INDIANAPOLIS – Fresh off of winning its third consecutive Atlantic 10 championship, the 15^th-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team will meet #4 Virginia in College Park, Maryland, in the First Round of the 2023 Division I Field Hockey Championship on Friday afternoon.
 
Game time between the Hawks and Cavaliers is set for 2:30 p.m.  The winner will take on the winner of a matchup between #8 Maryland and Old Dominion next Sunday for a spot in the national semifinals.
 
Saint Joseph's (16-4) earned its berth via a 2-1 win over #20 UMass in the Atlantic 10 championship game on Saturday.  Hailey Bitters found the back of the cage on a corner in the third quarter to put the Hawks on top, and the Hawk defense held the Minutewomen to a single shot over the final 20 minutes to secure the program's sixth A-10 crown in seven years.
 
Virginia received an at-large bid into the field after falling to North Carolina, 3-2, in the ACC semifinals.  Prior to that defeat, the Cavaliers had won five games in a row.  The Hawks and Cavaliers met earlier this season, with Virginia taking a 2-1 win at Ellen Ryan Field on September 1.
 
The Hawks met three teams this season that reached the Championship.  In addition to the Cavaliers, Saint Joseph's took on both Harvard and top-seeded North Carolina.
 
Check SJUHawks.com and the Hawks' social media channels for more information as it becomes available.