Weekend College Games: October 28 - November 2

Each week, USA Field Hockey' highlights some college games in Division I, II and III. 

Friday, October 28, 2022

DI: No. 23 Maine vs. Stanford | 3:00 p.m. ET | AE.TV

No. 23 Maine (12-4, 6-0 AE) hosts Stanford (7-7, 3-3 AE) in Orono, Maine on Friday afternoon.

The Black Bears are just two matches away from a perfect conference run, having already secured the top seed in postseason play. Last season, Maine clinched the America East title for the first-time in program history. The Bears returned key players from last season’s historic season that have continued to propel them to success this year, including fifth-year goalkeeper Mia Borley and junior Poppy Lambert.

The stakes are higher for the Cardinal, who is still looking to secure one of the two remaining postseason spots alongside California and New Hampshire. Stanford has won their past two contests, including a big upset victory over No. 17 James Madison. After a goal in the overtime victory against the Dukes as well as the game-winner against Richmond, Haley Mossmer was crowned America East Offensive Player of the Week. 

In all eight of their meetings, the two have alternated wins and losses. In 2021, Maine claimed a narrow, 3-2, victory and went on to win the America East title. In 2020, Stanford beat the Black Bears, 2-1, in the America East Semifinals before claiming the conference crown. If history repeats itself, then Stanford is expected to be victorious this year - and perhaps could make a run to a conference title.

DI: Drexel vs Monmouth | 4:00 p.m. ET | Flolive($)

Having already clinched playoff spots, Drexel (10-6, 3-2 CAA) and Monmouth (8-7, 4-1 CAA) will meet in a match to determine their seeding in the conference tournament.

With a lot of twists and turns in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) this season, Drexel clinched their most pertinent conference victory against then-No. 20 William and Mary a few weeks ago in a 1-0 overtime thriller. The Dragons leading scorer, Eline Di Leva, notched the lone goal. Drexel recently fell at home, 1-0, to Northeastern, who also secured their spot in the conference playoff. Graduate student Taylor Mason – who has been holding down a strong defensive line this season – led the Dragons with five shots against the Huskies.

On the flip side, Monmouth’s single conference loss was to William and Mary earlier this season in shootouts. The Hawks have been no strangers to overtime, with three overtime losses and two victories. A few of their close losses included ranked teams, such as then-No. 15 Rutgers. In a recent 4-0 win over conference opponent Towson, Annick van Lange recorded her third hat-trick of the season - bringing her goal total on the season to 19 and earning her CAA Co-Player of the Week honors. Van Lange currently ranks second nationally in goals per game at 1.27, trailing only to North Carolina’s Erin Matson (1.43).

The Hawks last played the Dragons before they were a member of the CAA, defeating them 5-0 back in 2019. 

DI: No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 18 Ohio State | 6:00 p.m. ET | B1G+($)

No. 6 Michigan (10-5, 4-3 B1G) closes out their regular season by hosting long-time rival No. 18 Ohio State (10-6, 3-4 B1G) on Friday night. 

Sandwiched between a pair of victories over Iowa, the Wolverines recently fell 1-0 in double overtime to Northwestern. The match was extremely close the whole way through, with goalkeeper Anna Spieker making four saves to keep it scoreless through 79 minutes. Spieker is in the top spot for Division I in goals against average (0.73). 

Ohio State has been looking to stake their claim in the Big Ten – blanking Iowa 2-0 and pushing Northwestern to overtime. Although the Buckeyes could not best the Wildcats, they led statistically in shots, shots on goal and penalty corners. 

In overall meetings, Michigan has a decisive 45-24 edge. The Wolverines eked out a 1-0 win last season, while the Buckeyes have not claimed victory in this matchup since 2011.

Saturday, October 29, 2022

DI: No. 15 Harvard vs. No. 24 Cornell | 11:00 a.m. ET | ESPN+($)

No. 15 Harvard (11-4, 4-1 Ivy) hosts No. 24 Cornell (9-6, 3-2 Ivy) as Ivy League play winds down for the season.

After a tough 4-2 defeat to conference rival Princeton, Harvard will look to finish their season out strong with a pair of conference victories. With that win, the Tigers are likely to clinch the Ivy League title and automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament - while Harvard has the chance to finish their season 13-4 and possibly receive a bid for the tournament. All four of the Crimson’s losses this season have been to top-15 ranked opponents. 

Last Sunday, Cornell turned heads with an unexpected 2-0 shutout against No. 4 Louisville. This was the first-time the Big Red took on the Cardinals and resulted in their highest ranked victory in program history. The upset followed a big 1-0 Ivy League victory over Brown. To no one’s surprise, Cornell swept this week’s Ivy League honors, with senior Claire Jones securing Offensive Player of the Week and senior goalkeeper Aerin Park Defensive Player of the Week. Jones recorded a goal and an assist over the weekend, while Park had seven saves in the shutout against Louisville. Park was also selected as the NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week. Senior Caroline Ramsey also had a stellar two days, notching an assist against the Cardinals and the single goal against the Bears.

