Division III College Games: 2025 Conference Tournaments

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 1 & 8

Playoffs for the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) crown get underway this Saturday, with the top four teams sparring off in hopes for a national tournament berth. No. 4 Manhattanville will travel to No. 1 seed Marywood in a 2024 AEC Semifinal rematch, a contest that eventual AEC champion Marywood won handily. No. 2 Neumann, after missing postseason action last season, will host No. 3 Immaculata.

For the second consecutive season, Marywood remained untouched in conference play, boasting a perfect 4-0 record. The Pacers, who host this semifinal, are 10-1 at home, their lone loss to then-No. 21 Rochester. Manhattanville finished out their regular season with a 3-1 comeback win over Gwynedd Mercy in their final conference matchup to secure the trip to Scranton. In the teams’ meetup last week, Marywood secured a 3-0 shutout over Manhattanville.

For the first time in seven years, Neumann is set to return to playoff contention, this time under first-year Head Coach Dana Ott. The Knights will face Immaculata, who they knocked off in a tight 1-0 contest to close out conference play this past week.

The winners of each match will have one week before reconvening to see who will claim the title on Saturday, November 8.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 4, 6 & 8

The Centennial Conferencetournament is one to watch this November. The conference made waves this season, with five of its six postseason slate earning NFHCA poll recognition throughout regulation, and four holding spots currently.

The tournament begins with two first round matches on Tuesday, November 4. No. 3 seed Dickinson will host No. 6 seed Ursinus, while No. 4 Swarthmore will host No. 5 Haverford.

Both No. 1 seed Johns Hopkins and No. 2 seed Franklin & Marshall will both enjoy a first-round bye and begin tournament play this Thursday. The top-seeded Blue Jays completed a perfect 10-0 conference run, with a 6-0 finale over Muhlenberg. Their only loss suffered on the year has been to the top team in the nation–Christopher Newport. The Blue Jays even took down then-No. 2 Salisbury back in September, eventually claiming the title of number two in the nation for themselves.

Franklin & Marshall secured the second spot after topping Swarthmore, 2-1, in the final day of the conference’s regular season. The No. 15 nationally ranked Diplomats ended 8-2 in Centennial play–tied with Dickinson–but had picked up a big 4-0 win over the Red Devils just over a week ago.Junior Caitlin Hoover, who is far-and-away the conference’s leading goal scorer (24), tallied in both wins.

No. 3 Dickinson rounds out the top three, capping its historic 16-2 season with a 3-0 win over Washington College. The Red Devils entered the national ranks on September 16, then steadily climbed up to No. 12. Dickinson will welcome No. 6 Ursinus back to Carlisle this Tuesday, after edging the Bears 1-0 in their conference opener.

No. 4 Swarthmore will host No. 5 Haverford in the first round of action after shutting out the Fords just last week, 3-0, to grab home field advantage. Haverford enjoyed their best start in program history this fall, going 12-1 and undefeated in Centennial play before suffering a four-game losing streak in October. The Fords turned it around with a 2-0 shutout over a competitive Ithaca team to conclude the regular season.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 7 & 9

The Central Maine Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (CMCFHC) tournament is set to kick off with its three contenders: Husson University, Thomas College, and Maine-Farmington.

Top-seeded Husson enters the tournament riding a wave of momentum after a commanding 6-0 victory over Castleton on the final weekend. Six different Eagles found the back of the cage, while freshman goalkeeper Ella Duchette recorded a shutout. Husson’s single conference loss was to Thomas, a 2-1 heartbreaker after winning 3-0 earlier in the season.

No. 2 Thomas also finished strong, dominating Maine-Farmington, 9-3, in their final regular season matchup. Junior Kara Richards led the charge with five goals, while Samantha Thebarge added two and an assist. The Terriers finished out  the regular season 13-5 overall and 3-1 in conference play, even downing top-seed Husson. Thomas will host No. 3 seed Maine-Farmington, who they defeated twice to end the season, in the first round on Friday, November 7.

HOST: MARIAN | NOV 6, 7 & 9

The Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (CFCH) Tournament gets underway this week with No. 1 Mary Washington entering as the top seed after clinching the conference’s inaugural title last season. The Eagles closed out the regular season unbeaten in conference play.

The 2025 bracket will feature six teams, with the top two seeds earning byes into the semifinal round. Joining Mary Washington at the top, Rhodes secured the No. 2 spot after finishing the season 4-1 in conference play, its only loss coming at the hands of the Eagles.

