2025 NCAA Field Hockey Season Preview: Division III

Photo by Michael Last

After a remarkable 16-2 season in 2024, culminating in a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship and a NESCAC title, Tufts enters the 2025 campaign with renewed determination. The Jumbos secured their 15th NCAA postseason appearance after besting then-No. 4 Williams in the semifinal, but fell 2-1 to Middlebury in a tightly contested title tilt.

The team has high hopes for the fall with the return of vital playmakers like senior Camille Clarke, who anchored the center of the field last season. On the defensive end, senior Gabby Sousa brings experience and consistency, and senior Lydia Eastburn, 2024 NFHCA All-American, All Region II and All-NESCAC, is back in goal after appearing in and starting all 22 games for the Jumbos.

Tufts welcomes five newcomers for 2025, with standout contributions expected from high-profile freshmen such as Eleanor Helm, Scarlett Carpenter, and Ruby Pearson. A versatile midfielder/forward from Hotchkiss School, Helm was a Prep All-American and helped lead her team to a state championship. Carpenter joins the forward line from San Francisco University High, where she earned All-State honors. Pearson, a dynamic midfielder from Mamaroneck High School, was recognized as All-County First Team and League Player of the Year.
With a combination of experienced upperclassmen and decorated newcomers, Tufts looks poised to make another postseason run.

Photo by Trinity College Athletics

Coming off a run to the NCAA Semifinal last season, Williams returns a strong group of 20 for the 2025 campaign. The Ephs have now appeared in three consecutive national tournaments, with semifinal finishes in 2022 and 2024. They also posted 16 victories last fall - a program record.

Returning for her senior campaign is forward Kiki Higggins, a staple on the forward line who picked up First-Team All-American, NFHCA All-Region II First Team, and NESCAC All-Conference First Team honors in 2024. Higgins returns after leading the Ephs in points (34) and assists (19), and contributing two game-winning goals. Joining her is the backbone of the Williams defense, fellow upperclassman Pilar Torres. Torres, who registered a team-leading 1,230 minutes of playing time and 10 goals, and earned All-American, All-Region, and All-Conference honors. Anchoring the backline is sophomore goalkeeper Ellie Smith, who in her rookie season led the NESCAC in save percentage (.832) and shutouts (7), while ranking second in goals-against average (0.83). Aptly dubbed 2024 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, Smith comes in ready to dominate between the posts once again.

The Ephs welcome nine newcomers under the guidance of three-time NESCAC Coach of the Year Alix Barrale.

FOTOJOE PHOTOGRAPHY INC / Hannah Reagle

This season, Salisbury leaves the comfort of the Coast-to-Coast (C2C) Conference to begin its affiliation with the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), unlocking a new slate of competition. The Sea Gulls are coming off a dominant 17-3 season which only ended when they faced Middlebury in the NCAA Semifinal, falling by a narrow 2-1 margin. Salisbury will look to extend their nation-leading streak to 39 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and reinforce their reputation as a Division III mainstay.

Their hallmark has been a stifling defense - Salisbury ranked among the top five nationally in goals-against average (0.76) and in the top ten in save percentage (.837) last season. This is in part due to the work of returning senior goalkeeper Abbey McIlvain, who recorded eight shutout wins with 63 saves and a .863 save percentage, not to mention held the top spot in the nation for goals against average (0.54). Also returning is senior defender Madelyn Reed, while junior and First-Team All-American Marli McDorman rounds out the attack.

Coming off a 2024 campaign that saw them capture their fourth consecutive NEWMAC title, Babson enters 2025 as the preseason conference favorite. In their 19-4 season last fall, the Beavers had narrow one-goal losses to then-No. 8 Williams and No. 1 Middlebury, showing they could hang with the NESCAC crew. Babson returns key contributors, including All-Conference performers Laney Reed and Ashley Braren, while losing the likes of All-Americans Berit Sharrow and Camille Marsh. With a blend of experienced talent and new recruits, Babson looks to extend its conference dominance and make a run in the national tournament.

Christopher Newport has steadily built its program into a national contender, reaching the NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons and finishing 16-3 last year. Their 2024 campaign was without flaw until it came to C2C foe Salisbury, who accounted for all three of their losses. The Captains will return several standouts from last year, including Courtney Hughlett and Lily Kerr.

The Blue Jays come into the 2025 season aiming to rebound from a solid 2024 run that saw their season end in the NCAA Quarterfinals. It marked the team’s fourth straight season-ending loss to Middlebury, with the previous three being in the national championship game. Tabbed the Centennial Conference favorites in the preseason poll after six straight conference titles, the Blue Jays will return six starters from the 2024 roster, including NFHCA All-American midfielder Jenna Halpin. Missing from the squad will be Liz Falterer and Lila Slattery, two All-American selections who have since graduated.

Bates is back in the mix for 2025 and looking to build on last year’s head-turning NESCAC Semifinal upset over No. 1 Middlebury. Despite losing to Tufts in shootouts in the conference final, the Bobcats earned an at-large bid and made it all the way to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to the Jumbos once again. Bates may need to rely on incoming talent to fill the void of a strong graduating class, most notably the Bobcat’s first NFHCA All-American and dominant goal-scorer Anna Cote. With momentum from last season, Bates is poised to be a strong contender once again.