CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Massachusetts Minutewomen (19-2) defeated No. 6 Yale (14-4), 1-0 in the 2026 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament first round on Friday, Nov. 13, at Berylson Field in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Elani Sherwood scored the only goal on a backhand through traffic at the near post at 26:24.

Goalkeeper Rozarie Mrazova made eight saves over 60 minutes to secure the shutout for UMass. Mrazova stopped Chiara Picciafuoco at 7:57 and Maddie Leathem at 14:25 during a scoreless opening period in which Yale outshot UMass 3-2. After Sherwood put UMass ahead in the second period, Mrazova denied Victoria Collee at 29:30 to preserve the 1-0 halftime lead.

Yale applied its heaviest pressure in the third period, generating six shots and seven penalty corners. Mrazova answered with five saves, including stops against Gigi Caldero and Leathem six seconds apart. A save on Issy Baileff at 42:28 was Mrazova's fifth of the period and eighth of the game.

UMass also threatened in the third period, earning its only two penalty corners of the game. Yale goalkeeper Amelie Schwarzkopf saved a shot by Fiene Jenniskens at 33:57, then stopped Chiara Curcio one second later. Schwarzkopf finished with four saves in 55:16, keeping the Bulldogs within one goal despite UMass putting five of its nine shots on target.

The Minutewomen limited Yale to one shot in the fourth period, blocking Collee's attempt following a penalty corner at 52:57. Yale removed Schwarzkopf at 55:16 for an extra field player, but UMass protected its lead through the final 4:44 without allowing another shot.

Emily Barrett led UMass with three shots, while Sherwood and Jenniskens each had two. Both of Jenniskens' attempts were on goal. Baileff paced Yale with four shots, including three on goal, and Leathem put both attempts on target. Yale finished with an 11-9 advantage in shots, an 8-5 edge in shots on goal and a 9-2 margin in penalty corners.

UMass now prepares for a rematch with No. 3 Harvard on Sunday, November 15 at 1PM ET from the very same Berylson Field in which the Minutewomen handed the Crimson its only regular season loss by way of a 3-1 final score back in September.