Wake Forest bump up to top 10 ranking in week four college field hockey poll after North Carolina upset: NFHCA
The NFHCA week poll features teams from the Big Ten, ACC, A-10, MAC, Ivy League, Big East and Coastal Athletic Association.
The excitement for October field hockey is building as tournament season approaches.
Currently, three collegiate field hockey programs remain unbeaten for the 2025 Fall season: one from the Big Ten, one from the Atlantic Coast Conference, and one from the Ivy League.
The week four National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I poll, released on Tuesday, features teams from these three conferences, plus one Big East team, all within the top 10.
A notable newcomer to the poll is Appalachian State.
The Mountaineers secured their first ranked win since 2023 by defeating the then No. 18 James Madison Dukes in Boone, North Carolina. Sophia Baxter, Lise Boekaar, Frederique Grimbergen, Hadley Kuzmicky, and Kassie Paul each scored in their thrilling 5-4 overtime victory.
Boekaar scored the game-winner in the come-from-behind win.
The Cavaliers, who boast Division I national titles in 1991, 1993, and 2009, have climbed to No. 2 and remain undefeated as they seek their next trophy.
Last season's Division I national champions, Northwestern, also continue their winning streak. Interestingly, it was Northwestern that eliminated the Cavaliers from title contention last year in a 3-2 overtime clash.
For college field hockey fans, a must-watch game is scheduled at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Virginia, where the No. 2 Cavaliers will host the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils in what promises to be an ACC barn burner.
In the Ivy League, Harvard has steadily held the No. 4 spot for the second consecutive week and, along with Cornell, is 2-0 in league play. The Crimson will host the University of Pennsylvania this Saturday in Cambridge for an Ivy League matchup.
Freshman Linde Berge deserves a mention for stepping into cage in all eight games for Harvard’s dominant senior goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo, who is rehabbing an injury.
Wake Forest had the biggest jump on the poll this week going from No. 13 to 7. The Demon Deacons lost to Iowa and Michigan at the start of the season, but have since not looked back at the column.
This past weekend, in a southern state that can as quickly debate the best barbeque style like it can defend its favorite sports team, Wake Forest had a significant upset against then-ranked No. 2 North Carolina.
In a thrilling match, Mia Schoenbeck scored the decisive goal, with assists from Lauren Storey and Mia Montag on a double overtime attack penalty corner, leading the Piedmont Triad university to a 2-1 victory.
The Demon Deacons are currently on an impressive run, having defeated ranked opponents Syracuse, Boston College, and now UNC.
Wake Forest, in their contest against Carolina, scored their winning goal with one player down, following a yellow card being administered and the final attack penalty corner of the game awarded.
Monmouth, the only Coastal Athletic Association team on the list, will start conference play this weekend. The Hawks are quietly working their way up the ranking comfortably finding themselves in the middle at a prime time point of the 2025 campaign.
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, 6-4 (15)
19. James Madison, 7-4 (18)
18. Louisville, 5-4 (16)
17. Appalachian, 8-1 (unranked)
16. Yale, 6-1 (17)
15. Rutgers, 6-4 (19)
14. UMass-Amherst, 9-1 (11)
13. Monmouth, 7-2 (14)
12. Michigan, 6-3 (12)
11. Maryland, 6-3 (10)
10. Iowa, 7-1 (9)
9. Duke, 6-3 (7)
8. Princeton, 5-3 (8)
7. Wake Forest, 7-2 (13)
6. Liberty, 7-1 (5)
5. Syracuse, 8-2 (6)
4. Harvard, 8-0 (4)
3. North Carolina, 9-1 (2)
2. Virginia, 8-0 (3)
1. Northwestern, 9-0 (1)
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