ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland field hockey team secured the top position in the 2025 United East Conference preseason coaches’ poll, collecting four first-place votes as the defending regular-season and tournament champions prepare for another campaign.
The Seahawks, who finished the 2024 season with an undefeated run in conference play and advanced to their second consecutive NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament, aim to extend a streak of 22 straight conference victories spanning the past four seasons across the Atlantic East and United East Conferences. St. Mary’s College transitioned to the United East in 2024, immediately capturing both the regular-season title and the tournament crown in their debut year. The team’s dominance last season included leading the conference with 45 goals overall and 20 in league games, while posting eight shutouts, five of which came against United East opponents.
Returning key contributors bolster the Seahawks’ outlook. Emma Watkins, a junior from Frederick, Maryland, who earned United East Player of the Year honors and First Team All-Conference recognition in 2024, ranked second in the league with 12 goals. Brenna Ziegler, a junior from Newark, Delaware, also a First Team selection, followed closely with 11 goals. Midfielders Sofia Lopez from Timonium, Maryland, and Josie Shermeyer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, both Second Team All-United East picks last year, combined for seven goals and four assists, with Shermeyer adding a defensive save. On defense, Safi Stimely from Linthicum, Maryland, Jena Vanskiver from Fallston, Maryland, and Sophia Kent from Chestertown, Maryland–the 2024 United East Rookie of the Year–anchored a unit that allowed no goals in conference action.
The preseason poll, voted on by the conference’s coaches, placed Penn State Harrisburg second with two first-place votes, followed by Wilson in third with one first-place vote. The United East Conference features seven field hockey programs: St. Mary’s College, Penn State Harrisburg, Wilson, Cedar Crest, Gallaudet, Keystone and Lancaster Bible. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams in the poll.
Under head coach Jessica Lanham, now in her 10th season leading the St. Mary’s College field hockey program, the Seahawks have built a reputation for consistent success. Lanham, who took over in 2016, has guided the team to multiple conference titles and NCAA appearances, including back-to-back tournament berths in 2023 and 2024. The 2024 campaign saw St. Mary’s College dominate the United East awards, with nine players earning all-conference honors and the team sweeping major individual accolades. Nationally, players like Watkins and Ziegler received recognition from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, highlighting the program’s growing prominence in Division III.
The 2025 schedule, released in July, includes 16 games with eight at home. St. Mary’s College opens the season on Aug. 30 against Sewanee: The University of the South at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, a turf facility named after a former coach and administrator that has hosted numerous conference and postseason contests since its opening. The non-conference slate features matchups against teams like Mary Washington and York College of Pennsylvania, providing early tests before United East play begins. The conference tournament is set to start with semifinals on Nov. 1 at the sites of the top two seeds, culminating in the championship on Nov. 8 at the highest remaining seed’s venue.
St. Mary’s College field hockey has a history of strong defensive play and opportunistic scoring, traits that carried over from their time in the Atlantic East Conference, where they also went undefeated in league games during their final seasons there. The program’s first NCAA tournament appearance came in 2023, marking a milestone for the Seahawks and elevating the visibility of field hockey at the institution. In recent years, the team has produced multiple all-region honorees, including three in 2023, as recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
The United East Conference, formed through a merger in 2021, emphasizes competitive balance in Division III athletics and includes institutions primarily from Pennsylvania and Maryland. St. Mary’s College joined for the 2024 season, quickly establishing itself as a frontrunner in field hockey. As the Seahawks pursue a third straight NCAA bid, their preseason ranking underscores expectations for continued excellence in the conference and beyond.
