Weekend College Games: September 23 - 29
by USA Field Hockey
Each week, USA Field Hockey' highlights some of the top college games in Division I, II and III.
Thursday, September 23, 2021
DIII: Sweet Briar vs. Bridgewater | 7:30 p.m. ET | Vixen Broadcast
Sweet Briar (4-1, 2-1 CSAC) will face Bridgewater (3-3, 0-0 ODAC) at 7:30 p.m. ET on Amherst County High School Turf Field.
Sweet Briar had a strong start to their 2021 regular season campaign, recording a 9-1 win against Centenary (N.J.). The Vixen’s are on a three-game win streak after dropping a close 3-2 match against Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) opponent Wilson on September 5.
Bridgewater opened the season with two losses against Christopher Newport and No. 2 Johns Hopkins. The Eagle’s bounced back and registered a dominant 15-0 victory against Meredith in their third game of the regular season. Scoring 29 goals in six games, Bridgewater is currently averaging 4.8 goals a game.
The last matchup between the Vixens and Eagles took place earlier this year in March 2021. Bridgewater posted a 4-1 win in that game scoring two safety goals in the fourth quarter. Bridgewater is currently on an 18-game win streak against Sweet Briar dating back to 2001.
DIII: Husson vs. Southern Maine | 7:00 p.m. ET | LEC Network
Husson (0-3, 0-1 NECC) will matchup against Southern Maine (2-4, 1-1 LEC) in Gorham, Maine at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Eagles dropped their first game of the year on September 11 against then ranked No. 16 MIT. Husson then faced Wheaton (Mass.) and New England allowing three goals to their opponents in each match. They had two games scheduled against Saint Joseph’s (Maine) and Wellesley prior to their game with MIT, but both were postponed and will be played later in the season.
Southern Maine looks to bounce back after their most recent game over the weekend recording a 3-1 loss against New England. The Huskies started their season with a 6-5 win at Thomas followed by a 7-1 loss to Bates. Southern Maine opened Little East Conference (LEC) regular season play with a 3-2 double overtime loss to Eastern Connecticut State. Their first LEC win came against Western Connecticut State on September 18.
Southern Maine and Husson last met on April 15, 2021. Husson took home a 2-0 victory extending their all-time record to 4-1. The program’s first matchup took place during the 2014 regular season.
Friday, September 24, 2021
DI: Longwood vs. Miami (OH) | 2:00 p.m. ET
Longwood (4-2, 1-0 MAC) squares off against Miami (OH) (3-6, 1-0 MAC) for a regular season Mid-American Conference (MAC) game in Oxford, Ohio at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Longwood comes into this meeting with a .667 win percentage. The Lancers started their 2021 campaign with a 1-0 victory against Drexel. So far they have dropped two games by a one goal differential, with the first against Lehigh by a score of 3-2 and then to Old Dominion 2-1. Picking up wins against Towson, William and Mary, and Bellarmine, Longwood looks to continue their win streak to three games in a row on Friday.
Miami (OH) has faced a tough schedule against multiple top-20 ranked Division I teams so far. The Red Hawks started their season with a close 2-1 loss to current No. 15 Connecticut. The next day they faced No. 3 Northwestern. Miami then hosted Indiana and Rider for their home opening campaign and split the weekend with a win and loss. The game against Longwood will be their second MAC regular season game. The Red Hawks are 1-0 so far, defeating Appalachian State 1-0 back on September 17.
In the program’s last meeting Miami (OH) captured a 3-1 victory against Longwood. The game took place earlier this year in March 2021. As it stands, The Red Hawks are on a 12-0-win streak dating all the way back to 2007.
DII: Mercy vs. No. 9 American International | 7:00 p.m. ET | NE10 Now
In Friday’s only Division II contest, No. 9 American International (5-2, 3-1 NE10) will host Mercy (1-5, 0-3 NE10) for a 7:00 p.m. ET Northeast-10 game in Springfield, Mass. at Ronald J. Abdow Field.
Mercy registered their only victory of the season against Molloy on September 5. Since that game, the Mavericks lost the next five against Bentley, St, Thomas Aquinas, No. 5 Stonehill, No. 6 Millersville and most recently Southern Connecticut State.