Marian University will host all tournament action, with first round matches starting Thursday, November 6, semifinals following on Friday, November 7, and finishing with the final on Sunday, November 9.

No. 4 Sewanee will take on No. 5 Centre to kick off tournament play  on Thursday, with host No. 3 Marian battling No. 6 Concordia (Wis.) to cap the afternoon. Sewanee took down Centre, 3-0, in conference play, while Marian toppled Concordia, 4-0, to close out the season. The latter duo had battled all the way to double overtime in their previous friendly match-up in September, with Concorida taking the win.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOVEMBER 1, 5 & 8

The Conference of New England (CNE) is set with six teams riding into November, and with top seeds No. 1 Endicott and No. 2 Roger Williams enjoying a bye-round. No. 5 Johnson & Wales, in their first season in the CNE after making the move from the GNAC, will travel to No. 4 Western New England, the winner traveling to top-seeded Endicott. No. 6 Nicolas will head to No. 3 University of New England, in hopes of taking on No. 2 Roger Williams in the next round.

Endicott remained unbeaten, 7-0, in conference action, building upon their 2024 conference sweep. The No. 8 nationally ranked Gulls are enjoyed a dominant 18-1 season, notably taking down Division III behemoth Middlebury and handing them their first loss of the season. Senior Tori Swanson, who leads the team with a whopping 21 goals, tallied that OT gamewinner.

In this year's conference play, as with last year's, Roger Williams outlasted all other conference opponents except Endicott. It was a tight 1-0 loss, which was joined by several also narrow losses to ranked opponents—including a 2-1 overtime defeat to No. 3 Babson. It was the Hawks who took home the 2024 CNE trophy after Endicott failed to make it past the first round.

Last year's undisputed GNAC champion Johnson & Wales found more resistance in the CNE. With a 3-4 conference record, the Wildcats did find success against their upcoming first round opponent, defeating Western New England with a 4-0 shutout. In their match-up earlier this fall, U. of New England had a handy 7-1 win over Nichols.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 1, 5 & 8

The top six teams will battle for the Empire 8 title, with top-seeded SUNY Geneseo looking to repeat their Empire 8 title and extend their conference 21 game winning streak since joining last year. Ranked No. 21 in the national poll, the Knights will enjoy a first round pass and go directly to the semifinals on Wednesday, November 5, where they will face the winner of No. 5 Houghton vs. No. 4 St. John Fisher. Geneseo has only lost one contest all season—a 2-1 battle to Ithaca—and had one ranked win over then-No. 22 Rochester.

Joining in a direct route to the semifinals is No. 2 Hartwick, who are tournament bound for the eighth consecutive year. The only conference loss the Hawks suffered was 2-0 to Geneseo. Hartwick, seeking its third title in the last four years and seventh overall, will face the winner of No. 6 SUNY Brockport and No. 3 Nazarath.

Looking stronger than last season, Nazareth claimed the third spot, and will face No. 6 Brockport, a match they won 6-2 a few weeks ago. Sophomore Michaela Cushman, who leads the team offensively with 42 points, tallied two goals.

St. John Fisher is seeking its fourth title since 2016 and third in the last six years. The Cardinals faced Houghton all the way back on October 4, winning 3-2 in overtime off a penalty stroke taken by Sam Current. If history has anything to say about this first round match-up, it will be tightly contested.

After the semifinals, the two remaining teams will face off on Saturday, November 8 for the final, where the winner receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 1, 5 & 8

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) will highlight the top eight teams and for the first time in program history, Dean clinched the top spot. The Bulldogs finished out their regular season with a 2-0 loss to nonconference foe Springfield, but not before notching seven-straight GNAC wins, including a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Simmons. Their lone conference loss was early in the season to Colby-Sawyer.

No. 1 Dean takes on No. 8 Rivier on Saturday, November 1 in the quarterfinal round, a match they won 8-1 earlier this season. No. 2 Saint Joseph's also finished with a 9-1 conference record, defeating Colby-Sawyer but falling to Dean. The Monks will face No. 7 Simmons, a match-up which was highly contested in regular season play. The game was decided in shootouts, with Saint Joseph's pulling ahead after goalkeeper Kimberley McLaughlin blocked all four attempts she faced.

To round out quarterfinals, No. 4 New England College will host No. 5 Lasell. The 10-8 Pilgrims had four matches this season that were dropped in overtime/shootouts, including to conference opponents Dean and Simmons. Against Lasell however, New England College had a decisive 3-0 shutout win.

