{"id":17321,"date":"2026-09-01T02:01:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T02:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/?p=17321"},"modified":"2026-09-01T16:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T16:10:08","slug":"the-popp-effect-lvc-field-hockeys-new-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/2026\/09\/01\/the-popp-effect-lvc-field-hockeys-new-era\/","title":{"rendered":"The POPP Effect: LVC field hockey's new era\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"dslc-theme-content\"><div id=\"dslc-theme-content-inner\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/Untitled-design-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17324\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Ella Weidenhammer '27, staff writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a new season comes a new chapter for the field hockey team; this chapter, however, brings many new faces to Annville.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sophie Popp, a 2022 graduate from The College of New Jersey, will be taking the reins for the first time in the 2026 season. Popp was a three-year starter and five-year member for the Lions and totaled 27 points on 11 goals and five assists with two game-winning goals. The Lions won a New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship (NJAC), advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 three times during Popp's time at TCNJ.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before arriving in Annville, Popp was the graduate assistant with a Middle Atlantic Conference rival, DeSales. During her tenure with the Bulldogs, they were 18-20 overall, with a 10-4 record in conference games as well as making the MAC semifinals each year she was there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working beside Sophie Popp will be Bella Culp, an NFHCA Second Team All-American graduate from Bloomsburg University who will serve as the field hockey team\u2019s assistant coach. Culp led the Huskies to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 as an at-large selection as a senior captain in 2024. She finished fourth in Division II and second in the PSAC with 11 assists as a junior in 2023.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LVC field hockey has a long tradition of success, and Popp looks to continue the legacy.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MAC Offensive Player of the Year and NFHCA All-Region IV First Team recipient, Claire Weidenhammer looks to continue to put on a show on the offensive line this upcoming season. The senior forward\/midfielder recorded 43 points on 19 goals, including three game-winning goals, and five assists with 91 shots and 50 shots on goal, making her 15th in the nation for goals per game and 17th in points per game in the nation. Weidenhammer also first in the standings in the MAC Freedom in points, goals, shots, and shots on goal and tied for third in game-winning goals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The field hockey squad has 10 new faces joining the Dutchmen. Within those new faces is Alexis Nasuta, a standout transfer defender from Penn State Harrisburg who was a two-time United East First Team all conference honoree before coming to LVC.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LVCFH returns key midfield and defensive players Reese Arnold, Abby Rodenberger and Ella Weidenhammer as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The field hockey team gets its first chance at preseason action with a scrimmage against Messiah University before playing its first game of the season against nationally ranked Haverford on Tuesday, Sept. 1.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>By Ella Weidenhammer '27, staff writer With a new season comes a new chapter for the field hockey team; this chapter, however, brings many new faces to Annville.&nbsp; Sophie Popp, a 2022 graduate from The <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/2026\/09\/01\/the-popp-effect-lvc-field-hockeys-new-era\/\" title=\"The POPP Effect: LVC field hockey&#039;s new era\u00a0\">[...]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-front-page","category-homepage","category-sports","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17321"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17326,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17321\/revisions\/17326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.lvc.edu\/lavie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}