The Crimson and Big Red have met 41 times since 1976. Harvard has won the last five meetings, including a 3-1 victory last season. 

DII: No. 8 Indiana University of Pennsylvania vs. No. 5 Millersville | 1:00 p.m. ET | PSAC Digital Network

Conference play continues as No. 8 IUP (8-5, 2-3 PSAC) hosts No. 5 Millersville (11-3, 4-2 PSAC) at George P. Miller Stadium.

Still in the midst of conference play, IUP has some tough opponents to take on in order to secure a spot in the postseason. They avenged a loss from earlier in the year on Wednesday, dispatching Frostburg State, 3-2. Senior Blaise Cugini scored twice, with the game-winner coming in the final minute. After they face Millersville, the Crimson Hawks have matchups against No. 1 Shippensburg and No. 2 East Stroudsburg looming. Three of IUP’s five losses this season have come against ranked teams.  

Although more secure in the conference standing, Millersville still has four ranked conference opponents to battle this season. The Marauders recently took on No. 4 Kutztown – falling 1-0 in an even match that needed extra time to determine a winner. Road games have proven more difficult for Millersville, as they sit at 2-3 away from home.

Last season, the Marauders ended the season for the Crimson Hawks with a 3-0 victory in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinals. Going 3-10 in overall meetings, IUP last beat Millersville in 2017.

DIII: Desales vs. No. 1 Salisbury | 1:00 p.m. ET | MAC TV

In one final regular season game, Desales (13-3, 8-0 MAC) will host No. 1 Salisbury (15-0, 2-0 C2C) in a non-conference contest.

Desales has cruised through the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom, most recently defeating Delaware Valley in a 5-0 shutout. The Bulldogs will test their strength against a top opponent one last time before hosting the MAC Freedom Semifinal on Monday, November 1 – having already clinched the top seed. 

Last week, Salisbury defeated No. 1 Rowan to extend their perfect record to 14-0, and earn the top spot in this week’s rankings. A hat-trick from freshman McKenna Horner secured the win for the Gulls in the 3-2 victory. Horner was honored as this week’s Coast-to-Coast Player of the Week and NFHCA Division III Offensive Player of the Week for her outstanding offensive efforts. With a recent win against Christopher Newport, Salisbury secured the No. 1 seed for conference playoffs. 

The duo met for the first time in 2021, when Desales captured a 2-1 victory in overtime.

DIII: SUNY Geneseo vs. Rochester | 4:00 p.m. ET | Geneseo All-Access

After both clinching the top spots in their respective postseason conference tournaments, SUNY Geneseo (14-2, 6-0 SUNYAC) and Rochester (14-4, 6-1 LL) will meet on Saturday afternoon.

The Knights have won their past 12 competitions, including all six conference matches. Against SUNY Brockport, junior Olivia Hernick scored the go-ahead goal – her first of the season – while Geneseo’s leading scorer Maggie Phipps tacked on one more for insurance.

Rochester faced four conference opponents in a row to finish out Liberty League play - with three of the matches ending in overtime. The stretch included a 2-1 shootout loss to Vassar and a 1-0 win over Ithaca. In the recent victory over Ithaca and ensuing 3-0 shutout over Union, the Yellowjacket’s goalkeeper Kara Houston made 14 total saves, earning her the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Week honor.

In overall meetings between these two New York teams, Rochester has seven wins and two losses. It was the Yellowjackets who claimed a 3-1 victory last season. 

DIII: Swarthmore vs. Haverford | 4:00 p.m. ET | CC TV

Swarthmore (9-7, 4-4 CC) continues their Tri-Co matchups on Saturday against Hood Trophy rival Haverford (7-9, 4-5 CC).

The Garnet first took on Tri-Co opponent Bryn Mawr on Wednesday night, only to be shutout 3-0 by the Owls. It came after a tough conference loss to Dickinson, which had come after a big 3-2 win over Usinus. Swarthmore’s record is currently tied with Haverford at sixth in the conference (the last spot for playoffs), so Sunday’s game will be crucial to both teams. 

Haverford could also not get the job done on Wednesday night, falling to Ursinus 3-2. The Fords had a strong second wind after being down 3-0, but could not find the final push needed to send the match to overtime. Previously, Haverford grabbed a much needed win over conference foe Gettysburg. Senior Dalia Bercow netted both goals in the 2-0 shutout.

After 12 straight seasons of defeat, Swarthmore finally defeated Haverford in 2018, and has won three of the past four meetings. Most recently, the Garnet knocked the Fords out of the first round of conference playoffs last season. In overall matchups, Swarthmore is 28-22. 

Sunday, October 30, 2022

DI: Saint Francis vs. Bellarmine  | 11:00 a.m. ET | NEC Front Row

Saint Francis (6-11, 4-2 NEC) and Bellarmine (4-13, 2-4 MAC) will clash on Sunday for one final 2022 regular season match.

