From First Sign-Up to School Legend: Sophia Borghese’s Rise to Worthington’s Summit

Worthington — Growing up, Sophia Borghese tried just about every sport imaginable. But when her mother signed her up for field hockey, Borghese wasn’t exactly thrilled.

“I was playing soccer, and my mom randomly signed me up for it,” Borghese said. “I told her there’s no way I’d like anything more than soccer, but I ended up liking it even more.”

That one decision would set Borghese on a path that transformed her journey, culminating in her becoming one of the best players ever to wear a Thomas Worthington jersey.

On October 8, Sophia Borghese etched her name into Thomas Worthington history, breaking the school record for career goals by surpassing Sarah Charley’s mark of 109.

Having her name mentioned alongside a player like Sarah Charley is a humbling experience for Borghese, especially since Charley was someone she looked up to while learning the game as a child.

“It’s a privilege to even be part of Thomas Worthington’s field hockey program,” Borghese said. “Sarah Charley is such a legend to all of us. I remember always looking up to her when I was in middle school. It is such a compliment to even be mentioned with her.”

Since then, she’s continued to add to her total. After Thomas Worthington’s first-round win over Bishop Hartley, Borghese sits at 115 career goals, a number she’ll look to add to in Tuesday’s playoff matchup against Olentangy Orange.

Her achievement is nothing short of legendary, and while Borghese’s name will be remembered in Thomas Worthington history, she credits many who helped guide her on the path to greatness.

“People talk about me like they talk about Sarah, but at the same time I didn’t get the goals by myself. Your team sets you up, and without them, I couldn’t achieve what I have,” Borghese said. “My parents, Coach Frost, and my club coaches really pushed me into being ready for the collegiate level. They saw the potential in me.”

After this season, Borghese will continue her career at the collegiate level, playing for Miami University in Oxford, having chosen the RedHawks over programs such as Indiana and Michigan.

At Miami, Borghese will play under coach Iñako Puzo, the husband of her club coach, Keli Smith-Puzo, a two-time Olympian who represented the United States in field hockey at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.

For Borghese, Oxford is the perfect fit and she would likely go there even if it wasn’t for field hockey.

“After my tour, I couldn’t imagine myself going anywhere else. I’ve known Keli’s husband for years and I’ve done clinics down there,” she said. “It’s really close to home and my parents can come see me play. It is such a beautiful campus, and I love everything about it.”

Before heading to Oxford, Borghese and the Cardinals have one final goal: securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive state field hockey championship.

“Every year I’ve been here, we’ve been able to win it. I think nobody expects us to do this because no one has ever done it,” Borghese said. “I think it is really important that we stick to our basics and go for it. We want it, we want a four-peat in Ohio, which is just crazy to think about.”

At Thomas Worthington, they are the diamond standard of field hockey. Their culture is unmatched, selfishness isn’t tolerated, and no one player is superior to another. That is the Cardinal way.

“You want to win for everyone, not just yourself. We are a sisterhood, and Coach Frost really focuses on hard work,” she said. “You work your butt off for the team, your sisters, because there’s no selfish players here. As soon as you come to Thomas, you won’t be selfish anymore, Terri will work it out of you.”