Field Hockey

No. 4 UMass Seals Road Shutout for 10-0 Start

Sunday’s Field Hockey Results
Ball State 3, Longwood 1
James Madison 2, Kent State 1
No. 4 UMass 3, Central Michigan 0
No. 16 Miami 2, App State 1
Ohio 3, Bellarmine 2

Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments

Ball State 3, Longwood 1
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Ball State field hockey team snapped its recent four-game skid in definitive fashion Sunday afternoon, pulling out a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Longwood University at the Briner Sports Complex.

The Cardinals set the tone early, showcasing an aggressive and highly structured offensive game plan that allowed them to completely dominate the scoring circle. Ball State's unrelenting pressure consistently kept the Lancers on their heels, creating a multitude of high-quality opportunities inside the critical zone.

The breakthrough came via clinical execution on a first-quarter penalty corner. Jade Vandevoorde inserted the ball to Emily Kate Covert, who perfectly setup Lauren Lewis for the game's opening goal. Both defenses then dug in, keeping the scoreboard quiet and allowing Ball State to carry a 1-0 advantage into intermission.

Ball State extended its cushion in the third quarter when Emma-Lynn Harter found the back of the cage off an assist from Lewis. The Cardinals continued to leverage their set-piece draws to stretch the Longwood backline and generate high-danger scoring looks, executing flawlessly on both ends of the pitch to carry a 2-0 lead into the final 15 minutes of action.

Longwood answered early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit, but Vandevoorde quickly restored breathing room for the Cardinals, striking a few minutes later off a sharp assist from Vivienne Quinn. From there, the Ball State defense remained steadfast, neutralizing the Lancers' transitional counterattacks to secure the victory.

The performance marked the Cardinals' most explosive offensive showing of the season, yielding 21 shots (16 on goal) and a game-high 12 penalty corners.

With the crucial Mid-American Conference victory securely in hand, Ball State moves back into the win column as they prepare to head out on a three-game road trip.

James Madison 2, Kent State 1
Box Score
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison field hockey (2-6, 2-1 MAC) rallied for a 2-1 win over Kent State (2-8, 1-2 MAC) on home turf Sunday afternoon as Avery Ruckman scored the game-winning goal early in the third quarter.

The Dukes were not only aided by Ruckman's clutch strike but also a three-point performance from Sydney Raguini and three major saves in goal by Lilly Sweeney. Additionally, Azul Covarrubias led the Dukes in shot attempts, putting four on the board while Puck Jansen recorded three shots of her own to help steady JMU's attack. 

After an even first quarter, JMU pummeled Kent State with seven shots and four penalty corners in the second period. The Dukes concluded the contest with an 11-7 edge in shots, a 5-4 lead in shots on goal and a 6-3 advantage in penalty corners.

How It Happened

  • The Dukes' defense stepped up early when Lilly Sweeney stopped Kent State's first shot on goal from a penalty corner with her right-hand glove.
  • The Golden Flashes cracked the scoreboard first when Alexa Knott connected a pass to Eva Usoz, who found the back of the net in the 24th minute.
  • The Dukes made short work of an equalizer after falling behind, turning defense into offense when Raguini raced up the field to score a one-on-one goal following a clearance from a Kent State penalty corner.
  • Raguini worked the ball well into the middle of the circle, firing a pass to the waiting Ruckman. The Edgewater, Md., native polished the play off by scoring her third goal in the Dukes' last five games to put JMU in front 2-1 in the 36th minute.

Game Notes

  • With the win, James Madison extended its win streak over Kent State to six games. Additionally, the Dukes are now 14-4 all-time versus the Golden Flashes and a perfect 9-0 at home in the series.
  • James Madison collected its first come-from-behind win of the season. Prior to Sunday, the Dukes were 0-5 when their opponent scored first in 2026.
  • The Dukes picked up their first home win since a 4-1 victory against Central Michigan in the 2025 MAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
  • Raguini has scored goals in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. The Virginia Beach, Va., native's three points in Sunday's win are the most points she has recorded in a single game, giving her five points this year, which matches Raguini's season total from a year ago.
  • With her third goal in the Dukes' last five games, Ruckman has tied Brynna Hill for the team lead in points with six and goals with three on the season. Like Raguini, Ruckman has also scored goals in two consecutive games for JMU.

Up Next
James Madison travels to Farmville, Va., to take on Longwood in its next MAC matchup Friday at 5 p.m.

No. 4 UMass 3, Central Michigan 0
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The fourth-ranked University of Massachusetts field hockey team scored three second-half goals to pull away from Central Michigan on Sunday, winning 3-0 to remain undefeated on the season at 10-0. Chiara Curcio, Neva Eisenga and Emily Barrett all found the back of the cage off corners, while the defense allowed a single shot and zero shots on goal for its fifth straight shutout. At 10-0, UMass is off to its best start to a season since 1992.

There was only one shot by either side in the first half, coming off UMass' stick, before the Minutewomen pulled away in the second.

Sophia Ponzini had the game's first shot in the 28th minute, with neither team having a first-half corner either.

The Minutewomen went on to generate five second-half penalty corners, scoring on three of them. The first came off the stick of Curcio just 3:14 into the third quarter.

