. 1 goalie in her classification.