The quarterfinal winners will advance to semifinals on Wednesday, November 5, with the final following on Saturday, November 8. The winner receieves an automatic bid to the NCAA Postseason.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 1, 4 & 8

Landmark Conference action begins this Saturday with pair of first round contests, featuring the number four to six seeded squads. The two teams that finished out conference play on top will receive a bye to the semifinals, set for Tuesday, November 4. The Landmark championship goes down next Saturday, November 8, with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line.

In fitting fashion, the pair from the 2024 Landmark championship clinched the top-two spots: Scranton and Susquehanna. Top-seeded Scranton will be itching for a victory after falling to No. 2 seed Susquehanna in the final the past two seasons. The Royals are already in good positioning, with a perfect 9-0 conference record and 5-1 victory over the feared Riverhawks back in September. Susquehanna comes in with good standing as well, winning nine of their past 10 games and all eight of those in conference.

No. 4 seeded Drew is back in the postseason for back-to-back seasons after last appearing in 2013. The Bears are up against No. 5 seed Wilkes, a team they shutout 2-0 a few weeks back. At the number five spot, Lycoming makes their triumphant return after missing out on the postseason last fall.

Elizabethtown found success compared to their past few seasons, finishing with a .500 win percentage—the first to not dip below since 2018. The Blue Jays found crucial victories towards the end of the fall, pulling out a 3-2 win over Goucher and 3-2 OT win against Lycoming—who they will face again on Saturday. Senior Drew Bridges has been white hot on offense, as the most recent Landmark Athlete of the Week leads the conference in goals (20).

Lycoming makes program history this weekend as they will play in their first Landmark Conference tournament. The Warriors just edged out Goucher to claim the sixth and final spot, the 2-1 victory also setting a school record for most victories in a season. A 1-0 shutout over Juniata the next week bumped that record up to 10.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 4, 7 & 9

After missing the conference tournament a year ago and winning just one Liberty League game, Vassar has completed an impressive turnaround. The Brewers wrapped up the top seed in the upcoming tournament with a shutout of RPI in its final conference game, edging out Union College by virtue of a 2-1 win back in early October.

They’ve earned a bye to the semifinals, awaiting the winner between No. 4 William Smith and No. 5 Rochester. William Smith, the 2023 tournament champion, has opponent history on its side: The Herons beat Rochester in double overtime on Oct. 29 and also handed Vassar a 2-1 defeat on Oct. 19. The visiting Yellowjackets have played no shortage of close games lately, with the last four decided either in shootouts or overtime, and that stretch includes a shootout win over Vassar.

The other semifinal features Union, the No. 2 seed for the second year in a row, hosting defending tournament champions Ithaca. The Garnet Chargers have rattled off three straight wins entering the postseason and hold a 2-1 win from earlier this year over their visitors. Ithaca dropped its first two Liberty League games, but responded to win four of five. The Bombers were the top seed a year ago and have the postseason experience requisite to make a run.

The tournament gets started with the play-in game on Tuesday, November 4, before the semifinal round on Friday, November 7. The championship is set for Sunday, November 9, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 4, 6 & 8

The Little East Conference postseason is shaping up to be a thrilling affair, with first round action kicking off at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.  

After being tabbed sixth in the preseason coaches poll, Eastern Connecticut State enters the tournament as the top seed after a perfect 6-0 conference season.The Warriors capped the regular season with a 7-1 rout of UMass Dartmouth, showing off a balanced attack that saw six different players score. That included Emma Sanson, who broke the program record for points in a season (32). Goalkeeper Hannah Jalowiec recorded her eighth win of the year, anchoring a defense that limited UMass Dartmouth to just two shots.

Keene State secured the No. 2 seed with a 3-1 victory over Southern Maine, highlighted by Grace Bazin tying the school’s single-season goal record (36). The Owls only lost one conference match on the season, the same as last year when they finished with the LEC championship crown.

The top two seeds will have a bye in the first round, with Eastern Connecticut State hosting the winner of No. 4 VTSU Castleton and No. 5 Western Connecticut, and No. 2 Keene State hosting the winner of No. 3 Southern Maine and No. 6 Plymouth State.

