Weekend College Games: October 5 - 11
Each week, USA Field Hockey highlights upcoming college games to watch. This edition covers the week of October 5 - 11.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6
DI: NO. 8 VIRGINIA vs NO. 4 DUKE | 5 PM ET | ACCN ($)
After finishing 7-11 overall and winless in conference play last season, Duke (10-1, 3-0 ACC) has come into 2023 as a force to be reckoned with. The Blue Devils are a perfect three-for-three in ACC play, downing then-No. 6 Syracuse 4-0, defeating Boston College 2-1 in double overtime, and most recently shutting out Wake Forest, 3-0. Duke’s impressive season also features additional wins over then-No. 3 Maryland, then-No. 9 Liberty, and Harvard. After recovering from an injury last season, sophomore Alaina McVeigh has made a name for herself as the top goal scorer in the ACC (11), tallying points against the aforementioned teams as well as Northwestern.
Virginia (7-4, 1-2 ACC) has some work to do in conference – they kicked off ACC play with a 2-1 loss to Boston College, then followed it up with an important double-OT win over Syracuse. Three seperate Cavaliers scored in the thriller, including Daniela Mendez-Trendler, who leads her team in goals (5). Last weekend, the Cavaliers suffered a 2-0 shutout on the road against Louisville.
Over their many matchups, Virginia has a 39-22 advantage over Duke, and has won the past two meetings. Last season was a close 3-2 win for the Cavaliers.
DI: NO. 3 IOWA vs NO. 2 NORTHWESTERN | 4 PM ET | B1G NETWORK ($)
Division I powerhouse Iowa (10-1, 2-1 B1G) was shocked this past weekend when they fell to No. 11 Ohio State, 2-1, at home. The Hawkeyes defense had entered having allowed just three goals before the Buckeyes tallied twice against them. Iowa’s Dionne van Aalsum continues to lead the B1G in shots (68), goals (23), and points (50).
After opening the season with a 1-0 loss to Louisville, Northwestern (11-1, 4-0) has rattled off 11 straight wins. The Wildcats picked up their fourth B1G victory this past weekend against Michigan, with a goal from B1G Offensive Player of the Week Lauren Wadas in the fourth quarter of play. The goal was a rebound off of Maya Zivojnovic’s initial corner shot. Zivojnovic, a defender, has been hot on both sides of the pitch with nine goals this season.
The last time these two teams met was a thrilling one – it was the NCAA Quarterfinals in which Northwestern took home a 2-1 victory in penalty shootouts to advance to the next round. The game ended the Hawkeyes’ 2022 campaign, who had won 2-0 over the Wildcats in the regular season. Iowa is 23-14 in overall matchups.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
DIII: NEW PALTZ vs NO. 15 SUNY CORTLAND | 12 PM ET | STRETCH
Cortland (8-1, 3-0 SUNYAC) was having a perfect season until their Tuesday night clash against Rochester. The Red Dragons led in shots and corners, but eventually fell in overtime 3-2 to the Yellowjackets. Cortland remains unbeaten at home and in conference.
It’s been a good start for New Paltz (8-2, 2-0 SUNYAC), who only have two losses on the season – both to ranked teams – including a narrow 2-1 loss to No. 11 Kean. Holding strong on the defensive line against the Cougars, senior Sam Moran made four defensive saves – setting a new single game program record. After helping her team to a 2-0 win over SUNY Oswego, Moran was honored as the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Week.
After losing the first 14 meetings starting in 2000, New Paltz finally got a win in 2012. In their 2022 match-up, Cortland secured the 2-1 victory after losing in the 2021 SUNYAC Championship match.
DIII: NO. 19 TCNJ vs NO. 11 KEAN | 1 PM ET | TCNJ ATHLETICS
TCNJ (7-3, 1-0 NJAC) picked up a big win in their NJAC opener when they defeated Rowan for the first time since 2019. Down 2-1 going into the fourth quarter, Giavanna Downs and Rayhanah Ahmed each tallied a goal in the final frame to push the Lions to victory. Indispensible to the TCNJ defense has been Claire Engebreth and Taylor Wielechowski, who were named NJAC Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively.
Kean (7-2, 1-0 NJAC) opened up their conference play this past Tuesday against Montclair State. The Cougars dominated the Red Hawks 4-0, led by two goals from Madison Berge and anchored with 10 saves in goal from Jenna Flemings. The game prior, Kean had narrowly fallen 3-2 to No. 7 Christopher Newport.
The Lions defeated the Cougars 4-3 in OT last November to advance to the NJAC final – the same match that Kean had won 2-1 in overtime in 2021. Both teams went on to lose to Rowan 1-0 in the NJAC final.
DIII: ROCHESTER vs VASSAR | 5 PM ET | U OF R ATHLETICS
Rochester (6-4, 1-1 LL) is working to return to the Liberty League final this season and avenge their 2022 loss to William Smith. Just a few weeks ago, the Yellowjackets took the Herons to shootouts, but eventually finished with a 2-1 loss.