The 1-0 margin remained until midway through the fourth when UMass scored twice in 1:58. First, Eisenga scored her fourth goal of the season on a direct shot off a corner at the 51:58 mark. Less than two minutes later, Barrett made an impressive deflection past Central Michigan goalkeeper Judith van Aartsen, batting it out of midair to make it 3-0, which stood to be the final.

Final shots were 7-1 in favor of UMass, with the Minutewomen holding a 6-0 edge in shots on goal. UMass had five corners to the Chippewas' one. Rozárie Mrázová anchored the back line in goal, while a pair of Central Michigan goalies made three saves. The Minutewomen have outscored their opponents 46-5 this season, including 25-0 over the last five games.

UMass now returns to the East coast for a big weekend, hosting a pair of nationally-ranked opponents. First, the Minutewomen welcome Miami (OH) Friday at 2 p.m. for a huge MAC showdown. They then travel to UConn on Sunday to face the Huskies at 1 p.m.

No. 16 Miami 2, App State 1
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio – No. 16 Miami defeated Appalachian State Sunday 2-1 after holding the Mountaineers to just one shot and no penalty corners all game. Sophomores Justina Intzes and Malena Sabez were the goal scorers for Miami, bringing their respective season goal counts to five and six. Miami improves to 6-3 with the win (3-0 MAC) while App State falls to 5-5 (1-2 MAC) with the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • Intzes put Miami ahead early, picking up a deflection on a wide shot and capitalizing to make it 1-0 just four minutes into play.
  • After two Miami penalty corners to start the second quarter, App State took over possession and broke away, running down the field to score the equalizer and make it 1-1. The RedHawks took five more shots before halftime, but the game remained tied.
  • Miami's offense was persistent in the third quarter, taking seven shots and running five penalty corners, but App State's defense held strong.
  • With seven minutes to play, the RedHawks broke the tie as Kylie Coughlin and Jülia Fernandez set up Sabez for her sixth goal of the season on a penalty corner.
  • Miami's defense held off the Mountaineers to finish out the 2-1 win and stay perfect in conference play.

MIAMI GAME NOTES:

  • The RedHawks took 24 shots during the game (12 on target) and held the Mountaineers to just one.
  • Miami generated 14 corners and did not allow any to App State.
  • Sabez took six shots (five on goal).
  • Intzes took three shots.
  • Máxi Aguirregomezcorta took seven shots.
  • Judit Garcia Gregori took two shots.

UP NEXT: The RedHawks will take on fourth-ranked UMass this Friday, Oct. 2 in a road rematch of the 2025 MAC Championship game at 2 p.m. They will remain on the East Coast to battle New Hampshire on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 12 p.m.

Ohio 3, Bellarmine 2
Box Score
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Ohio field hockey team (4-4 overall, 2-1 MAC) returned to action on Sunday (Sept. 27) afternoon, defeating Bellarmine (1-7 overall, 1-2 MAC), 3-2, on the road to close out a 2-0 weekend.  

The Bobcats went down 2-0, but scored three unanswered goals to complete the comeback, with the last goal coming with under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.  

Overall, Ohio scored three goals on eight shots on goal, while Bellarmine scored two goals with five shots on goal. 

Individually, junior forward Mia Scheulen (St. Louis, Mo.) had two goals, including the eventual game winner. Junior back Deborah James (Hertfordshire, England) had two assists, setting up both of Scheulen's goals. Senior forward Natalie LaFleur (Fredericksburg, Va.) had one goal with one shot on goal.   

In goal, junior Molly Schreiner (State College, Pa.) played all 60 minutes and allowed two goals while making three saves.  

Ohio had the first shot and penalty corner in the game, but Bellarmine got on the board first in the first period, scoring after a series of penalty corners to take a 1-0 lead. The Bobcats got one more shot before the period ended but finished the first frame down a goal.  

In the second period they continued to attack, earning two penalty corners but neither resulted in a goal, despite the shots on goal from James. The rest of the period was a defensive battle where neither team scored, and Ohio went into halftime down 1-0.  

The Knights wasted no time coming out of the break, scoring their second goal of the day two minutes into the third period.  

Two minutes later, Scheulen got Ohio on the board with her first goal of the season for Ohio, coming off a penalty corner and an assist by James.  

The goals for the Bobcats came in bunches, as two minutes later they tied the game thanks to a goal from LaFleur. It was a great run from the forward, getting into open space before slotting the ball around the goalkeeper to tie the game at two.  

Both teams traded shots and penalty corners before the period ended, as a huge third period set up a massive fourth period.  

Ohio was the aggressor in the final frame, starting the quarter with a penalty corner before earning a few more that were able to find the boards for a goal.  

The offense stayed persistent, as one more penalty corner gave Ohio the winning goal, as James found Scheulen in front of the goal, setting up a great shot that put Ohio ahead with less than five minutes left. 

Bellarmine didn't quit as the Knights earned four more penalty corners before the final whistle blew, but the Ohio defense stepped up and blocked shots while Schreiner made a huge save on the final shot of the game to preserve the victory. 

Up next, Ohio returns home to Pruitt Field on Friday (Oct. 2) to play Central Michigan in the Turn it Gold game. First touch is set for 3 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.