Ruden Sports News

When Sofia Fidalgo Schioppa scored two stunning goals against archrival Darien for the FCIAC championship, the second drawing hundreds of thousands TikTok views, it was easy to see the lightning in her field hockey stick.

Not until she begins to speak do you also hear the thunder of her Argentine soul.

“It’s definitely a big part of me,” the Staples senior midfielder said. “The huge passion and whole Argentine culture in general is something that I’ve translated and carried into my own life and in sports.”

Two-time All-State.

Member of the U-16 and U-18 U.S. teams.

Ranked among the Top Ten nationally in the Class of 2025 by MAX Field Hockey.

Headed to play at Princeton next year.

The accolades are there.

So is the DNA.

With the likes of Maradona, Messi, etc., soccer obviously is Argentina’s No. 1 passion. Her dad, Juan Fidalgo, played soccer. Field hockey also is quite popular and the women’s national team, known as Las Leonas — the translation is Lionesses — has won six Olympic medals and two World Cup titles since 2000.

“Almost everyone plays field hockey there,” Sofia’s mom, Lorena Schioppa, said. “I started when I was 5. For my club and my school as well. I always played.”

From Buenos Aires, Lorena rose as high as the junior national team and continued to play into her adult life.

“I was playing in the NEFHA league at Columbia (N.Y.),” Lorena said. “I was training for the 2018 Masters World Cup for Argentina. We went to Barcelona to play. We won the gold. I said, ‘That’s enough.’ I retired. I drive my kids to their activities.”

Sofia was born in Argentina and came to the States when she was almost 2. 

“We were living in Brazil when I was pregnant,” Lorena said. “I went to Buenos Aires for Sofi to be born. My family was there.”

Much of their family still lives there and they visit as often as they can.

“When she was younger,” Lorena said, “I used to take her to my club for her to play and practice.”

“On vacation,” Sofia said, “I bring my stick.”

She speaks Spanish fluently. And like mom, she plays the same position.

“I’ve had different coaches and when they see Sofi play, they say, ‘She reminds me of you,’” Lorena said. “She distributes the ball. I used to do the same. Some things we’re very similar, but my daughter is much better than me.” 

Fidalgo Schioppa started gymnastics when she was 5. She got into field hockey and it grew to the point where matters were growing competitive.

“So I had to pick one or the other,” she said.

Sofia picked field hockey. She was 8.

“I try not to influence her a lot,” Lorena said. “She was very good at gymnastics at one point. I wanted her to decide.”

“The main difference was I felt it was more of a team sport,” Sofia said. “You have to work together and at a young age that drew me to it and what I continue to love about it.”

When Sofia was in the second grade the family moved to Westport. Lorena was looking around for the best opportunity for her daughter to grow. Who knew she’d grow on the playing field with her future archrivals?

“I was new to the area,” Lorena said. “I didn’t know much. Darien youth used to practice more. So I asked their coaches if Sofi could practice with them. So for two years, third and fourth grade, she practiced in the Darien youth program.”

Sofia would play for Westport PAL and expand to AGH Field Hockey Club in Greenwich.

“I play club with some of the Darien girls,” Sofia said. “We know each other’s style and the way we play. You have two such competitive programs, not only since I’ve been here but before me. It’s always been Staples-Darien for a while. It creates a big rivalry. It’s more emotional.”

Fidalgo was selected to the U-16 national team and competed in Canada in 2022 and in the four nations tournament in Netherlands in 2023. She also played with the junior U.S. national indoor team in Canada. This April, elevated to the U-18 national team, she competed in Belgium.

All this is a prelude to Princeton next fall.

“I wanted good academics,” Fidalgo Schioppa said. “I also wanted field hockey and a nice balance. Throughout history, they’ve been the top Ivy League program. Right now they’re ranked No. 10 in the NCAA. I love the coaches, their whole team environment. I really feel I fit in there and have similar values as the players.”

She is leaning toward majoring in economics or business.

First, however, is the last run through the Class L state tournament.

This is a stacked Staples team, ranked eighth nationally by MAX Field Hockey. Tyla Ozgen will play at Stanford. Emma Larit will play at UConn.

Last year, Darien beat Staples in the regular season and in the FCIAC Tournament final, but the Wreckers bounced back to win the Class L title. Fidalgo Schioppa scored an important goal. This year, Staples has beaten Darien, ranked 10th nationally, twice.

Nine times since 2016, Darien and Staples have battled for the FCIAC and Class L championship. Five times in the conference final: Darien has won four and tied one. Four times in Class L: Staples has won three times and tied one. Round 10 is looming.

The Staples win last week ended Darien’s string of six consecutive FCIAC tournament titles. It took some extraordinary effort after Kiley Liddell scored with 68 seconds left to give the Blue Wave a 2-1 lead.

“Coach Ian, big credit to him,” Fidalgo Schioppa said, referring to Wreckers coach Ian Tapsall. “He was telling Tyla to come up the field and try to give it our last push. We ended up working it up the field and earning a corner. There were 12 seconds left. This was our last opportunity. The call was for the ball to come to me. What do I do? We had many opportunities with corners before and they weren’t really working. My teammates were like, ‘Sofi, you’ve got to shoot it.’”

She did.

It was a blast from 15 yards.

Tie game.

“The insert was perfect,” Lorena said of Catherine Cirasuolo’s pass. “I was so happy. We were celebrating. It lasted less than one minute. We knew we had to focus on overtime. Sofi celebrated for only a few seconds. She turned serious.”

What happened next, her 50-yard overtime rush up field, will be part of Staples field hockey legend.

“I intercepted the ball and was in front of most people, so I started running straight with the ball,” Sofia said. “In overtime, it’s 7 v. 7 so there’s a lot more space and a lot fewer people to pass it to. I looked to see if there were any forwards open to have a better opportunity. I didn’t see anybody. So I just went. Credit to the Darien defenders. I didn’t want to try to beat them inside for a forehand shot. They were composed. I went straight to see if they’d leave me some space to shoot it. I went for the reverse hit.”

The tomahawk backhander.

Darien goalie Ella Cherenek threw out her left leg. Sofia went tumbling after the shot. The ball beat Cherenek inches on the outside of her foot and inside the far post.

“I was already on the ground,” Sofia said. “I sat up and Mary Stevens came running at me and the whole team followed. It was quite the little pile. It was incredible. Nobody on this team had won an FCIAC. This was our last time. It means so much.”

Sometimes you just have to celebrate like an Argentine.

“My family are huge soccer fans,” Sofia said. “We watched the 2022 World Cup final at home. My dad needs to focus. Our reaction to them winning was really special and important to us. When they won all the Argentines in the area went to celebrate.” 

The family went to Old Greenwich, where they used to live, to celebrate at Binney Park.

Said Sofia, “The passion and the love they have for their country, for sport, for each other is something I’d never really seen before except in Argentina itself. I just love that.”