PHILADELPHIA - The BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by JEEP opened Friday afternoon with No. 1 seed UConn taking down No. 4 seed Villanova 1-0. To cap off the evening, No. 3 seed Old Dominion upset No. 2 seed Liberty 1-0. Both the Huskies and the Monarchs will advance to Sunday's title match at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
No. 3 UConn 1, Villanova 0
After three scoreless quarters, BIG EAST Freshman and Co-Offensive Player of the Year Lucy Zich broke through with the game-winning goal at the 52:06 mark. Zich found the back of the cage off an assist from Charlotte Ritter to give the Huskies the decisive 1-0 advantage.
UConn controlled the offensive opportunities, finishing with a 10-6 advantage in shots and a 7-2 edge in shots on goal. Zich led the Huskies with five shots, including three on goal, while Abby Davidson added two shots on goal.
The Huskies’ defense held Villanova scoreless throughout the contest, with BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Natalie McKenna making one save to secure the shutout. Marlijn Swaan recorded a defensive save off a penalty corner in the third quarter, while Villanova’s Gemma Lysaght came up with a defensive save in the fourth quarter to keep the Wildcats within striking distance. Villanova goalkeeper Maddi Sears finished with five saves.
With the victory, UConn improved to 15-1 overall and advanced to the BIG EAST Championship game, where the Huskies will face the winner of the Liberty-Old Dominion semifinal.
No. 13 Liberty 0, Old Dominion 1
Old Dominion pulled off an upset on Friday, shutting out No. 13-ranked and defending 2025 BIG EAST Field Hockey champion Liberty 1-0. The third-seeded Monarchs knocked off the second-seeded Lady Flames to advance to Sunday’s championship game.
After three scoreless quarters, junior forward Lotte Haagmans broke through with the game-winning goal on a penalty corner at the 51:13 mark. Haagmans finished a scoring opportunity off assists from Serena Langendoen and Nicolette Saccomandi to give the Monarchs the decisive advantage.
Liberty controlled much of the offensive pressure, finishing with a 19-8 advantage in shots and a 7-6 edge in shots on goal. However, Old Dominion goalkeeper Suus Broers delivered a standout performance, tying a season-high seven saves to preserve the shutout. The Monarchs also received a strong defensive effort, limiting the Lady Flames to just two shots in the first half before holding them scoreless over the final 30 minutes. This was the first time Liberty has been held scoreless all season.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Serena Langendoen contributed on both ends of the field, assisting on the game-winner while leading ODU with four shots. Haagmans recorded two shots, both on target, and converted the decisive opportunity.
With the victory, Old Dominion improved to 14-4 overall and advanced to the BIG EAST Championship game, where the Monarchs will look to capture their second conference tournament title. They know hold a strong 4-2 lead over Liberty all-time in postseason play.
BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by JEEP
Semifinals – Friday, November 6 – ESPN+
No. 1 UConn 1, No. 4 Villanova 0
No. 2 Liberty 0, No. 3 Old Dominion 1
Finals – Sunday, November 8 – ESPN+
No. 1 UConn, No. 3 Old Dominion 12 p.m. ET