PHILADELPHIA – The 2026 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by JEEP begins Friday with semifinal action at Howarth Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Temple University will be serving as the host site for the championship for the third time in program history and second since 2023.
Top-seeded UConn faces No. 4 Villanova in the opener at 1 p.m. ET, followed by No. 2 Liberty against No. 3 Old Dominion at 4 p.m. ET. The semifinal winners will meet Sunday at 12 p.m. ET for the title and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 18-team NCAA Tournament field includes 10 conference champions and eight at-large selections. Teams must have an overall won-lost record of .500 or better and have completed a minimum of 11 contests. The 2026 NCAA Field Hockey Selection Show is set for Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
All three BIG EAST Championship contests will stream live on ESPN+ with Ainslee Lamb and Kevin Copp on the call.
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Villanova, 1 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Third-ranked UConn (14-1, 6-0 BIG EAST) will face Villanova (10-7, 3-3 BIG EAST) in Friday’s first BIG EAST semifinal.
UConn enters the semifinal matchup with a commanding 39-7 advantage in the all-time series against Villanova, averaging four goals per game against the Wildcats. The Huskies have won three consecutive meetings and nine of the last 10, including a 3-1 victory in their most recent contest on Sept. 18 in Storrs, Conn.
UConn has been led offensively by BIG EAST Freshman and Co-Offensive Player of the Year Lucy Zich, who paces the team with 12 goals and 29 points, while senior forward Olivia McKenna ranks second with six goals and 18 points. Charlotte Ritter leads the Huskies with eight assists. BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Natalie McKenna anchors the defense, leading the BIG EAST with a 0.72 goals-against average while ranking second with a .750 save percentage and recording six shutouts on the year. As a team, the Huskies average 2.80 goals per game while allowing just 0.80. UConn will look to carry its success on both ends of the field into Friday’s semifinal as it pursues a spot in the BIG EAST Championship game.
Villanova enters the matchup looking to snap UConn’s three-game winning streak in the all-time series. The Wildcats’ most recent win over the Huskies was a 2-1 victory during the 2023 regular season. Villanova has averaged just 0.87 goals per game against UConn in the all-time series and will look to its veteran offensive leaders to break through against the Huskies. The Wildcats’ offense has been led by Ava Borkowski, who leads the team with 12 goals and 26 points. Gemma Lysaght ranks second with 24 points, recording eight goals and eight assists, while Colleen Finnan has added nine goals and 22 points. Maeve Boston leads the team with 12 assists. In goal, Maddi Sears has recorded 75 saves with a .758 save percentage and a 1.54 goals-against average. As a team, the Wildcats average 3.18 goals per game while allowing 1.53.
Villanova returns to the BIG EAST Tournament for the third time in four years and seeks its second league crown, with its last coming in 1990. The Wildcats’ most recent BIG EAST semifinal victory came in 2005, when they defeated Providence, 4-1, before falling to UConn, 3-2, in overtime in the championship game. Villanova will look to end its semifinal drought and earn its first championship-game appearance since 2005.
No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 3 Old Dominion, 4 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The defending 2025 BIG EAST Field Hockey champion and No. 13-ranked Liberty (13-5, 5-1 BIG EAST) will face Old Dominion (13-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) Friday’s second BIG EAST semifinal.
Liberty and Old Dominion will meet for the 22nd time, with the Lady Flames holding a 12-9 advantage in the all-time series. The Monarchs are Liberty’s most frequent all-time opponent. The Lady Flames earned a 2-0 victory in the teams’ most recent meeting on Oct. 2 in Lynchburg, Va., and have won the last two matchups.
Liberty has been led offensively by BIG EAST Co-Midfielder of the Year Clarisa Iudicello, who paces the team with 10 goals and 24 points. Junior forward Josefina Tomasi and sophomore midfielder Julieta Tornati are tied for second on the squad with nine goals apiece, while Tomasi ranks second with 22 points. Paris-Gail Isaacs and Mia Santana lead the Lady Flames with six assists each. In goal, sophomore Diane Saint Martin has recorded 45 saves with a .634 save percentage, a 1.50 goals-against average and four shutouts. As a team, Liberty averages 3.47 goals per game while allowing 1.59.
As the defending BIG EAST champions, the Lady Flames will look to carry their success into the postseason and capture their second consecutive league title. A semifinal victory would put Liberty one win away from successfully defending its championship and earning back-to-back titles.
Old Dominion enters the matchup looking to avenge its recent losses to Liberty, with the Monarchs’ last victory over the Lady Flames coming in a 3-2 regular season matchup in 2024. The Monarchs have been led offensively by BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Serena Langendoen, who leads the team with 17 goals and 40 points on the year. Langendoen has been one of the BIG EAST’s top offensive threats, leading the conference in goals, points, shots (86), shots on goal (45) and game-winning goals (6). Sofia Marciano and Lotte Haagmans are tied for second on the team with 22 points apiece, each recording nine goals and four assists. Nicolette Saccomandi leads the team with nine assists, followed by Josie Painter with seven. In goal, senior Suus Broers has recorded 47 saves with a .681 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average, along with three shutouts. As a team, the Monarchs average 3.29 goals per game while allowing 1.71.
Liberty has held the advantage in recent meetings with Old Dominion, winning eight of the 13 matchups dating back to the 2020-21 season and outscoring the Monarchs, 25-16, during that stretch. Liberty averages 1.92 goals per game against ODU, while the Monarchs average 1.23, with both teams combining just over three goals per contest. Liberty has won the last two matchups, shutting out ODU by scores of 1-0 in 2025 and 2-0 in 2026, despite the Monarchs averaging 3.29 goals per game. However, ODU has found success against Liberty in the BIG EAST Tournament, holding a 3-2 record in five postseason meetings. In each of its three victories, the Monarchs limited the Lady Flames to just one goal, including a 3-1 win in the 2023 championship game. ODU will look to carry that postseason success into Friday’s semifinal and break through against a Liberty team that has kept the Monarchs off the scoreboard in their last two meetings.
BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship Presented by JEEP
Semifinals – Friday, November 6 – ESPN+
No. 4 Villanova vs. No. 1 UConn, 1 p.m. ET
No. 3 Old Dominion vs. No. 2 Liberty, 4 p.m. ET
Finals – Sunday, November 8 – ESPN+
Semifinal Winners, 12 p.m. ET