Coming in at No. 9 this week in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll, American International looks to increase their .625 win percentage. The Yellow Jackets opened the season with a 3-2 win at then ranked No. 9 Southern New Hampshire. They picked up a victory against top-10 ranked opponent Bloomsburg and dropped a 1-0 decision to No 4 Assumption. Mercy is coming off a 2-0 loss to New Haven on Wednesday in another NE10 matchup
Historically, American International leads the series between the programs, 5-2. The most recent matchup took place on October 2, 2019 where the Yellow Jackets won, 3-1. The first game between Mercy and American International took place during the 2013 regular season.
DIII: Colby-Sawyer vs. Dean | 4:00 p.m. ET | Boxcast
Colby-Sawyer (5-1, 1-0 GNAC) will face The Dean Bulldogs (0-6, 0-2 GNAC) for a Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup at 4:00 P.M. in Franklin, Mass.
Colby-Sawyer started the season strong with a four-game win streak. So far, the Chargers have picked up victories at Elms, Plymouth State, Keene State, Johnson and Wales, and Fitchburg. Their only loss of the season has been to New England.
Dean is looking to register their first win of the regular season against the Chargers. So far this season the Bulldogs have faced UMass-Dartmouth, New England, Framingham State, Simmons, Johnson and Wales and Bridgewater State.
The last game featuring Colby-Sawyer and Dean took place on October 4, 2018. Colby-Sawyer took home an 8-0 victory in that meeting and that game marked the first time these programs met.
Saturday, September 25, 2021
DI: Brown vs. Yale | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
In a classic Ivy League meeting, Brown (3-3, 0-0 Ivy) and Yale (2-3, 0-0 Ivy) kick off regular season conference play for a 1:00 p.m. ET matchup in New Haven, Conn.
Brown opened their 2021 season at home against Saint Francis with a 3-0 win. They went on to win their next two games against Merrimack and Bryant. The Brown Bears then picked up three losses in a row on the road against Vermont, California and UC Davis.
Yale started their season with a strong 6-0 victory against Merrimack. The Bulldogs then dropped close 2-1 decisions to Fairfield and Lafayette. Yale bounced back on September 18 and registered a 2-0 win versus Colgate. In their most recent game, they lost a close double overtime 3-2 match with Wagner.
These two teams have a rich history between one another. Dating back to 2001, Yale leads the all-time record 10-4. The last matchup took place on November 9, 2019 and saw Yale capture a 4-1 victory.
DII: IUP vs. No. 6 Millersville | 11:00 a.m. ET | Ville Sports Network
In a meeting of the undefeated, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (5-0, 0-0 PSAC) takes on No. 6 Millersville (7-0, 0-0 PSAC) at 11:00 a.m. ET to open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular season competition at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.
IUP comes into the matchup with top-10 ranked Millersville undefeated through five games. The Crimson Hawk began their win streak with a 2-1 victory against Newberry. They then went on to register wins at Lindenwood, Seton Hill, Slippery Rock and, most recently, Mercyhurst on Wednesday.
No. 6 Millersville are off to a 7-0 start to their 2021 regular season campaign. Opening with a 7-0 win against St. Thomas Aquinas, the Marauders went on to pick up wins against Frostburg State, Limestone, Converse, Seton Hill, Mount Olive and Mercy. Coming into this week, Millersville’s roster features Bri Harsh who was named last week’s NFHCA Division II National offensive Player of the Week.
Millersville took home a 1-0 win in their last matchup with IUP that took place on October 5, 2019. Historically, these programs have played one another 22 times with IUP leading the all-time record 13-9 and Millersville on a 3-game win streak.
DIII: Lebanon Valley vs. Albright | 12:00 p.m. ET | Webcast
Lebanon Valley (1-6, 0-1 MACC) and Albright College (3-2, 1-0 MACC) will face-off at 4:30 p.m. at Gene L. Shirk Stadium in Reading, Pa. for a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MACC) game.
The Dutchman registered their first win of the 2021 season at William Smith on September 12. Their other games have ended in favor of their opponents. So far, they have played Gettysburg, No. 19 Lynchburg, Bryn Mawr, St. Lawrence, and No.8 Franklin and Marshall. On Wednesday, in their Crush Cancer Game, they fell 4-1 to No. 5 Messiah.
Albright, sitting at 3-2 overall, are on a three game win streak after dropping their first two of the season. The Lions won 4-0 at Delaware Valley, 3-0 against Hood, a MACC match-up, and just defeated Immaculate on Wednesday, 4-0.
