Weekend College Games: September 8 - 13

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

Thursday, September 8, 2022

DII: No. 7 Millersville vs. No. 9 Adelphi | 6:00 p.m. ET | Ville Sports Network

No. 7 Millersville looks to extend their season-opening win streak to three as they take on No. 9 Adelphi in a top-10 matchup on Thursday evening.

The Raiders have already downed No. 8 Bentley and No. 6 Saint Anselm, winning by a lone goal each time. Kate Strickland has tallied a goal in each matchup for Millersville.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have their own ranked victory after defeating No. 10 New Haven, 4-3, in their season opener. It took overtime for Adelphi, but Jillian Riche netted the game-winner and secured Jess Mulhern her first career win as head coach of the Panthers.

Friday, September 9, 2022

DI: No. 17 Princeton vs. No. 7 Syracuse | 4:00 p.m. ET | Stretch Live ($)

Looking to extend their four-game win streak, No. 7 Syracuse will face their first ranked opponent in  No. 17 Princeton. 

The Orange have outscored opponents 22-2 in the past four games, with graduate student Quirine Comans having scored six of those goals. Comans has tallied two or more points in every game so far, helping her earn the honor of ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Conversely, the Tigers started their season by facing two top-ten opponents in the ACC/Ivy League Crossover. Princeton lost each by just one goal, falling to No. 2 North Carolina 4-3 and to No. 9 Louisville 2-1. 

The last clash between the two was in 2019, when the Tigers rolled to a 5-1 victory against the Orange in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

DI: No. 11 Liberty vs. No. 1 Northwestern | 5:00 p.m. ET | B1G+ ($)

On Friday, we’ll be treated to a rematch of the NCAA Division I Championship Game as No. 1 Northwestern hosts No. 11 Liberty.

The Wildcats, who beat the Flames by a 2-0 score in last year’s final, are off to an excellent start. Northwestern has four ranked victories - by a 17-2 margin - to start the season, including a 6-0 win over then-No. 14 Boston College. The Wildcats’ matchup against Liberty will be their first top-ten test of the season. Junior goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz continues to hold down the defense, earning the honor of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. 

The Flames will have to regroup after being upset by William and Mary in overtime last Sunday. Liberty dominated the game in the box score, piling up shots and penalty corners, but could not convert any of their offensive efforts into a goal. Before that, the Flames rolled through the Hoosier Invitational, beating both Indiana and Kent State.

DII: No. 10 Converse vs. Lander | 5:00 p.m. ET | FloLive ($)

There’s nothing like playing your first-ever NCAA field hockey game on the road, in conference play, and against a ranked opponent. That’s what Lander - one of three new members in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) - will do on Friday against No. 10 Converse. 

Lander joined the SAC alongside Wingate and Lincoln Memorial. First-year head coach Robbert Schenk is no stranger to the college ranks, taking over for the Bearcats after serving as an assistant coach at North Carolina since 2019.

Converse will pose a significant test. The Valkyries are 2-0 on the year, having beat Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire by an aggregate score of 12-1. Converse was picked to win the SAC in the preseason poll. The Valkyries also dominated the weekly awards, with Lotte Kanters and Josephine Jense winning SAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively

Saturday, September 10, 2022

DIII: No. 11 Amherst vs. No. 1 Middlebury | 11:00 a.m. ET | NSN

No. 11 Amherst and No. 1 Middlebury meet in an early New England Small Athletic Conference (NESCAC) matchup on Saturday.

Amherst has a daunting task ahead, as the Panthers, the three-time defending Division III Champions, have not lost a game since 2019. Middlebury outscored their opponents, 99-18, in last year’s 22-win season.

The Mammoths and Panthers clashed last season in what was a 3-1 Middlebury victory. The four prior matchups, however, were decided by a margin of one goal. Amherst has not won this pairing since 2011 and is just 5-23 all time.

DIII: No. 7 Babson vs. No. 14 Williams | 12:30 p.m. ET | Babson Sports Network

No. 7 Babson will welcome No. 14 Williams to MacDowell Field on Saturday. This will be the first historical meeting between the two Massachusetts teams.

The Beavers were unanimously picked first in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Preseason Poll after winning the conference title last season for the third time. Babson opened this year’s campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory against No. 9 Kean, the lone goal scored by the NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week, sophomore Jessica Evans.

As a part of the NESCAC, the Ephs face a tough schedule - all five of their losses last season were to ranked opponents in-conference. They began this season with a solid 8-0 win over Clark, and will next look to make a statement against a top-ten opponent.

DIII: No. 2 Johns Hopkins vs. No. 3 Rowan | 6:00 p.m. ET | CC Network

It’s another early season, prime time, top-five matchup as No. 2 Johns Hopkins hosts No. 3 Rowan on Saturday.

Hopkins has already breezed past two top-ten teams - No. 8 Messiah and No. 10 Washington and Lee - by three goals apiece. Senior Siena Urbanski and graduate student Abby Birk racked up seven goals combined between the two games. The Profs, meanwhile, found themselves squeezing past No.13 Ursinus in a close 2-1 match, then dominating Catholic 8-1. 