Southern Maine finished in third, giving them home field advantage against Plymouth State, who they downed 4-1 on the road just a week ago. VTSU Castleton is the fourth host, and will rematch Western Connecticut, who they defeated 5-0 previously.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 4, 6 & 8

The 2025 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Tournament opens Tuesday, November 4, marking a milestone season as Westfield State claims its first-ever regular season title since the league took field hockey under its conference. The Owls headline this year’s bracket as the No. 1 seed after a flawless 12-0 conference run, led by standout Kaleigh Murphy, who tallied 17 goals and six assists, including seven game-winners, to rank among the top three in nearly every major offensive category.

Bridgewater State secures the No. 2 seed with a 10-2 MASCAC record, powered by Samantha Souza’s league-leading 33 goals and 73 points. Souza’s production places her among Division III’s top scorers and anchors a Bears offense that has been nearly unstoppable in the circle.

Quarterfinal action begins Tuesday, with No. 3 Fitchburg State hosting No. 6 Framingham State and No. 4 Worcester State welcoming No. 5 Salem State. Fitchburg State’s defense is anchored by goalkeeper Isabella Corcoran, who leads the conference in goals-against average (1.21) and save percentage (.848).  The Falcons had a big 8-1 victory over Framingham State in mid-October. Coming in at number four, Worcester State’s Kaylie Ciccone headlines the Lancers’ attack with 13 goals and seven assists. She tallied two goals in the 6-0 shutout over Salem State this past September.

Winners advance to Thursday’s semifinals, where Westfield State and Bridgewater State await. The championship will take place Saturday, November 8, hosted by the highest remaining seed. After last year’s title match saw Westfield State edge Bridgewater State 2-1, the 2025 bracket is poised for another competitive postseason showdown with an NCAA berth at stake.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOVEMBER 5 & 8

The 2025 Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth Championship field is officially set, with top-seeded Stevenson leading the charge into postseason play.

It was a three-way tie between Stevenson, York, and Messiah to finish out the season, each team with a 6-1 conference record. Messiah defeated Stevenson, Stevenson took down York, and York in turn was victorious over Messiah–all games decided by a single goal. Hood picked up the fourth and final spot after winning out on their own three-team tie, after going 3-4 alongside Widener and Alvernia.

Stevenson capped their regular season with a commanding 6-0 win over Albright, securing the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage. The Mustangs will host No. 4 Hood in their semifinal matchup, a rematch of their 2-1 win in overtime thriller earlier this fall. Hood rounded out the four-team field despite a narrow regular-season finale loss to Alvernia, marking the Blazers’ first postseason berth since joining the conference.

No. 2 York enters the playoffs on a three-game win streak, looking to defend last year’s conference crown. They face No. 3 Messiah, who rides momentum after winning five of its last six games and remains a consistent postseason threat with a history of deep MAC runs.

This MAC Commonwealth tournament features a few of the nation’s toughest teams, with the likes of nationally ranked No. 17 Stevenson and No. 24 York.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOVEMBER 5 & 8

The 2025 MAC Freedom Field Hockey Championship roster is confirmed with less drama than its Commonwealth counterpart, with No. 1 seed Stevens going undefeated (7-0) in conference play. Misericordia took the second spot with just a loss to the Ducks, No. 3 DeSales with a 5-2 record, and No. 4 Lebanon Valley rounding out the field.

The tournament opens Wednesday, November 5 with the semifinal matchups:  Lebanon Valley at Stevens and DeSales at Misericordia. The final will take place Saturday, November 8 at the highest-remaining seed’s home turf.

Stevens enters as a favorite to claim its third straight crown, on their second consecutive unbeaten conference campaign. The Ducks are currently ranked No. 11 in the country after a 16-2 regular season finish that saw losses only to No. 1 Christopher Newport and No.17 Stevenson. Junior Taylor Brooks has been key, notching nearly an assist per game to reach national recognition.

Misericordia is back in the conference tournament for the first time since 2022, doing so with their best record in decades. DeSales clinched its No. 3 seed via a hard-fought 3-2 win over Lebanon Valley in their regular-season finale. Besides their three losses to the top three seeds, No. 4 Lebanon Valley shut out all other conference foes by a combined score of 28-0.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 2, 9 & 10

For the first time since 2015, Middlebury doesn’t enter the NESCAC Tournament as the top seed. That alone should give an indication of how competitive the conference has been this year as eight teams prepare for what should be a thrilling championship. Of the tournament field, six find themselves ranked in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll, and the league has five of the top 10.

The top seed went to Tufts, who won nine of 10 conference games and is the highest-ranked team in the polls at No. 5. The Jumbos lead the conference in scoring (3.4 goals per game) and haven’t lost in the NESCAC since September 6. They draw Amherst, who they defeated 3-1 in early October and took down in last year’s NESCAC quarterfinals.