Vassar (7-3, 2-0 LL), on the other hand, was finally able to defeat William Smith, 3-1, after falling to the Herons for the past two seasons. The Brewer defense didn’t allow a single shot on goal in the first half of play. Vassar and Rochester claim the top two offensive point leaders in the Liberty League – Sofia Beseth has 18 points for the Brewers while Maeve Fogarty has 17 for the Yellowjackets.
Last time the two teams met was in the 2022 Liberty League semifinals, where the Yellowjackets took a 2-0 victory. The Brewers, who won the 2022 regular season match in shootouts, has eight total wins to Rochester’s 19.
DII: IUP vs NO. 9 BLOOMSBURG | 7 PM ET | PSAC NETWORK
Bloomsburg (8-3, 1-3 PSAC) is looking to bounce back after a mid-week match-up against Kutztown. The Huskies narrowly missed out on a win over West Chester last week when they overcame a 2-0 deficit to send the game into overtime but eventually fell, 3-2. Junior goalkeeper Jackie Nevel made a career-high 14 saves in the valiant effort.
IUP (6-3, 3-1 PSAC) were also shutout by Kutztown recently, but battled back in the PSAC with a 5-1 win over Mercyhurst in their Wednesday afternoon matchup. Sydney Schmouder and Jess Davidson each tallied two goals, bringing Davidson to the second spot for goals in the PSAC at ten.
After winning in three straight matchups, the Crimson Hawks suffered a 2-0 loss to the Huskies in 2022. Bloomsburg holds the all-time advantage at 12-4.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
DIII: NO. 9 WILLIAMS vs NO. 6 SALISBURY | 12 PM ET | SGSN
After taking back-to-back OT losses to top teams Messiah and Johns Hopkins earlier in the season, Salisbury (8-2) has bounced right back with four victories. Most recently, the Gulls took on No. 8 York and put on a great defensive effort that outlasted 12 Spartan penalty corner opportunities. A goal from freshman Marli McDorman in the 38th minute propelled Salisbury to a 1-0 victory. Last week, McKenna Horner tallied two goals apiece in the Gulls' wins over Catholic and St. Mary's, earning her a spot as the C2C Offensive Player of the Week.
Williams (5-2, 2-1 NESCAC) will have a week-long break between their previous game – a big 3-0 win over then-No. 10 Amherst – and their upcoming game on Saturday at Connecticut. The Ephs controlled the game against the Mammoths, outpacing them in every stat. Senior Molly Hellman notched an assist off her insert on the game-winning goal to Pilar Torres, putting her at the number one spot in assists in the NESCAC at seven.
The Ephs and Sea Gulls have only met once before, and with high stakes – in last year’s NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals, Williams knocked out Salisbury with a 2-0 victory to move on to the Semifinals.
DIII: NO. 13 AMHERST vs NO. 12 BOWDOIN | 12 PM ET | NSN
Looking to get back over .500 in conference, Amherst (5-4, 3-3 NESCAC) will kick off their weekend against No. 21 Wesleyan on Saturday. The Mammoths had just bounced back with three straight NESCAC wins when their streak was stamped out by Williams last week.
Bowdoin (7-2, 2-2 NESCAC) is also looking to grab a Saturday NESCAC win - theirs against No. 24 Trinity. The Polar Bears recently picked up a major 2-1 victory on the road over Williams, where senior Almira Arnold’s first goal of the season ended up being the game-winner.
Last season, Amherst defeated Bowdoin by a 3-1 scoreline after falling 1-0 in the NESCAC quarterfinal the year prior. In overall matchups, the Polar Bears hold a 24-15 advantage.
DI: NO. 13 HARVARD vs NO. 14 SAINT JOSEPH’S | 12 PM ET | ESPN+
Harvard (7-3, 3-0 Ivy) enters the back-half of their season with a perfect 3-0 record in conference – exactly what they would hope for with the addition of the new Ivy League postseason. The Crimson’s only three losses came from the first three first top-10 teams they faced, but they were able to break the spell when they matched up against No. 10 Syracuse this past Sunday. It was an unusually high-scoring contest that included nine different goal scorers, five goals in the second quarter alone, and ended with Harvard winning 6-5. Defender Brone-May Brough put up an impressive two goals in the win while holding down the backline, and was honored as the Division I Defensive Player of the Week.
Saint Joseph’s (9-3, 3-0 A10) also remains unbeaten in their conference and has run into trouble against top-10 opponents. The Hawks narrowly lost to then-No. 6 Virginia earlier in the season, falling 2-1, and took a 4-1 setback to then-No. 2 North Carolina this past weekend. A10 offensive leader Manu Ghigliotti, who notched the lone goal against the Tar Heels, was honored as the A10 Offensive Player of the Week after a seven point weekend.
The pair faced each other for the first time last season, when the Hawks took a 1-0 victory over the Crimson.
