Villanova native Meghan Mitchell has become a field hockey star for her hometown Wildcats

Three years ago, Meghan Mitchell was leading the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur field hockey team as a senior captain and first-team All-Inter-Ac selection. Now, just two miles down the road, the junior forward is making a name for herself at Villanova.

Mitchell grew up attending the Wildcats’ games in Conshohocken, and once she started being recruited by the school, the Villanova native couldn’t resist.

“I think I always knew that I wanted to come to Villanova,” Mitchell recently told The Inquirer. “Once I really visited Villanova and got to know the team, the coaches, and just the culture of the athletics and academics here, I knew this was a great place for me.”

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Mitchell committed to Villanova after her sophomore year of high school, turning down Penn, among others. The recruiting process can be daunting, but advice from her mother, Nancy, who played soccer at St. Francis (Pa.), eased the pressure.

“Having her there was definitely helpful,” Mitchell said. “And I think even from a young age, since she was always involved in sports, she got my brother, sister and I involved. She loved sports and she always shared that with us as we were growing up.”

This love for the game has helped Mitchell develop and push through challenges along the way. With her freshman season canceled because of COVID-19, Mitchell’s adjustment to college was a different experience.

“It really posed a tough challenge with all of the restrictions and only being able to practice,” Mitchell explained. “But, I think I appreciate having a regular season a lot more than if I hadn’t gone through that.”

While the junior has only one full season under her belt, she has already established herself as one of the country’s top players. Mitchell led Villanova in scoring last season with 28 points (10 goals, eight assists), and earned a spot on the All-Big East first team.

The forward continued training throughout the spring at a USA Field Hockey High Performance Center and received an invitation to be one of 144 women to participate in the 2022 Senior Nexus Championship in Virginia Beach.

“I think that was a really great experience because I was able to learn from many different coaches that I don’t typically learn from and also learn from the players on my teams,” Mitchell said. “It was very high-level play, so being able to play with them allowed me to grow as a player.

Mitchell’s strong performances in Virginia Beach led to an invitation to Team USA’s 2023 Under-21 and development squad selection camp, where the roster for April’s Pan American Championship will be determined. The camp will take place following the conclusion of the 2022 collegiate season, but Mitchell remains focused on Villanova and the task at hand.

“The main goal for this season is to do well in our Big East games so we can make the tournament and perform well there,” Mitchell said. “But right now, we are just focused on getting better every day to accomplish that.”

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After overtime wins against Temple and La Salle this weekend, the Wildcats are 7-2 this season, their best start since 2009. Mitchell leads the team with 16 points (six goals, four assists), including the game-winning goal against La Salle on Sunday.

The Cats will continue the hunt for their first winning season since 2009 on Friday at conference foe Old Dominion and Mitchell is ready to take on the challenge with her teammates.

“The highlight of my time at Villanova so far has been all the teams that I’ve been able to be a part of and the friends that I’ve made from being part of those teams,” Mitchell said. ”That’s always been my favorite part of playing field hockey.”