EVANSTON, Ill. – The Saint Joseph's field hockey team saw its season come to an end at Lakeside Field on Friday as the Hawks fell to top-ranked and top-seeded Northwestern, 5-0, in the First Round of the 2026 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
• Northwestern (19-2) opened the scoring three minutes into the game on a goal by Ashley Sessa. Bree Moffett then put home a rebound on a corner to double the lead after the first.
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• The Wildcats added two more in the second quarter as Sessa deflected a pass home early in the frame before Raquel Hofmeister scored in the final minute to push the NU lead to 4-0.
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• Saint Joseph's (12-10) asserted itself in the second half, controlling more possession and setting up some chances, but ultimately Laura Salamanca's goal late in the fourth quarter for the Wildcats was the only tally to hit the scoreboard.
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BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Northwestern held a 22-5 advantage in shots on the day, with an 11-3 edge in corners.
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Avianna Wagner made eight saves in the cage for the Hawks, while Juliana Boon had two for the Wildcats.
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HAWK TALK
"I just want to highlight how proud I am of our program," head coach
Sam Brown said in the postgame press conference. "In year one, to make it to this stage of the tournament, is something that I'm proud of. The team has worked incredibly hard to get here."
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The Hawks finish the season 12-10, having reached the NCAA Tournament as Atlantic 10 champions for the sixth consecutive season, tying a league record, and for the ninth time in the last 10 years; Saint Joseph's also earned a win in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season, one of just six programs to achieve that feat.
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