St. Mary’s City, Md. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland field hockey team ended its 2025 season with a 3-1 loss to No. 11 Dickinson College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 12 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Seahawks, seeded as the United East Conference automatic qualifier, finished 13-6 overall after tying the score early in the third period but conceding two goals in the final frame.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Kent of Chesterville stopped eight shots, but Dickinson outshot St. Mary’s 15-6, including 11-5 on goal, and held a 12-1 edge in penalty corners. The Red Devils, now 19-3, improved to 2-0 all-time against the Seahawks in their second meeting.
St. Mary’s controlled early pressure in the first quarter, with senior forward Briana Allen of Bowie firing a shot in the third minute that Dickinson goalkeeper Taylor Morrow turned away. Seniors Jena Vanskiver of Fallston and Elena Pasko of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, joined Allen for three consecutive attempts in the eighth minute, but Morrow kept the sheet clean. Dickinson countered with efforts from Gillian Rosenstock and Nicole Uebele in the opening 10 minutes, yet Kent preserved the scoreless draw through the period.
The second quarter stayed even until Uebele’s reverse sweep at 24:38 beat Kent low right for a 1-0 Dickinson lead that held at halftime. Four minutes into the third, senior forward Brenna Ziegler of Newark, Delaware, evened matters at 1-1. Ziegler took a pass above the 50-yard line, dribbled down the right flank, split two defenders inside the circle and lifted a reverse sweep top right at 34:22.
Dickinson reclaimed the advantage at 48:21 in the fourth when Megan McClure redirected Natalie Slusser’s pass top right near post. Uebele struck again at 54:24, this time low left off another Slusser assist, sealing the 3-1 outcome with 5:36 left. Morrow finished with four saves for the Red Devils, who advance to face the winner of the Middlebury-Skidmore matchup on Nov. 15.
Ziegler closed her senior year with team highs of 15 goals, eight assists and 38 points, including a season-opening hat trick that set a program single-game points record against Gallaudet on Sept. 11. Allen contributed two shots on goal, while Pasko and Vanskiver each added one. Kent’s eight saves ranked among her top performances, building on a season where St. Mary’s allowed just 21 goals in 19 games.
The defeat capped a campaign that saw St. Mary’s repeat as United East champions, securing the title with a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Penn State Harrisburg on Nov. 8. The Seahawks entered the tournament ranked No. 1 in the conference preseason poll and earned their third straight league crown, following the 2023 Atlantic East title before the conference realignment. Eight players landed All-United East honors, with Ziegler named Offensive Player of the Year and senior defender Riley McNamara earning Defensive Player of the Year.
Under interim head coach A. Osborne, who took over in August after Jessica Lanham’s resignation following nine seasons, the team posted double-digit wins for the fourth time in five years. Lanham’s tenure included two NFHCA All-Region selections and consistent Atlantic East contention, laying groundwork for the program’s ascent since its 2001 revival. St. Mary’s, a public liberal arts institution in historic St. Mary’s City — Maryland’s first colonial capital — fields 19 varsity sports for its 1,500 students, with field hockey drawing talent from regional hubs like the Eastern Shore and Delaware.
This marked the Seahawks’ third consecutive NCAA appearance, a milestone for a program that has steadily climbed Division III ranks through disciplined recruitment and emphasis on team depth. Earlier highlights included a 6-0 rout of Lancaster Bible on Nov. 1, where Ziegler scored four goals, and a 3-0 shutout of Mary Washington on Oct. 21 to stay undefeated in conference play at that point. The schedule featured 16 matches, eight at home on the campus field off Route 5, blending nonconference tests against powers like No. 2 Salisbury — a 4-1 loss on Oct. 30 — with United East rivalries.
Kent’s emergence in net, with a 1.17 goals-against average, anchored a defense that limited opponents to under two goals per game. The team’s 397 shots ranked among conference leaders, reflecting an offensive philosophy built on quick transitions and circle penetration. Ziegler’s 38 points shattered prior benchmarks, positioning her for potential NFHCA All-Region nods announced later this month.
As the season concludes, St. Mary’s turns to offseason preparations, including winter training and recruiting for 2026. The program’s trajectory, with back-to-back conference titles and sustained NCAA bids, positions it as a Southern Maryland staple, fostering skills in strategy and resilience that extend to academics and community service. Dickinson, meanwhile, eyes a deep run after a comeback season that saw them rebound from early losses to secure the Centennial Conference regular-season crown.