Middlebury, seven-time defending champions and winners of eight of the last nine NCAA tournaments, has seen a 60-game nonconference winning streak end early this year and has lost four games for the first time since 2016. They’ll face seventh-seeded and No. 13 nationally Bowdoin, who handed them one of those losses: A dramatic shootout win for the Polar Bears back on October 4. Bowdoin’s trio of Mackay Bommer, Hannah Balmelli, and Emily Ferguson have combined for 22 goals.

The other quarterfinals include No. 3 Bates, ranked sixth nationally, looking to build on a 7-1 record at home as they host sixth-seeded and No. 9 Hamilton. The visiting Continentals have their most wins in a season since 2016 and have won four of five in conference play, the lone loss in a shootout. They also took down Bates back on Oct. 5, winning 2-1. Fourth-seeded Wesleyan (No. 7) hosts Williams (No. 16) in another highly-anticipated battle. The Cardinals have won eight straight games, including a 1-0 shutout of their visitors and an overtime win against Middlebury. 

If that alone isn’t reason to tune in, consider this: Not only does the conference have the defending champions, it has three of the four semifinalists from a year ago. The NESCAC has long run through Middlebury, but this year has a different favorite in last season’s runners-up, Tufts. Quarterfinals are at higher seeds on November 1, followed by the semifinals and championship on November 8-9 with the highest remaining seed serving as a host.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 4, 6 & 8

The 2025 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship begins Tuesday, November 4, featuring six programs in pursuit of the conference crown and an NCAA Tournament berth.

For the 11th consecutive year, Babson enters as the top seed after another undefeated 9-0 league campaign, extending its conference regular-season winning streak to 76 games since 2015. The defending champions head into the postseason ranked No. 3 nationally in NFHCA Coaches Poll and riding a 14-game win streak. Senior standout Caroline DiGiovanni leads the NEWMAC with 23 goals, while Lauren Knight and Ashley Braren have bolstered an offense that has outscored opponents 91-11 this season.

Joining Babson with a first-round bye is second-seeded WPI (8-1), ranked No. 20 nationally and anchored by goalkeeper Myles Lakin, whose .867 save percentage leads the conference. The Engineers await the winner between No. 6 Wellesley and No. 3 MIT. Wellesley’s Claudia Summers leads the Blue with nine goals, while MIT’s Maeve Zimmer ranks second in the league in save percentage (.818).

On the opposite side of the bracket, No. 4 Springfield hosts No. 5 Salve Regina in Tuesday’s other quarterfinal. Springfield’s Rachel Simkewicz has netted 15 goals this season, while Salve Regina’s Julia Decker enters as one of the conference’s top offensive weapons with 19 goals.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 6 & 9

The road to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title runs through Glassboro, N.J. once again, as top-seeded Rowan leads a four-team tournament set to begin Wednesday, November 5. The Profs headline the field after completing another flawless 6-0 conference season and capturing its fifth consecutive regular-season title. Rowan will host fourth-seeded Kean in first-round action.

In the other semifinal, No. 2 seed TCNJ welcomes No. 3 seed Stockton. TCNJ finished 5-1 in conference play, its only loss coming to Rowan, while Stockton locked in the third seed after a decisive 2-0 shutout over Kean in their regular-season finale. Carlee Thompson scored both goals in that win—her ninth and tenth of the season—off assists from Jessica Bruther, and goalkeeper Erika Roura earned her fifth shutout of the year.

Kean enters postseason play 3-3 in conference, led by NFHCA DIII Defensive Player of the Week goalkeeper Daniella Maresca, who posted 10 saves in the finale against Stockton. The Cougars will look to challenge a dominant Rowan squad that has yet to drop a conference contest in two seasons.

The winners will meet Saturday, November 8, at the home of the highest remaining seed for the NJAC Championship and a coveted automatic NCAA bid.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 5 & 8

The chase for the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) field hockey crown kicks off this week, with top-seeded Ohio Wesleyan aiming to defend its title in a four-team tournament starting Wednesday, November 5. Top-seeded Ohio Wesleyan headlines the four-team field after closing out the regular season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Oberlin, securing a share of the regular-season title alongside Denison and DePauw. The Battling Bishops enter postseason play on a six-game win streak and will host fourth-seeded Wittenberg in the semifinal round at 3:00 p.m. OWU finished the regular season 10-5 overall and 8-1 in conference play, earning the top seed through tiebreakers as they look to defend their 2024 NCAC Tournament crown.