With their recent 1-0 win over Stonehill, Saint Francis secured their spot in Northeast Conference (NEC) postseason play. They still have one conference game remaining against Sacred Heart – while Fairfield plays Stonehill – to determine their seeding. 

After they take on Kent State on Friday, Bellarmine will look to end their season with a victory over Saint Francis. The Knights’ two conference wins over Central Michigan and Longwood will not be enough to propel them to a postseason berth. 

Bellarmine has won all four matchups against Saint Franics. After a brief hiatus, the two met up again in 2021 when the Knights won 6-2. 

DI: No. 21 Rutgers vs. James Madison | 1:00 p.m. ET | B1G+($)

No. 19 James Madison’s (10-6) first season out of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) will come to a close with an away match against No. 21 Rutgers (7-8, 3-4 B1G) on Sunday.

Big Ten champions last season, Rutgers will slip quietly into conference postseason play this year. The Scarlet Knights take on conference foe No. 3 Penn State - who has been on a tear recently - on Friday, then finish out their regular season with a non-conference contest against No. 19 James Madison.

James Madison has had an up-and-down season, one stacked with several tough ranked opponents. The Dukes recently took a trip out to California, where they bounced back from a 3-2 overtime loss to Stanford with victories over UC Davis and California.

The Dukes and Scarlet Knights have met five times previously, but not in recent years. Their last meeting was in 2014 and ended with a 2-1 win by Rutgers. 

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

DII: Mercyhurst vs. No. 9 Mansfield | 2:00 p.m. ET | PSAC Digital Network

Mercyhurst (2-11, 0-5 PSAC) seeks their first conference win when they take on No. 9 Mansfield (7-8, 1-5 PSAC) on Tuesday afternoon.

Despite a tough past few seasons, Mercyhurst has already defeated two opponents for the first time – Franklin Piece and Wingate. The 4-3 win over Wingate came on Senior Day for the Lakers, who have dropped their last five games. Mercyhurst took Slippery Rock to overtime on Wednesday, but came up just short.

Mansfield, a top-10 team, has struggled to find victories in PSAC play. Since shutting out Slippery Rock, the Mounties have lost to No. 2 Shippensburg, No. 3 East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg.

After going on their own win streak against the Mounties for several years, the Lakers have now found themselves with six consecutive losses. Last season, Mansfield defeated Mercyhurst a total of three times by a cumulative score of 16-3. 

DII: No. 10 Mount Olive vs. Wingate | 4:00 p.m. ET | FloLive($)

Wingate (1-13, 1-8 SAC) hosts No. 10 Mount Olive (10-3, 10-0 SAC) at Graham Gill Field on Tuesday evening.

In just their fourth season, Mount Olive has already set a huge program benchmark – and made vast improvements from their previous seasons. Led by head coach Daan Polders, the Trojans were ranked this week for the first-time in program history and have breezed through the South Atlantic Conference (SAC). They recently handed then-No. 6 Converse their first and only loss of the season, while simultaneously picking up their highest ranked victory. Freshman Jule Schuurman netted the game-winner against the Valkyries, as well as against Limestone the day before. Schuurman’s two clutch goals earned her the title of SAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Still in their debut season, Wingate picked up their first win in program history last week against conference opponent Coker. Freshman goalkeeper Hannah Colavita-Jones was the hero of the match, making 12 saves and not allowing any of Coker’s three shootout attempts in the cage. Colavita-Jones received the SAC Defensive Player of the Week honor for her performance in goal. Freshman Alex Muscillo and graduate student Camrynn Aiello scored the two goals in regulation to send the match overtime. 

The pair had the pleasure of meeting for the first time last season, when Mount Olive defeated Wingate, 4-2.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

DII: No. 6 Assumption vs. Southern New Hampshire | 2:00 p.m. ET | NE10 TV

After traveling to Molloy on Saturday, No. 6 Assumption (10-3, 7-1 PSAC) welcomes in Southern New Hampshire for a weekday Northeast 10 (NE10) game at Brian Kelly ‘83 Stadium in Worcester, Mass.

The Greyhounds, winners of seven of eight in NE10 play, will put a perfect 6-0 home record to the test. Since dropping their first two games of the season - to No. 2 West Chester and No. 3 East Stroudsburg - Assumption has won 10 of 11 and hold a half-game lead in the NE10 table.

Southern New Hampshire sits at .500 in NE10 play but firmly in the postseason picture. The Penmen will look to avenge a non-conference loss to the Greyhounds back on September 14. SNHU held a 1-0 lead over the Greyhounds, but eventually fell, 2-1. The Penmen last reached the NE10 postseason in 2019 and made a run to the title game.

Assumption has won the last two meetings between these programs and seven of nine historically. The Greyhounds have won all three contests in Massachusetts, too.

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Division I rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Week 8 (posted October 25, 2022)
Division II rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Week 7 (posted October 25, 2022)
Division III rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Week 7 (posted October 25, 2022)

Photo Credit: Stanford Athletics/Karen Ambrose, Monmouth Athletics, DeSales Athletics/Stephanie Graffin, Mercyhurst Athletics/Ed Mailliard