WASHINGTON – The fifth-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team earned the second seed in the 2024 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship and will take on third-seeded Richmond on Thursday, November 7, at Ellen Ryan Field.
 
The Hawks finished the regular season 15-3 overall and 6-1 in the Atlantic 10 after shutting out La Salle, 3-0, at home on Friday.  The Hawks are the three-time defending tournament champions and have won each of the last two A-10 Championships contested at Ellen Ryan Field; SJU topped VCU, 1-0, in the title game in both 2018 and 2021.  This is the fifth time the tournament will be contested along City Avenue as Saint Joseph's hosted the event at Ellen Ryan Field in 2011 and 2015 as well.
 
UMass, ranked 15th in the most recent NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, finished the regular season 14-4 overall and 7-0 in the Atlantic 10 to earn the league's regular season title for the first time since 2014.  The Minutewomen topped the Hawks, 2-1, in overtime at Ellen Ryan Field on September 27; SJU and UMass have met in each of the last two league championship games.
 
Richmond finished the regular season at 11-7 overall and 5-2 in conference play and grabbed the third seed after beating VCU on Friday.  The Spiders visited Hawk Hill on October 18, with Saint Joseph's recording a 7-0 victory.  The two teams last met in the postseason in the semifinals of the 2021 Championship as the Hawks earned an 8-1 win at Ellen Ryan Field.
 
VCU is seeded fourth with a 4-3 conference record and an overall mark of 11-6.  The Hawks collected a 4-2 road victory at Cary Street Field on October 11 to extend their regular season winning streak over the Rams to 10 games.  SJU and VCU last met in the postseason when the Hawks topped the Rams, 2-1, in the 2022 semifinals.  The two programs met in three out of four title games between 2018 and 2021, with SJU winning in 2018 and 2021 and VCU winning in 2020; in all three instances, the tournament host won the championship game.
 
The first semifinal between UMass and VCU is set for 11:00 a.m., with the Hawks and Spiders facing off at 2:00 p.m.  The championship game is set for Saturday, November 9, at noon.
 
Tickets for the 2024 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship are $10 for adults, $7 for children, and free for students with an ID from an Atlantic 10 institution.  All three games of the Championship will be streamed domestically on ESPN+ and internationally on the Atlantic 10 Network.