 

The Profs will look to make a statement in this game and avenge a back-and-forth 3-2 loss last season. Johns Hopkins took a 2-0 lead through the first 40 minutes that proved enough. This will be only the second time that the Blue Jays and Profs have met.

 

Sunday, September 11, 2022

DI: No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 4 Michigan | 11:00 a.m. ET | ACCNX ($)

A top-five matchup is on tap for Sunday as No. 5 Louisville takes on No. 4 Michigan.

The Cardinals have hit the ground running with four straight victories that include wins against No. 8 Penn State and No. 17 Princeton. With a goal and an assist in their 2-1 win over Princeton, senior Katie Schneider was named the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, while teammate Julie Kouijzer picked up ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

The Wolverines started off with a 5-1 loss to No. 2 North Carolina, then secured their first victory against Wake Forest. Michigan felt some pressure from the Demon Deacons, but were able to score two needed goals in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Abby Tamer has netted a goal in every game so far, including a hat trick against Central Michigan and the Wolverine’s lone goal against North Carolina.

The excitement for this game is high as when the duo previously met, in 2021, it ended in a tight 2-1 win for the Wolverines. Their meeting in 2020 ended in a shootout win for Michigan, while 2019 was a double-overtime victory for Louisville.

DI: No. 16 Duke vs. No. 21 William & Mary | 1:00 p.m. ET | ACCNX ($)

No. 16 Duke welcomes previously unranked No. 21 William & Mary for a Sunday afternoon showdown in Durham, N.C.

The Tribe started their season off with a bang by defeating No. 19 Old Dominion, 3-2, after a double overtime goal by junior Allison Goodwin. They most recently added to the shock factor when they upended then-No. 6 Liberty in overtime. Junior goalkeeper Maddie George, who had a shutout with 12 saves against the Flames, was named the CAA Player of the Week and the NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week.

 

After the Blue Devils’ own strong start to the season, they were unable to prevail against top-five opponents Northwestern and Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. 

Duke has won the majority of these matchups, including the past 18 meetings with William and Mary. Most recently, the Blue Devils claimed victory over the Tribe by a score of 3-1 in 2021.

DII: No. 4 Assumption vs. No. 8 Bentley | 12:00 p.m. ET | NE10NOW

A pair of top-10 teams - No. 4 Assumption and No. 8 Bentley - look to straighten out their seasons on Sunday at noon.

The pair of strong programs both started off their seasons with two tough losses to highly-ranked teams. Assumption kicked off with a 10-1 loss to No. 2 West Chester, who then went on to defeat Bentley, 5-1. In the Greyhounds’ next matchup, they were shutout 6-0 against No. 3 East Stroudsburg. 

 

Assumption will be fighting for their first victory of the 2022 season, while Bentley may be looking for their second after it faces American International on Thursday. In their most recent meeting last season, the Falcons had a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

DII: Pace vs. No. 3 East Stroudsburg | 4:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats

Pace will welcome the challenge of No. 3 East Stroudsburg on Tuesday evening. 

The Setters are coming off of a pair of wins over Limestone and Slippery Rock. Pace hit the trifecta of Northeast-10 Conference awards this past week, with sophomore Krista Dietz clinching Player of the Week, junior Kate Demars earning Defensive Player of the Week and freshman Alina Buerger making away with Rookie of the Week.

Most recently, the Warriors handily defeated No. 4 Assumption, 6-0, with contributions from five different players. Senior defender Olivia Breen showed off on both ends of the field, scoring two of these goals and aiding in the shutout, to earn her the title of PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week.

This will be only the second meeting between these two teams. In 2018, ESU defeated Pace 3-0 in the NCAA Semifinals.

DIII: Cabrini vs. No. 15 The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) | 7:00 p.m. ET | AE Network

Cabrini will welcome No. 15 TCNJ to Edith Dixon Robb Field on Tuesday evening.

The Cavaliers swept both their competitions and the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) weekly awards to start off the 2022 season. After winning their first three games by a total of 17-1, junior Caroline Gallagher was selected as the AEC Offensive Player of the Week while sophomore goalkeeper Courtney Keith earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The Lions also have had success - winning their first two matches - including a 1-0 overtime win against Catholic. Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Dani Britton relieved the defense with 11 saves, including a crucial stop against a Cavalier penalty stroke in the third quarter. 

 

Last season, TCNJ rocked Cabrini, 6-0. The last time the Cavaliers were able to subdue the Lions was in 2016 in what was a close 4-3 contest.

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Division I rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Week 1 (posted September 6, 2022)
Division II rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Preseason Poll (posted September 6, 2022)
Division III rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Preseason Poll (posted September 6, 2022)

Photo Credit: Adelphi Athletics/Brian Ballweg, Liberty Athletics, Amherst Athletics, Louisville Athletics/Jeff Camarati, TCNJ Athletics