DI: NO. 1 NORTH CAROLINA vs NO. 10 LIBERTY | 2 PM ET | ACCN ($)
With a 3-0 shutout against Temple last weekend, Liberty (10-1, 3-0 Big East) improved to their best 11-game start in program history. The wins so far include then-No. 6 Virginia and then-No. 14 Harvard, while the lone loss was in overtime to a new 2023 powerhouse – Duke. Anchored by a strong defense that includes Bethany Dykema and Reagan Underwood, the Flames have seen a spread of offensive talent led by Arteta Milagros and Jodie Conolly.
North Carolina (8-1, 2-0 ACC) has gone on to win every contest after their early season loss to Iowa, including a big 2-0 shutout against Louisville. With the win, UNC picked up their first ACC victory of the season and first home shutout since October 2022. The Tar Heels are led offensively by a trio of U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team athletes – Ryleigh Heck, Charly Bruder, and Kiersten Thomassey – and have seen goals from 11 different athletes so far this season.
Last October, the Tar Heels took down the Flames 6-3 after falling 4-0 in the 2021 season. Overall, North Carolina has eight wins to Liberty’s one.
DI: NO. 17 UMASS LOWELL vs NEW HAMPSHIRE | 3 PM ET | AE.TV
New Hampshire (8-3, 4-0 AE) is yet to be stopped in the America East, most recently taking down Bryant 3-2. Twin sisters Tasmin and Tamera Cookman each tallied a goal in the win, and the duo now boasts a combined 15 goals and 36 points. Tasmin Cookman picked up her second America East Offensive Player of the Week honor this week.
UMass Lowell (9-2, 2-0 AE) is currently on a six-game win streak after falling to then-No. 1 Iowa on the road earlier this season. The winning streak has matched a program record heading into Friday’s meeting with California — which, like each of the River Hawks next three games, will come at home. UMass Lowell is a perfect 7-0 at Wicked Blue Field in 2023.
New Hampshire took a dramatic 2-1 shootout victory over UMass Lowell in the America East semifinals last season after losing 5-1 in regular season play. Three of the five past meetings between the Wildcats and the River Hawks have gone into overtime.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10
DII: NO. 3 KUTZTOWN vs NO. 2 SHIPPENSBURG | 7 PM ET | GOLDEN BEARS NETWORK
Kutztown (8-1, 3-1 PSAC) is in good shape so far this season, with eight wins and a single 2-1 overtime loss to the top team in the country. The Golden Bears were just three minutes away from victory over No. 1 East Stroudsburg when the Warriors converted on a penalty stroke to tie the game 1-1. ESU went on to defeat Kutztown in overtime play, handing them their first loss and first goal against of the season. The Golden Bears went on to win back-to-back PSAC matches over IUP and Bloomsburg.
Perfect so far in PSAC play is Shippensburg (9-2, 3-0 PSAC), who most recently defeated West Chester for the second time this season. It was a back-and-forth match with the Golden Rams this time around, with three different Raiders scoring in the 3-2 victory. Tess Jedeloo and Yasmin De Meyer, who both notched a goal, are tied for third most goals in the PSAC (9), while PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Week Agus Garibaldi leads the conference in assists (9).
Last season, the fourth ranked Golden Bears upset the second ranked Raiders by a score of 4-1, ending a historic win streak. In all their overall matchups since 1976, Shippensburg has 37 wins to Kutztown’s 20.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11
DII: BENTLEY vs SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE | 6 PM ET | NE10 NOW
It's another NE10 match-up as Bentley hosts Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday evening.
Southern New Hampshire (5-5, 4-2 NE10) made noise on Wednesday when they beat NE10 foe and fifth ranked Saint Anslem for the first time in program history, snapping a 16-game losing streak against the Hawks. The Penmen won 4-1, the same score they had lost to Saint Anslem by just one week prior. Freshman Minke van de Poll was the offensive hero of the match, notching a hat trick.
Bentley (7-4, 5-1 NE10) was unable to power past Saint Anslem, suffering a 1-0 overtime loss, but turned it around with a 3-2 OT win over New Haven. With that win, the Falcons have now won four consecutive matches, which include three shutouts. Junior goalkeeper Mia Trottie now has four shutouts this season, with a .811 goals against average.
Last fall, the Falcons defeated the Penmen 2-1 in a nonconference matchup, only to fall by that same score in NE10 play.
Images courtesy of: Andrew Miller/Shippensburg Athletics, Virginia Athletics, Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics, Darl Zehr Photography/Cortland Athletics, TCNJ Athletics, Stockton Photo Inc/Vassar Athletics, Bloomsburg Athletics, Brad Wakoff/Williams Athletics, Bowdoin Athletics, Ryan Samson/Sideline Photos/St Joseph’s Athletics, Grant Halverson/UNC Athletics, Stu Horne/UNH Athletics, Chris Sponagle/Kutztown Athletics, Ryan DeSantis/Bentley Athletics