PHILADELPHIA - The 2026 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by JEEP concludes on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET when No. 3 seed Old Dominion faces No. 1 seed UConn at Howarth Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The title game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Ainslee Lamb and Kevin Copp on the call. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship will receive the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
In the semifinals on Friday, the Huskies topped No. 4 seed Villanova 1-0. After three scoreless quarters, freshman forward Lucy Zich delivered the game-winning goal at the 52:06 mark off an assist from Charlotte Ritter. The Monarchs took down No. 2 seed and defending BIG EAST champion Liberty 1-0. Old Dominion broke the scoreless tie at 51:13 on a penalty corner, as Zalewski’s delivery found Saccomandi, who set up Langendoen before she sent a misdirect to Haagmans for the game-winning goal. Senior goalkeeper Suus Broers matched her season high with seven saves to earn her third shutout of the year.
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 3 Old Dominion, 12 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Live Stats
The No. 3-ranked Huskies (15-1, 6-0 BIG EAST) look to add their 21st BIG EAST championship to the shelf, while the Monarchs (14-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) aim to capture their second BIG EAST tournament title, returning to the championship game for the first time since 2023.
The matchup features two of the conference’s top offenses, with Old Dominion averaging 3.17 goals per game and UConn averaging 2.44. The Monarchs have scored 57 goals this season, while the Huskies have recorded 39. Old Dominion has also generated 14.11 shots per game, compared with UConn’s 13.69.
Defensively, UConn holds the advantage, allowing just 0.75 goals per game and recording ten shutouts. Old Dominion averages 1.61 goals allowed per contest and has six shutouts. The Huskies’ defensive unit will look to limit a Monarchs offense that has been one of the league’s most productive throughout the season.
UConn has been led by Lucy Zich, the BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, who has recorded 13 goals this season and earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors six times this season. Natalie McKenna, the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, has helped lead a defensive unit that has allowed just 12 goals through the regular season. The Huskies will look to rely on that defensive strength as they pursue another conference title. Led by head coach Paul Caddy, he and his staff were recognized as the unanimous BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Old Dominion features one of the BIG EAST’s most dynamic offensive threats in Langendoen, the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. The junior leads the league with 17 goals and 41 points, while also pacing the conference in shots, shots on goal and game-winning goals. Haagmans has added 10 goals, while Sofia Marciano has contributed nine goals and four assists. Broers has anchored the Monarchs in goal, totaling 54 saves entering Sunday’s matchup.
The teams last met on Oct. 23 in Norfolk, Va., where UConn earned a 3-0 victory. UConn is 9-1 in their last ten matchups against Old Dominion. The Huskies hold a 27-25 advantage in the all-time series, including a 6-0 record against the Monarchs in BIG EAST Tournament play. Old Dominion is 1-7 against UConn in all postseason meetings, including NCAA Tournament contests. The Monarchs’ lone postseason victory came in the 1983 NCAA Tournament, when they defeated the Huskies, 3-1. UConn has recorded 11 shutouts in the all-time series, compared with three for Old Dominion.
For more on the BIG EAST Championship, visit Championship Central here.
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