Stevens, Widener, Christopher Newport hand upsets to opponents in NCAA DIII field hockey openers
The 2025 NCAA Division III field hockey season has started with a few surprises. Photo: Bob Benscoter
The NCAA Division III field hockey season is officially underway, and opening weekend delivered unexpected twists, upsets, and plenty of highlight moments.
Here’s a roundup of the standout performances and dramatic finishes that set the tone for an exciting season.
Unranked Stevens University unseated No. 10 York in a tight 2-1 battle, handing the Spartans an early upset to open their season. The Ducks led the second quarter and held strong defensively to take the win, sending a message that they’re not to be overlooked.
Bryn Mawr, ranked No. 15 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association preseason poll, also stumbled against an unranked opponent, falling 3-2 to Widener in another surprise result. Widener scored their third goal in the second half to take the edge and win.
A top-10 showdown that didn’t break as expected: No. 6 Christopher Newport toppled No. 5 Johns Hopkins 5-3 in a high-scoring clash. The Captains’ offense surged in the second half, scoring four goals.
No. 7 Babson was tested twice, first defeating Endicott in a 4-3 nail-biter, then grinding out a 2-1 win over No. 22 Swarthmore to remain unbeaten. The second game was more physical as three warning cards were given, two to Babson and one to Swarthmore.
No. 18 Ursinus battled No. 14 Rowan in one of the weekend’s closest contests, with the Profs escaping in a game that could have gone either way. The final score was 2-0 favoring Rowan. Ursinus returned to the pitch to handle No. 20 Ithaca for their first win of the season, a narrow 2-1 victory
No. 17 Lynchburg controlled the game versus Denison 2-0, allowing them three shots, but none of them were on goal. They flexed the same team energy against DePauw the next day. Lynchburg won 4-0 and didn’t allow any shots to their opponent.
No. 11 Shenandoah also impressed, posting one shutout and a game-winning goal by Reagan Flory in overtime against unranked Denison. This put the Hornets firmly on the radar as a team to watch this season.
No. 12 SUNY Cortland met No. 19 Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a neutral-site contest hosted by Montclair State. Olivia Specht netted the game winner 3:57 into overtime. Cortland is 1-1 on the year and MIT is 0-1. The Cortland field hockey team dropped their first contest 1-0 to Montclair State.
Score highlights from August 29:
No. 7 Babson vs Endicott, 4-3
No. 20 Ithaca @ Kean, 3-0
Stevens @ No. 10 York, 2-1
Widener @ No. 15 Bryn Mawr, 3-2
No. 18 Ursinus @ No. 14 Rowan, 0-2
No. 12 SUNY Cortland @ Montclair State, 0-1
No. 6 Christopher Newport vs Bridgewater, 6-0
Washington & Lee @ No. 5 Johns Hopkins, 2-4
Score highlights from August 30:
No. 11 Shenandoah @ DePauw, 4-0
No. 12 SUNY Cortland vs No. 19 MIT, 2-1 (OT)
No. 17 Lynchburg @ Denison, 2-0
Score highlights from August 31:
No. 11 Shenandoah @ Denison, 2-1
Stockton @ No. 3 Salisbury, 2-5
DePauw vs No. 17 Lynchburg, 0-4
No. 5 Johns Hopkins vs No. 6 Christopher Newport, 3-5
No. 22 Swarthmore @ No. 7 Babson, 1-2
No. 20 Ithaca @ No. 18 Ursinus, 1-2
Immaculata @ No. 15 Bryn Mawr, 1-10
Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Sydney Madden is a student-intern at Penn State University.