For Wittenberg, the journey to the postseason was anything but straightforward. After beginning the season 0-8, the Tigers rallied to win six of their final eight contests, including a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Kenyon in the regular-season finale. That win clinched the final tournament berth and capped an impressive turnaround, bringing Wittenberg to 6-10 overall and 6-3 in the NCAC.

In the other semifinal matchup, second-seeded Denison will welcome third-seeded DePauw for a 5:00 p.m. ET faceoff in Granville. The Big Red finished the regular season with a 10-6 record (8-1 NCAC), securing their share of the regular-season championship with a dominant 6-0 win over Transylvania. Meanwhile, DePauw enters the tournament having matched Denison’s conference mark, relying on a balanced offensive front and disciplined defense that has held opponents scoreless in four of their last six outings.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 4, 6 & 8

The 2025 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament promises excitement and high-stakes action, as a fiercely competitive regular season left Lynchburg, Shenandoah, and Washington and Lee tied at the top of the standings. After applying the league’s tiebreakers, Lynchburg earned the No. 1 seed, Shenandoah claimed No. 2, and Washington & Lee enters as the third seed.

Both nationally ranked, No. 18 Lynchburg and No. 20 Shenandoah receive byes into the semifinals, while third-seeded Washington & Lee No. 4 Randolph-Macon host their quarterfinal matchups.

The fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets host No. 5 Bridgewater in a rematch of a thrilling shootout from just weeks ago. That game saw Bridgewater take a 1-0 halftime lead before Randolph Macon scored two unanswered goals to go up 2-1. Bridgewater answered in the final minute to force overtime, and the Yellow Jackets ultimately prevailed in the shootout.

Meanwhile, No. 6 Roanoke travels to Lexington to take on No. 3 Washington & Lee in the other quarterfinal.

HOST: HIGHEST NY SEED | NOV 7 & 8

A threat to Cortland’s three-year reign as SUNYAC Tournament champions emerged with the move of Salisbury into the conference. The No. 4 nationally ranked Seagulls breezed through conference play, piling up five blank sheets and a plus-32 goal differential en route to the top seed. They’ll hit the road in an effort to claim the championship in their first year in the tournament, with New Paltz hosting the four-team tournament.

Salisbury’s high-octane offense (seventh nationally) draws fourth-seeded Oneonta in the first round. The Red Dragons fell behind quickly the last time these two met just a few weeks ago, with Salisbury taking a 5-0 lead in the first half en route to a 7-0 win.

The other semifinal sees the defending champions and third-seeded Cortland facing the No. 2 hosts, New Paltz. It’s a rematch of the 2024 SUNYAC Championship game in which Cortland won, 2-1, as part of an 18-win season. The Red Dragons have slipped to 6-10 this year, with one loss coming to the Hawks in a nailbiter. New Paltz’ Mattie Betts third-quarter goal was the difference in a 2-1 win on October 11. 

Will a SUNY school keep the title in New York? Or will Salisbury, fresh off a national semifinal trip and in great form, make its first season in the conference a memorable one? That awaits in New Paltz with the semifinals on Friday, November 7 with the championship coming on Saturday at 12 p.m.

HOST: HIGHER SEED | NOV 1 & 8

The United East Championship gets underway on Saturday with a pair of afternoon semifinals as top-seeded and defending tournament champion St. Mary’s College of Maryland hosts No. 4 Lancaster Bible, while second-seeded Penn State Harrisburg welcomes in No. 3 Wilson College.

After a four-game conference slate, the Seahawks finished unbeaten and will look to replicate its 4-0 win over its first round opponent back in mid-October. St. Mary’s Brenna Ziegler tallied twice in that victory, a common sight as she paced her team in goals (12) and points (29). Lancaster Bible required late drama to reach the tournament, edging Cedar Crest in overtime via a Bailey Simmons goal to punch its ticket.

Penn State Harrisburg enters with the conference’s top offense (3.64 goals per game) and defense (0.90 goals against average) and will look to lean on talented senior forward Ami Mattingly. She’s second in Division III in goals per game (1.86) and has scored 26 on the year — including two against Wilson in a 4-0 win under two weeks ago. The visiting Phoenix dropped back-to-back conference games against the top two seeds to end the regular season, but had won four of six before that and is looking to find tournament success again after going back-to-back in 2021-2.

The final will be at the higher seed on Saturday, November 8 with the champion earning the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.