Following a devastating loss to Saint Joseph’s in the A10 finals, even the most faithful UMass fans were unsure of a true path to the national tournament. However, the Minutewomen not only made the tournament they won their first two games. 

UMass (16-5, 7-1 A10) knocked off UConn with an aggressive fourth-quarter push. Two days later, they took on the Harvard Crimson and won with the help of another fourth-quarter goal. 

UConn gained the upper hand early in the opening tournament matchup. Just under seven minutes into the game, the ball found the back of the goal off a well-designed corner play from Juul Sauer. The Minutewomen struggled to generate offense in the first half but came out firing on all cylinders in the second. 

UMass outshot the Huskies, 7-0 in the last two quarters of play. With just over 11 minutes to go, the Minutewomen found the goal. Alexa Collins dribbled the ball into the crease and found an open Paula Lorenzini who knocked it home tying the game. 

With only five minutes to go both teams wanted the final goal. The Minutewomen found themselves with a late corner. A quick pass from Lorenzini to Hannah de Gast and a well-placed shot resulted in the ball making it past UConn goalie Natalie McKenna. 

Two days later, the Minutewomen returned to Storrs with their eyes set on a Harvard Crimson team that had beaten them on penalty shots earlier in the season. 

From the get-go, UMass owned the pace of play but struggled to find the back of the net. Nearing the end of the third quarter with the game still tied at zero, Claire Danahy took the ball upfield and dribbled into the crease. After a quick turn, she unleashed a powerful shot from the top of the crease and found the goal giving UMass a 1-0 lead. 

The Minutewomen would hold onto that 1-0 lead and win their regional bracket. Goalie Myrte van Herwijnen only faced three shots on goal throughout the contest, but she made incredible saves on each, keeping UMass alive. 

With their win, the Minutewomen turn their sights to Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the Michigan Wolverines. While the Wolverines are no longer in the tournament, the Minutewomen are set to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (21-1, 8-0 Big Ten). 

Northwestern has been a field hockey powerhouse over the last few years. In 2021 they won the national championship with a victory against Liberty. Over the past two seasons, they have been runner-ups with losses against North Carolina in the championship games. They will look to make their fourth appearance in a row with a win. 

“This is really, really hard to do,” Northwestern Head Coach Tracey Fuchs said. “For these guys to do it back to back to back, I couldn’t be more proud.” 

The Wildcats proudly boast a 21-1 regular season record. This included a perfect 18-0 regular season record. Their single loss came at the hands of Michigan in a 1-0 defeat during the Big Ten Championship game. 

Northwestern holds key victories over Boston College, Duke, Maryland, and most importantly UMass. They also hosted two matchups in the NCAA tournament against Miami (Ohio) and Virginia. 

They took down Miami (Ohio) handily with a 9-2 defeat in the opening round. Virginia gave them a little more trouble, but Northwestern was able to take home a 3-2 victory in overtime. 

Ashley Sessa was a key component of both games. She tallied two goals and four assists across both contests. Across the season she led the team with 23 goals and 17 assists for a massive 63 points on the season. Her 63 points are first in the nation on the season and eight points ahead of second. 

Maddie Zimmer, in her fourth season with the Wildcats, has been another huge component of the offensive attack. Across the year, she has found the back of the goal eight times and added 10 assists on the year. She also added three assists in her two NCAA tournament games. 

Midfielder/defender Ilse Tromp is another standout to watch for the Wildcats. She was second on the team with nine goals on the season while also adding six assists. She added two goals in the opening tournament matchups as well. 

In the net, the Wildcats will turn to senior goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz, one of the best goalies in the country. Skubisz ranks No. 2 in the nation with a 0.65 goals-against average. In her two tournament appearances, she stopped seven shots and let four past her. While the tournament numbers have not been as great so far, the Northwestern offense is more than capable of keeping the team alive if they allow a couple of goals. 

The Minutewomen and Wildcats have met in each of the past three seasons. The Minutewomen have lost a combined 13-2 in these contests. This includes a 6-1 loss earlier this season on Northwestern’s home pitch. 

The Minutewomen are looking for their first championship game appearance since 1981. In that game, they lost 4-1 against UConn and they have not found their way back since. 

Luckily for the Minutewomen, those games are in the past. They will take on Northwestern at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22. The winner of that matchup will play North Carolina/Saint Joseph’s University. All three tournament games will be viewable on ESPN+.