Midseason heat check: NCAA DI field hockey stat leaders lighting up scoreboards and blowing out opponents

These teams are putting the fright in frightening.

The Division I field hockey season has moved past its opening stretch, and the national stat sheet is starting to show clearer separation at the top.  

Through games played Tuesday, Sept. 29, Massachusetts still leads the country in scoring average, while Iowa’s Frederique van Cleef, Richmond’s Clara Larripa, Monmouth’s Milla Frye and Wake Forest’s Bianca Rees-Gibbs are setting the pace among individual goal scorers. 

On the offensive side, here are the current top 10 teams in scoring average, along with the players helping drive that production:  

10. Wake Forest — 3.33 goals per game: Wake Forest has climbed into the national top 10 offensively, with Bianca Rees-Gibbs tied for third nationally at 1.25 goals per game. 

9. Drexel — 3.44 goals per game: Drexel rounds out the top 10, with Fleur Hamers standing out nationally at eight goals and four assists.  

8. Boston University — 3.78 goals per game: Boston University ranks ninth nationally in scoring average and remains one of the Patriot League’s most productive attacks.  

7. Villanova — 3.89 goals per game: Villanova continues to spread production across its lineup, with Ava Borkowski among the national goal-per-game leaders at 1.00 and Maeve Boston tied for second nationally in assists per game. 

6. Iowa —3.90 goals per game: Iowa remains a high-volume attack behind Frederique van Cleef, the national leader at 1.40 goals per game, and Dionne van Aalsum, who also ranks in the national top 10. 

4. Richmond — 4.00 goals per game: Richmond remains one of the country’s most productive attacks, led by Clara Larripa, who ranks second nationally at 1.33 goals per game. 

4. Liberty — 4.00 goals per game: Liberty sits sixth nationally in scoring average, with Clarisa Iudicello among the top individual goal scorers at seven goals.  

3. Vermont — 4.12 goals per game: Vermont has paired a top-three scoring average with the No. 3 scoring margin in the country. 

2. Monmouth — 4.25 goals per game: Monmouth ranks second nationally in scoring average, powered by Milla Frye, who is tied for third nationally at 1.25 goals per game. 

1. Massachusetts — 4.60 goals per game: The Minutewomen remain the nation’s top scoring team, with Amber Fairon among the national goal-per-game leaders at 1.12. 

Defensively, the clearer snapshot is scoring margin. Massachusetts leads the country at plus-4.10, with Monmouth now second nationally and Vermont third through games played Sept. 29. 

Scoring margin is the average difference between a team’s goals scored and goals allowed per game. A positive margin means the team scores more goals than it concedes; for example, a plus-4.10 margin means the team outscores opponents by an average of 4.10 goals per game.

10. Yale — plus-2.24 scoring margin: Yale completes the national top 10, with its positive margin showing that it scores 2.24 more goals per game than it allows on average.

9. Wake Forest — plus-2.28 scoring margin: Wake Forest holds the No. 9 position by outscoring opponents by an average of 2.28 goals per game.

8. Iowa — plus-2.31 scoring margin: Iowa ranks eighth nationally, producing an average advantage of 2.31 goals per game through the combination of scoring and goals allowed.

7. Maryland — plus-2.38 scoring margin: Maryland sits seventh nationally, scoring 2.38 more goals per game than it concedes on average.

6. Northwestern — plus-2.67 scoring margin: Northwestern stands sixth nationally, with an average scoring advantage of 2.67 goals per game placing it just outside the top five.

5. Villanova — plus-2.92 scoring margin: Villanova remains in the national top five in scoring margin while also ranking fifth in scoring average.  

4. Richmond — plus-2.95 scoring margin: Richmond’s offensive production has been matched by enough defensive stability to keep it near the top nationally.  

3. Vermont — plus-3.12 scoring margin: Vermont ranks third nationally in scoring margin, showing balance on both sides of the field. 

2. Monmouth — plus-3.18 scoring margin: Monmouth’s defense has helped turn its high-scoring attack into the country’s second-widest average margin. 

1. Massachusetts — plus-4.10 scoring margin: The Minutewomen have combined the nation’s best scoring average with the best scoring margin, making them the most statistically complete team through Sept. 29. 

* Simmie Samra is a student-intern at Penn State University.  

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