St. Mary’s City, MD- St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s field hockey team ended its 2024 season with a 4-0 defeat in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament on Wednesday night. Facing off against No. 6-ranked Christopher Newport University, the Seahawks (10-11) struggled to contain the Captains (15-2), who took an early lead and maintained control throughout the game at Captains Turf Field.
This season marked the second straight year that St. Mary’s made it to the NCAA tournament, and it was only the second time in the program’s history. The Seahawks entered the tournament as the United East Conference regular-season and tournament champions in their inaugural season competing in the United East.
Christopher Newport wasted no time establishing their presence. Less than three minutes into the game, Captain Caroline Hughlett seized an opportunity and scored on a rebound at 2:57. Minutes later, at 6:20, Avery Mast doubled the lead for Christopher Newport, capitalizing on a deflection from the post.
The Seahawks showed early offensive spark when junior forward Brenna Ziegler managed St. Mary’s first shot on goal at 8:49, requiring a diving save from CNU’s goalkeeper, Lily Kerr. However, the Captains struck again before the end of the first quarter. Lindsey Loar found Maddison Steele, who sent the ball to the back of the net at 14:39, putting the Seahawks in a 3-0 deficit.
Early in the second quarter, Mast added her second goal of the night, assisted by Courtney Hughlett, extending Christopher Newport’s lead to 4-0. Despite the early setbacks, the Seahawk defense began to settle. Freshman Sophia Kent and sophomore Caroline McDonald stepped up, recording a combined four saves, while their defensive line blocked four other shots to prevent additional first-half goals.
After regrouping during halftime, St. Mary’s College’s defense displayed resilience in the third quarter, holding the Captains scoreless and demonstrating tenacity. A key defensive moment came when sophomore defender Safiya Stimely stopped a potential goal with a timely defensive save. McDonald, who substituted in for Kent during the first half, continued to block shots, making two more saves as the Seahawks tightened their defense. A potential fifth goal by Christopher Newport was overturned after video review in the 40th minute.
Junior midfielder Sofia Lopez contributed to St. Mary’s offensive efforts with a shot at 41:12, but it was saved by CNU’s backup goalkeeper, Ella Fallen, maintaining the shutout for Christopher Newport. McDonald concluded the game with five saves in the fourth quarter, holding the Captains scoreless for the final period, though the Seahawks were unable to mount a comeback.
By the end of the match, Christopher Newport dominated in shot count, outshooting St. Mary’s 36-2 and securing a 13-0 advantage in penalty corners. Despite the wide margin, the Seahawks defense demonstrated improvement, keeping the Captains from scoring for the last 42:40 of the game.
For St. Mary’s, Kent finished with seven saves in the first 22 minutes, while McDonald recorded a career-high nine saves, displaying exceptional determination against CNU’s high-pressure offense. Mast led Christopher Newport’s efforts with two goals, and Courtney Hughlett contributed with three assists.
With this loss, St. Mary’s concludes a successful season that saw the team capture both the regular season and tournament titles in the United East Conference, marking an impressive debut year in the conference.
