Saint Joseph’s field hockey team has unveiled a competitive schedule for the 2026 season, led by head coach Sam Brown. This season marks Brown’s inaugural year overseeing the program, featuring a difficult lineup designed to challenge the players.
Challenging Matchups Ahead
The 2026 schedule includes matchups against five conference champions from 2025 and seven teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last year. Notably, two of these teams reached the Final Four in the prior season.
Key Dates and Opponents
The Hawks begin their season with exhibition games on August 21 against Monmouth and on August 23 against Delaware. The official season opener is slated for August 28 against New Hampshire, the reigning champion of the America East conference. Following this, the team will play against UConn on August 30, while also competing in a neutral-site game against UNH on August 29 at Ellen Ryan Field.
- Exhibition games: August 21 (Monmouth) and August 23 (Delaware)
- Season opener: August 28 (New Hampshire)
- Match against UConn: August 30
- Host Big East champion Liberty: September 4
- Fourth game against Drexel: September 6
Following these initial matches, Saint Joseph’s continues its challenging schedule. A key rematch against Richmond, a previous Atlantic 10 title game opponent, is scheduled for September 25 at Ellen Ryan Field.
Conference and Non-Conference Excitement
This season includes a five-game road trip that features games at Lehigh on September 11 and Maryland on September 13, followed by conference play that begins on September 18 in Saint Louis.
In total, the Hawks will compete against four teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten, along with three teams from the Big East and two teams from the Ivy League. The full schedule culminates with a home game against La Salle on October 30, marking the end of the regular season.
Season Goals and Championship Dates
Head coach Sam Brown expressed excitement regarding the demanding nature of the schedule, emphasizing its role in preparing the team for upcoming challenges. The goal is to compete against elite programs to further develop the team’s skills and competitiveness.
The 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship is scheduled for November 5 and 7, leading into NCAA Tournament play starting November 11. The Final Four and national championship matches will take place at Louisville’s Trager Stadium on November 20 and 22.
