Sophomore Julie Presgraves scored the first goal of her collegiate career at the perfect moment Wednesday, burying her own rebound in overtime to lift St. Mary’s College of Maryland field hockey to a 1-0 win over Batten University — the school formerly known as Virginia Wesleyan University, renamed this summer to honor longtime donor Jane Batten and her family.
Batten struck first in the extra period, with Kellyn McCloud firing a shot just 97 seconds into overtime that SMCM goalie Sophia Kent turned aside. Less than two minutes later, Presgraves answered: her initial shot was saved by Batten’s Berkley Miller, but the rebound bounced back to her stick, and she finished for the winner at 63:34.
The result belied a lopsided afternoon on the stat sheet. SMCM out-shot Batten 21-5 overall and 13-1 in shots on goal, adding a 7-2 edge in penalty corners, but couldn’t solve Miller through four full quarters of regulation. Batten managed just one shot in the entire first quarter, on a blocked penalty-corner attempt; SMCM fired six shots in the second quarter and eight more in the third without finding the net, with Miller turning away several point-blank chances along the way. Kent needed only a single save to secure her first shutout of the season.
The win opens the season for a program that’s been one of Division III’s most consistent recently. SMCM enters 2026 off a 2025 campaign that included the United East Conference’s regular-season and tournament championships and the program’s third NCAA Tournament berth, part of a streak of five straight undefeated conference seasons. Head coach Allyson Osborne, who guided that title run as interim coach, had the interim tag formally removed in June; she has since mentored three NFHCA All-Region IV selections and eight All-United East honorees, including the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
With the win, SMCM improved to 19-6 all-time against the Batten/Virginia Wesleyan program. The Seahawks travel to Bridgewater, Virginia, on Sept. 5 for a 1 p.m. matchup at the Stadium at the Jopson Athletic Complex.
