The St. Mary’s College of Maryland field hockey team started United East Conference play with a 4-0 road win over Lancaster Bible College on October 11, 2025. Senior forward Brenna Ziegler scored twice, while senior forward Emma Watkins and senior midfielder Josie Shermeyer each added a goal for the Seahawks, who improved to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Lancaster Bible fell to 2-9 overall and 0-2 in the United East.
The victory marked the sixth shutout of the season for St. Mary’s College, which dominated statistically with a 22-1 advantage in shots and 13-0 in shots on goal. The Seahawks also held a 17-1 edge in penalty corners. Junior goalkeeper Caroline McDonald started and played the first 45 minutes, while first-year Alexa Yingling relieved her for the final 15 minutes in her collegiate debut. The pair combined for the clean sheet without needing to make a save, as Lancaster Bible’s lone shot came off target.
St. Mary’s College opened the scoring at 7:30 in the first quarter when Watkins found the net unassisted for her team-leading eighth goal of the season. The Seahawks extended the lead in the second quarter with two more tallies. Shermeyer scored at 19:32 off an assist from senior midfielder Jena Vanskiver, followed by Ziegler’s first goal at 26:05, assisted by senior forward Briana Allen. Ziegler completed her brace early in the third quarter at 33:28, with Watkins providing the assist for her second point of the game.
Ziegler led all players with eight shots, six on goal, continuing her standout senior campaign. The Newark, Delaware, native entered the game as the program’s all-time leader in goals with 46 and points with 113, records she set earlier in the season during an 8-0 win over Wittenberg University on September 28, 2025. Her performance against Lancaster Bible added to a resume that includes three All-NFHCA Region IV selections and the 2022 Atlantic East Rookie of the Year award. Ziegler, a biochemistry major, has started all games in her four years at St. Mary’s College, contributing to the team’s transition from the Atlantic East Conference to the United East in 2024.
Watkins, from Frederick, Maryland, recorded one goal and one assist, bringing her season totals to eight goals and three assists. Her contributions have been key in a season where the Seahawks have outscored opponents 38-13 through 12 games. Shermeyer, hailing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, notched her third goal of the year, while Vanskiver from Fallston, Maryland, and Allen from Bowie, Maryland, each provided assists. Allen’s helper was her fourth of the season.
On defense, Vanskiver leads the United East with five defensive saves this year, ranking her among the top in Division III. The senior captain’s efforts helped limit Lancaster Bible to minimal opportunities. For the Chargers, senior goalkeeper Amanda Hoover started and made five saves in 45 minutes, while Amelia Huey added three saves in relief during the third quarter. Alyssa Pantoja recorded a defensive save in the fourth period.
The shutout followed a 6-0 non-conference victory over Immaculata University on October 8, 2025, where Ziegler, Vanskiver, Allen, and Watkins all scored. In that game, Vanskiver tallied two goals, including one via penalty stroke, and sophomore forward Olivia Schwendeman scored her first career goal. The win extended St. Mary’s College’s series dominance over Immaculata to 5-0 all-time. Sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Kent from Chestertown, Maryland, made two saves in that contest, maintaining a save percentage of 83.5 percent, which ranks 23rd in Division III. Kent has earned multiple United East Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, including on September 17, 2025.
St. Mary’s College entered the 2025 season as the top-ranked team in the United East preseason poll, following a 2024 campaign where they captured the conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament’s first round. The Seahawks’ 16-game schedule includes eight home contests at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, with matchups against NCAA tournament participants from the previous year. The program, which began competing in 1976, has a history of strong regional performances, including 12-7 records in 2022 and consistent appearances in conference semifinals. Over the years, St. Mary’s College has posted winning records against teams like Cedar Crest (2-0 all-time) and Centre (1-0), while facing tougher competition from programs such as Christopher Newport (2-18).
The Seahawks’ defensive prowess this season includes eight shutouts entering the Lancaster Bible game, building on 2024’s total of eight. Ziegler and Kent have shared multiple United East weekly honors, with Ziegler earning Offensive Player of the Week on September 8, 2025, after a 2-0 shutout over Virginia Wesleyan. On October 13, 2025, Ziegler and Vanskiver swept the conference’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards for their performances against Immaculata and Lancaster Bible.
St. Mary’s College next hosts Penn State Harrisburg, which stands at 10-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference, on October 15, 2025, at 5 p.m. in St. Mary’s City for the Pride Game and Seahawk Social. The Seahawks then face Cedar Crest College, 2-10 overall and 0-2 in the United East, on October 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. during Hawktoberfest.