The last meeting between these programs took place on September 27, 2019. The game ended in a 2-1 decision in favor of Lebanon Valley. The Dutchman currently lead 10-1 in the all-time record against Albright.
Sunday, September 26, 2021
DI: La Salle vs. Virginia Commonwealth | 1:00 p.m. ET
La Salle (4-4, 0-0 A10) will play Virginia Commonwealth (4-2, 1-0 A10) in Richmond, Va. at 1:00 p.m. on Cary Street Field, for the Rams annual Pride Match.
La Salle is currently 4-1 at home and 0-3 in away matches. The Explorers are coming off a two loss weekend to Towson, 1-0, and Villanova, 6-3. Before their meeting with VCU, they will open their regular season Atlantic-10 play against Richmond.
Virginia Commonwealth are on a two-game win streak after recently defeating Bellarmine and Lock Haven. In their most recent contest, the Rams raced out to a 3-0 lead I the first quarter on their way to cruise past Bellarmine. They had five different goal scorers in their 6-1 victory.
VCU posted a dominant 5-0 win in the last matchup on October 20, 2019 between these two programs. The Rams lead the all-time record 6-3 with the first game taking place on September 17, 2010.
DII: Converse vs. Cokers | 4:00 p.m. ET | Cobras Sports Network
Converse (2-3, 2-1 SACC) will face Coker University (1-3, 1-2 SAC) in Hartsville, S.C. with a 4:00 p.m. start time on Sunday.
Converse recently ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over South Atlantic Conference Carolinas (SACC) opponent Queens (NC). The Valkyries started the season with a 1-0 win at Mount Olive but then went on to drop their next three contests against Belmont Abbey, No. 10 Bloomsburg and No. 6 Millersville. After their victory at Queens, goalkeeper Ciriaca Petitto was named SACC Defensive Player of the Week.
Coker opened their season with now No. 1 Shippensburg registering a 7-2 loss. The Cobras lost their next two matches against Limestone and Queens (NC) but picked up their first victory of the season against Newberry on September 19. In the midst of their first four games, it was announced that Morgan Downey would take over the program as head coach. Before their game with Converse, Coker will take on Mount Olive on Saturday.
The last matchup between Converse and Coker took place on March 21, 2021. Coker edged out Converse in a 2-1 decision and they lead the all-time record, 5-0. The first game between the Valkyries and Cobras took place during the 2018 regular season.
DIII: No. 1 Middlebury vs. St. John Fisher | 12:00 p.m. ET | Cardinals All-Access
Top ranked Middlebury (5-0, 2-0 NESCAC) takes on St. John Fisher (2-3, 0-0 Empire 8) at 12:00 p.m. in Pittsford, N.Y. at Growney Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Middlebury is off to a dominant start scoring 29 goals and allowing just three throughout those contests. The Panthers opened New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) regular season with a 6-0 win against Wesleyan and 3-1 victory at No. 11 Bowdoin. Out of conference, they have wins against Castleton, New England and No. 12 Babson. Before the game against St. John Fisher, the Panthers will travel to Clinton, N.Y. to take on Hamilton on Saturday in an NESCAC match-up.
St. John Fisher will look to extend their two-game win streak and push above .500. On Wednesday, the Cardinal defeated Nazareth, 2-0, in an Empire 8 meeting.
These teams have only met one time on October 20, 2019. The match ended in a close 2-1 decision in favor of Middlebury.
Monday, September 27, 2021
DII: No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 19 Ohio State | 4:00 p.m. ET | BTN+
Louisville (7-1, 1-1 ACC) take on Ohio State (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) at 4:00 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio for a Monday afternoon clash.
Louisville is off to a great start in their 2021 season. They opened the season with six straight wins, outscoring their opponents 30-8. Their win-streak came to an end last Sunday when they were upended by No. 2 Iowa, 2-0. Prior to their game with Ohio State, Louisville will travel to Durham, N.C. to take on Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe No. 18 Duke.
Ohio State saw their season long five-game win streak, their longest since 2018, come to an end when they were defeated by No. 11 Virginia, 2-1, on Sunday. The close match was a tale of two halves where Virginia outshot the Buckeyes 8-0 in the first to build a 1-0 lead, but then Ohio State edged the shots 14-4 in the second and had a 9-0 advantage in penalty corners.
