ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — Senior forward Brenna Ziegler tallied two goals and three assists for seven points, her career bests, as St. Mary’s College of Maryland routed Lancaster Bible College 9-0 on Nov. 1 in the semifinals of the United East Conference field hockey championship. The top-seeded Seahawks, now 13-5 overall and 4-0 in conference play, advanced to their fifth consecutive title game at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium.
Ziegler, a Newark, Delaware, native playing her final season out of Newark Charter High School, orchestrated the early surge. At 2:00, she assisted Emma Watkins for a 1-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, at 3:36, Josie Shermeyer set up Ziegler’s first goal, making it 2-0. Tori Hampton, a junior midfielder from Frederick and Tuscarora High, capped the first quarter at 11:51 with her season-opening tally off a Ziegler feed, extending the margin to 3-0.
The second quarter brought two more strikes. Junior defender Safi Stimely, from Linthicum and Broadneck High, converted a penalty kick at 20:17 for her first goal. Shermeyer, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, product from East Pennsboro Area High, followed at 21:40 on a Jena Vanskiver assist, pushing the halftime score to 5-0. St. Mary’s outshot Lancaster Bible 22-0 in the frame, underscoring a defense that has anchored 10 shutouts this season.
Post-intermission dominance continued. At 32:13, Ziegler assisted Briana Allen, a senior forward from Bowie and Mount de Sales Academy, for a 6-0 edge. Sophomore forward Olivia Schwendeman, from Marriottsville and Marriotts Ridge High, scored at 35:23 off a Watkins assist, her fourth of the year. Ziegler added her second goal unassisted at 40:55, her 14th of the campaign. Senior midfielder Fiona Kortyna, from Pittsburgh and Pine-Richland High, closed scoring at 58:05 with a Josie Mascolo assist, her second goal.
St. Mary’s finished with a 51-1 edge in shots, including 33 on goal, and held an 18-1 advantage in penalty corners. Goalies Sophia Kent, from Chesterville and Gunston School, and Caroline McDonald, from Frederick and Tuscarora, shared the shutout duties. Lancaster Bible’s Amanda Hoover recorded 20 saves through three quarters, with Amelia Huey adding three more and Hailey Whitmoyer a defensive save.
Ziegler’s output highlighted a balanced attack where Watkins and Shermeyer each notched a goal and assist. Allen contributed five shots on goal, while Schwendeman’s tally marked her team’s 100th point of the season. The win improved St. Mary’s all-time series lead over Lancaster Bible to 3-0.
The Seahawks, regular-season conference champions for the second straight year, seek a third consecutive United East title on Nov. 8 against No. 2 seed Penn State Harrisburg. Game time and ticket details, expected to draw local crowds from St. Mary’s County’s 115,000 residents, will post early next week on the athletics site. Harrisburg, 13-2 overall and 3-1 in league play, earned its first championship berth with a 5-0 semifinal win over Wilson College. The teams met Oct. 15 at Roberts Stadium, where St. Mary’s prevailed 2-0 on goals from Ziegler and Allen, foreshadowing a rematch heavy on defensive matchups.
Ziegler’s arc embodies the program’s rise. A 2022 high school graduate and two-sport standout in field hockey and lacrosse, she arrived as a freshman scoring machine, earning United East Rookie of the Year. By junior year, she swept weekly honors alongside defender Charlotte Horn. This fall, Ziegler shattered career marks, becoming the all-time goals leader with 46 and points leader with over 111, surpassing Lauriann Parker’s 2013 benchmarks during a September rout of Wittenberg University. Her chemistry major and neuroscience minor reflect St. Mary’s liberal arts ethos, where athletes balance rigorous academics with 20-plus games.
Roberts Stadium, dedicated in 2023 and named for donor Jamie L. Roberts, elevates home-field edge. The $10 million facility features lighted artificial turf for field hockey, lacrosse and soccer, seating 500 with suite-level views over the St. Mary’s River. Athletic director Mike Jordan called it a “game changer” for recruiting and community events, hosting youth clinics that engage Leonardtown and Lexington Park families. In
For Southern Maryland followers, the matchup spotlights homegrown stars like Allen and the Fredericks trio of Hampton, Watkins and McDonald, underscoring how St. Mary’s draws 40 percent of its roster from Maryland addresses. Live stats and streams will available via the conference portal, with parking at the nearby Michael P. O’Brien Athletics Center.
