Congratulations to Sofia Fidalgo, a senior midfielder from Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut, on being named the Connecticut and Northeast Player of the Year! Sofia recorded 28 goals and 18 assists in her final high school season alongside being recognized as Class L First Team All-State, GameTimeCT Player of the Year and First Team All-State, All-FCIAC, FCIAC Championship MVP, MAXFH and NFHCA All-American, MAXFH Northeast Region First Team, NFHCA All-Southern New England, MAXFH HSNI First Team All-Tournament, and MAXFH Preseason Player to Watch. Sofia’s 2024 season represented her incredible drive and attention to detail in achieving the goals that she had committed to, which she shared in an interview with us.
Q: How did your journey in field hockey begin? What does this accomplishment mean to you in relation to your time spent involved in the sport?
A: I started playing field hockey when I was eight years old because my mom had played all her life in Argentina, and she introduced me to it. I started first doing clinics at my town program and then transitioned to playing club at AGH. I love and have always loved playing field hockey, so the amount of time and effort I have put into the sport has been almost natural for me. It’s not something I have to do but rather something I get to do. So, with accomplishments like these, I’m super grateful to receive them as it shows that success comes as you put the hours into the things you love to do.
Q: What do you love most about field hockey?
A: What I love most about field hockey is the team aspect of it. I used to do gymnastics when I was younger and I didn’t like how it was so individually focused. I like winning as a team, or facing losses as a team, improving as a team, etc. My best friends and mentors have come from the sport, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Q: What were your field hockey goals entering your senior year at Staples? Were there any routines, skills, or drills on which you focused over the summer in preparation for the season to work toward achieving those goals?
A: My field hockey goals entering my senior year at Staples was to win our conference, FCIACs, and to win States. We hadn’t won an FCIAC title during my time at Staples so that was really important to me to make sure we can get that trophy back under our name. As for States, we ended up winning that one back-to-back, which was a great feeling. Over the summer, I wanted to improve my corner skills as our Coach, Ian, always stresses the importance of these in order to win games. It ended up paying off as a last-minute corner was what propelled us to OT in the FCIAC final, and we eventually won the game in OT.
Q: What did being a captain for Staples in 2024 mean to you? How did it feel leading your team to back-to-back state titles?
A: I loved being able to be a captain this season alongside two of my best friends. Full credit to my team and coaching staff for making the role enjoyable. I love being able to help people with any field hockey questions, or even just in general being a mentor for them, and that is what being given the captain position allowed me to do. I love to watch my friends and teammates succeed, and if I can be of any help in that count me in. It felt great to lead my team to back-to-back state titles as it was just a testament to our hard work. Beating our rivals again was a great feeling to finish off my Staples career.
Q: Name your proudest moment or a significant response to a setback/challenge from the season.
A: My proudest moment on the team was winning the FICAC final this year. We played most of the game, tied 1-1, and in the final minute of the game, we got scored on. However, the perseverance of our team, from the players on the field, to the sideline, to the coaches, all the way to the parents and fans, is what kept us going. My teammates worked the ball up the field to earn a corner, and we ended up scoring on that opportunity in the final seconds of the game. This led us to play in OT where we were able to secure the win. All of the emotion from this game that we were able to keep under control, especially in moments where it seemed like almost everyone except for us thought it was over. This was something incredible to see. A similar moment was my junior year, when we lost to Darien both in the regular season and the FCIAC final. However, we were able to beat them in the States as the underdogs. I love to prove people wrong, and my team has been able to do that twice.
Sofia will be on the field next season with the Princeton University field hockey team!