Historically, Ohio State leads the all-time matchup record 18-11. The last meeting took place on September 15, 2019 and saw Louisville take home a 2-1 victory. The first game between the two programs happened on September 1, 1989 in Columbus, Ohio, where Ohio State won that first game 5-0.
DI&II: Saint Louis vs. Lindenwood | 6:30 p.m. ET | GLVC
This unique divisional crossover features Division I Saint Louis (0-7, 0-1 A10) against Division II Lindenwood (4-4) in St. Charles, Mo. for a 6:30 p.m. ET match at Hunter Stadium.
Saint Louis is looking to register their first win of the season against Lindenwood. So far the Billikens have faced a variety of highly ranked opponents. They have competed against No. 25 Michigan State, No. 23 Kent State, No. 2 Iowa, UC Davis and Richmond. Before the matchup with Lindenwood on Tuesday, Saint Louis will take on Lock Haven and Bellarmine.
Lindenwood, sitting at 4-4, will look to end their two-game losing streak. The Lions started their 2021 campaign with two dominant victories at Slippery Rock and Seton Hill. They then lost a pair to Newberry and Frostburg State before getting a 2-1 win against Mercyhurst on September 12. Their most recent losses came at the hands of top-10 ranked East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg.
Lindenwood and Saint Louis held an exhibition match in August 2021. The Lions won that match 10-0. Their most recent official game was held on September 30, 2011 where Saint Louis comfortably took home a 5-1 victory. The all-time record is tied at 1-1 dating back to September 2009.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
DI: Merrimack vs. Holy Cross | 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Merrimack (0-7, 0-0 NEC) travels to Worcester, Mass. to face Holy Cross (3-3, 0-1 PL) at 6:00 p.m. ET for a Tuesday night game on Hart Turf Field.
Merrimack looks to turn around a seven-game losing streak against Holy Cross. So far this season, Merrimack has competed against Temple, La Salle, Yale, Brown, Central Michigan, Maine and Dartmouth. Merrimack will rely heavily on their 12 upperclassmen in the second half of the season and as they round out regular season play, with a handful of Northeast Conference matchups.
Holy Cross opened the season with a 3-0 victory against Saint Francis. The Crusaders lost their next two games versus Vermont and Northwestern before capturing a 1-0 victory at Sacred Heart. Holy Cross opened Patriot League regular season play at Bucknell with a 7-2 loss. Prior to the contest against Merrimack, the Crusaders will play Lafayette on Saturday.
These programs most recent meeting took place on September 6, 2019, where Holy Cross took home a 4-1 win. That game marked the first time these two programs met.
DII: Seton Hill vs. Frostburg State | 6:00 p.m. ET | Mounteast.TV
Seton Hill (1-6, 0-1 PSAC) faces Frostburg State (0-7, 0-0) in Frostburg, Md. at 6:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening. These teams opened up the season against one another on September 2, where Seton Hill narrowly won, 2-1.
Seton Hill’s only win of the year was in that season opener against Frostburg State. The Griffins have lost against Lindenwood, Newberry, No. 6 Millersville, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock and No. 10 Bloomsburg. Seton Hill will compete against No. 7 Kutztown prior to their game with Frostburg. The upcoming game with Frostburg will mark their last out of conference contest of the 2021 regular season.
Frostburg State looks to end their victory drought in this game against the Griffins. So far the Bobcats have played No. 6 Millersville, Lindenwood, Newberry, Slippery Rock, Limestone and No. 3 East Stroudsburg.
Outside of the meeting earlier this season, the last game between Frostburg State and Seton Hill took place on September 25, 2019, and marked the first time these programs met. Seton Hill won the 2019 matchup 2-1 in overtime.
DIII: Maine-Farmington vs. No. 12 Bowdoin | 6:00 p.m. ET |
Maine-Farmington (2-3, 0-1 NECC) meets No. 12 Bowdoin (3-2, 1-2 NESCAC) in Brunswick, Maine at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Maine-Farmington began their 2021 campaign with two victories over Westfield State and Smith. They have since lost three straight to in-state competition, Colby, Thomas (ME) and Saint Joseph’s (ME). Before they take on Bowdoin, the Beavers will host Manhattanville on Saturday in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) game.
Bowdoin just got back above the .500 mark after defeating Wellesley on Wednesday in a non-conference game. Already five games into the season they have three New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) games under their belts and will face another opponent in Wesleyan on Saturday.
