OXFORD, Ohio – The 2026 MAC Field Hockey Championship begins today with a pair of quarterfinal matchups on the campus of Miami University at Miami Field Hockey Complex.

Postseason play pushes back at 11:30 a.m. ET between No. 4 App State and No. 5 Kent State before No. 3 James Madison and No. 6 Ohio wrap up quarterfinal competition at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Both matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

The winner of the Mountaineers and Golden Flashes will move on to Thursday’s semifinals to face No. 1 Massachusetts, while the winner of the Dukes and Bobcats advances to face No. 2 Miami.

Below is a team-by-team preview ahead of Saturday’s postseason competition courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments. 

GAME 1: 11:30 AM ET | QUARTERFINALS | MIAMI FIELD HOCKEY COMPLEX
(OXFORD, OH)
No. 4 App State vs. No. 5 Kent State
ESPN+ | Live Stats

Team-By-Team Previews
No. 4 App State Mountaineers
The App State field hockey team begins the 2026 MAC Field Hockey Championship taking on fifth-seeded Kent State in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

The Mountaineers (9-9, 5-4 MAC) are coming off a Senior Day win over Longwood, shutting out the Lancers 3-0 on Friday. Sarah Callery, Morgan Hook and Baylie Phillips all found the back of the cage in the contest, with Sophia Baxter picking up an assist in the win.

Wednesday's game is a rematch of the Oct. 18 matchup between the Mountaineers and Golden Flashes, with Brynn Shaffer securing the comeback win after smashing a goal past the goalkeeper off a penalty corner.

No. 5 Kent State Golden Flashes
The Kent State Field Hockey team is preparing to play App State in the first round of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 11:30 in the morning. 
The game is the No. 4 vs No. 5 matchup in the tournament with the Mountaineers finishing the season in 4th place in the conference and Kent State placing in 5th, one win behind App State. 
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Kent State lost to App State on Oct. 18 in the regular season in one of the most thrilling games of the year. Led by goals from Alexa Knott and Eva Usoz, the Flashes took a 2-1 lead into the final frame. However, with just 103 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Sophia Baxter tied the game for App State off a penalty corner. The Mountaineers went onto win the game in overtime with a game-winning goal by Brynn Shaffer, stealing the victory away from Kent State in a playoff-type atmosphere. Now, the two teams will face off once more in an actual playoff game with a trip to the MAC semifinals on the line.   

The Golden Flashes snuck into the MAC Tournament as the No. 5 seed after defeating Ohio 3-1 in the regular season finale last Friday. Addie Gagnon, Mary Kate Finnan and Eva Usoz all scored for Kent State in the game, with assists tallied by Maybritt Duwel, Riley Welsch, and Alexa Knott. Gagnon's goal was her third of the season and she is now second on the team in scoring. Duwel's dish was her fourth of the season, putting her alone for the team lead in assists.   

Along with the potent offense, goalkeeper Michaela Skinner's defense was electric in the victory, holding the Bobcats scoreless through the first 57 minutes of the game. 
 

James Madison field hockey opens up the MAC Championship with a date in the quarterfinals against #6 Ohio at the Miami Field Hockey Complex in Oxford, Ohio.

Four first-half goals guided James Madison field hockey (6-6, 5-1 MAC) to its fifth consecutive win as the Dukes dominated Ohio, 6-0, in their last matchup. The Dukes executed at a high level offensively, registering season highs in both shooting percentage (.667) and shots-on-goal percentage (.889). JMU was efficient on penalty corners, converting three of its five opportunities into goals. Six different Dukes found the back of the net, while Azul Covarrubias, Avery Ruckman, Brynna Hill, Diede Donders and Emma Smit all tallied three points with a goal and an assist.

Since joining the conference in 2024, JMU has won at least one game in the MAC Tournament in both 2024 and 2025, getting to the title game in 2024. - The Dukes are 2-2 over the last couple of years in the MAC Tournament. - JMU has yet to win a MAC Tournament title since joining the league but the Dukes have four conference tournament titles to their credit, with the program’s last coming in 2008.

The sixth-seeded Ohio field hockey team (7-9) begins play at the 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 4 when the Bobcats take on No. 3 James Madison (8-8) in the quarterfinals. First touch is set for 2:30 p.m. ET at the Miami Field Hockey Complex in Oxford, Ohio and can be seen on ESPN+.  

Ohio finished the regular season 7-9 overall and 4-5 in MAC play. Redshirt freshman Tori Cisney leads Ohio with seven goals on the season and 15 points, while junior Deborah James scored four goals and had eight assists for 16 total points. Sophomore Ava Florence added five goals and one assist and 11 points for the Bobcats.

 In goal, junior Molly Schreiner started 15 games for the Bobcats, allowing 53 goals and making 81 saves for a .604 save percentage.