Ohio State women’s field hockey rejoins nationally ranked college programs in week five DI poll: NFHCA
Zoé Gaillard (Liberty), Emma Watchilla (Virginia), and Ava Smith (St. Joe’s) delivered standout performances last week, showcasing their exceptional skills and leadership on the field.
The Ohio State University is back in the rankings this week after handing now-No. 12 Maryland a stunning overtime upset.
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association week five poll was published Tuesday. The ranking is a composite vote of association member coaches.
This past week, Tracey Fuchs reached a major milestone, earning her 250th win as head coach of No. 1-ranked Northwestern. Fuchs, who has led the program since 2009, was celebrated after the Wildcats 3-1 win over No. 10 Iowa.
While No. 2 Virginia and No. 9 Duke held their respective spots, their matchup was a thriller from start to finish. The Blue Devils pushed the game into double overtime before Virginia’s Emma Watchilla ended the game with an unassisted goal.
Liberty, sitting at No. 7, watched Zoé Gaillard deliver a recent record-breaking performance, scoring five goals on just six shots. The freshman broke the previous single-game program record of four goals, held by Martu Cian, Hannah Doherty, Ashlee Krulock, and Natalie Barr.
Rutgers, ranked No. 14, continued their dominance over Michigan State, notching a 10th straight win in their matchups since 2016.
At No. 20, Saint Joseph’s graduate Ava Smith had a history-making game in a 9-0 win over Lock Haven. Smith tied the program’s single-game record with four goals and set a new record with nine points, thanks to an additional assist.
Last year’s national Division I champions — Northwestern — and Harvard are the only two teams at this point in the season that remain undefeated.
According to the NFHCA, the poll is voted on by designated NFHCA member coaches from each conference and has no bearing on selection to the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship.
Bolded teams have moved positions higher or lower from week-to-week.
20. Saint Joseph’s, 7-4 (19)
19. Louisville, 5-5 (18)
18. Miami University, 7-4 (unranked)
17. Yale, 7-2 (16)
16. UMass Amherst, 10-2 (14)
15. Ohio State University, 6-5 (unranked)
14. Rutgers, 7-5 (15)
13. Monmouth, 8-2 (13)
12. Maryland, 7-4 (11)
11. Michigan, 8-3 (12)
10. Iowa, 7-2 (10)
9. Duke, 7-4 (9)
8. Princeton, 6-3 (8)
7. Liberty, 9-1 (6)
5. Wake Forest, 9-2 (7)
5. Syracuse, 9-2 (5)
4. Harvard, 10-0 (4)
3. North Carolina, 10-1 (3)
2. Virginia, 9-0 (2)
1. Northwestern, 10-0 (1)
Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Sydney Madden is a student-intern at Penn State University.