Maine-Farmington and Bowdoin have met a total of 29 times since their first meeting on September 18, 1990. The Polar Bears are 29-0 against the Beavers. The last matchup took place on October 9, 2019 where Bowdoin took home a comfortable 5-0 victory.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
DI: Lock Haven vs. Cornell | 7:00 p.m. ET
Lock Haven (1-4, 0-1 A10) hosts Cornell (2-3, 0-0 Ivy) for a 7:00 P.M. matchup on Charlotte E. Smith Field.
Lock Haven started their season with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Ball State. The Bald Eagles then lost to Saint Francis, Bucknell and Virginia Commonwealth. Their most recent game against Georgetown ended in a narrow 1-0 overtime decision in favor of the Hoyas. Before their game with Cornell, Lock Haven will travel to Saint Louis to take on Saint Louis and Bellarmine.
Cornell opened their 2021 regular season with back-to-back victories against Wagner and Colgate. The Big Red then dropped three in a row by one goal margins to Albany, No. 1 Michigan and No. 12 Syracuse. Prior to their meeting with Lock Haven, Cornell opens Ivy League play against Dartmouth on September 26.
The last game between Cornell and Lock Haven took place on September 8, 2019. Cornell edged out Lock Haven by one goal ,3-2. The all-time record is currently tied at 6-6. The first game featuring these two programs took place in Ithaca, N.Y. on October 27, 2007 where Lock Haven took home a 3-1 victory.
DII: No. 10 Bloomsburg vs. No. 7 Kutztown | 7:00 p.m. ET
This top-10 matchup between No. 10 Bloomsburg (5-2, 1-0 PSAC) and No. 7 Kutztown (4-1, 0-0 PSAC) will take place in Kutztown, Pa. in Andrew Reed Stadium at 7:00 p.m. ET and is also slated as a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) game.
Bloomsburg enters into this match with a five-game win streak. After dropping their first two matches of the season to Bentley and American International, the Huskies have picked up wins over Pace, Converse, Mansfield, Lindenwood and Seton Hill. Before their game against Kutztown, Bloomsburg will travel to West Haven, Conn. to take on New Haven.
Kutztown had a strong start to their season in the Dr. Art DeGenaro Classic on September 4 and 5. The Golden Bears registered a 7-0 win at Southern Connecticut State and a 10-2 win versus Saint Michael’s. Kutztown has also faced Mansfield, No. 3 East Stroudsburg and Mount Olive. Kutztown will take on Seton Hill on Saturday before their meeting with Bloomsburg.
There is a rich history between these two PSAC powerhouse programs. The game on September 29 will mark the 42nd meeting between the Golden Bears and Huskies. Bloomsburg currently holds the all-time record 34-7 but Kutztown is on a three-game win streak dating back to the 2018 regular season. The last game was a 3-2 decision in favor of Kutztown.
DIII: Stevens vs. Cabrini | 4:00 p.m. ET | AE Network
Stevens (3-2, 0-0 MAC) travels to Edith Robb Dixon Field to take on Cabrini (4-3, 0-0 AEC) at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Stevens comes into this matchup on a two-game win streak. After losses to No. 18 Vassar and Montclair State, the Ducks picked up victories over Swarthmore and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Before their game with Cabrini, Stevens will play King College (PA) on Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Cabrini opened their season with three wins against Delaware Valley, Drew and Manhattanville. They then evened their record out with three consecutive losses at Widener, Gettysburg and No. 6 TCNJ. They turned that around have defeating Stockton, 2-1, but most recently fell to Swarthmore in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss on Wednesday. They will meet No. 10 Rowan before their meeting with Stevens.
Historically, Stevens leads the all-time record 5-3. The programs last met on October 2, 2019, where Stevens went on to win 7-1, extending their win streak to two.
Division I rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll Week 3 (posted September 21, 2021)
Division II rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll Week 2 (posted September 21, 2021)
Division III rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll Week 2 (posted September 21, 2021)
Photo Credit: Bowdoin Athletics/Brian Beard/GoUBearsPhotos, Brown Athletics/David Silverman Photography, Converse Athletics, Kutztown Athletics/Brian Roselli, Lebanon Valley Athletics/George Youngs, Mercy Athletics, Southern Maine/Cullen McIntyre, Ohio State Athletics