LANCASTER, Pa.- A 2-1 victory over Haverford sealed by Hannah Fitzgerald's late goal ensured that the No. 12 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (14-4, 7-3 Centennial Conference) will play in the Centennial Conference Tournament semifinal round for the fifth-straight season. They'll take on the top seed, No. 9 Johns Hopkins (14-4, 9-1 Centennial Conference), on Thursday, November 5, at 6 p.m. 

Ticket Information
Hudl returns as the ticketing provider for Centennial Conference postseason action in the 2026-27 academic year. Hudl will give event attendees the ability to purchase tickets online for each round of the Centennial postseason. Centennial fans will be able to find all scheduled postseason events on the Centennial ticketing homepage and quickly purchase tickets to receive via email. Fans will then use their smartphone to gain access at championship events through a simple and secure ticket validation process.  Below are the ticket prices for each round of the postseason. Prices listed include a $1 service fee:

• Adults - $11
• Students (Age 6 through High School) - $6
• Senior Citizens - $6
• College Students, Faculty & Staff of Centennial Schools - FREE
• Children 5 and Under – FREE

The Field

FIRST ROUND: Tuesday, Nov. 3 | at #3 & #4 seeds
#3 Ursinus def. #6 Dickinson, 3-1
#4 Franklin & Marshall def. #5 Haverford, 2-1

SEMIFINALS: Thursday, Nov. 5 | at #1 & #2 seeds
#3 Ursinus at #2 Swarthmore, 7 p.m.
#4 Franklin & Marshall at #1 Johns Hopkinss, 6 p.m. 

CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, Nov. 7 | at highest remaining seed
Semifinal winners, location & time TBD

First-Round Recap

Hannah Fitzgerald's fourth-quarter goal broke a 1-1 tie to send fourth-seeded F&M through to the tournament's next round. Caitlin Hoover assisted Fitzgerald's goal and scored the game's opening goal, while Megan Dadio had one assist. F&M's defense conceded just six shots, including one shot allowed in the second half. Megan Dadio won a loose pass off a high counterpress in the offensive third before assisting Hoover's game-opening goal in the first quarter, while Haverford leveled the scoreline from a second-quarter penalty corner. F&M created nearly all of the chances in the second half, outshooting the Fords 17-1 in the final 30 minutes, as Fitzgerald broke through in the 53rd minute to send the Diplomats through. 

Entering the Centennial Tournament

The Diplomat have recorded a 13-4, 7-3 Centennial Conference record entering the Centennial Conference tournament, entering with five wins from their last six games. F&M went 6-1 in the non-conference schedule, including a five-game winning streak to start the season where they outscored opponents, 21-1. The Diplomats picked up two ranked wins in non-conference play, defeating No. 9 Messiah, 3-1, and No. 15 Cortland, 3-0. The lone loss came to No. 20 Shenandoah in a 1-0 double-overtime defeat on Senior Day. 

F&M opened the conference schedule with a 2-1 double-overtime victory secured by two goals from Caitlin Hoover. They followed that with a 4-0 win over McDaniel where Hoover surpassed Erin McCormick '20 for the program goals record, while the defense conceded zero shots. Those two wins were followed by a 1-0 loss in the last minute at Gettysburg, while No. 8 Johns Hopkins claimed a 2-1 win in the second overtime period in Baltimore. F&M returned to winning form with wins over Muhlenberg and Washington College during a homestand where they outscored opponents 7-2. No. 15 Ursinus delivered another double-overtime defeat in a 1-0 loss, while F&M closed out the regular season with a 3-2 comeback win at Dickinson, a 2-0 win against Bryn Mawr where Hoover passed McCormick for the program points record, and a 3-1 come-from-behind win hosting No. 14 Swarthmore where Hannah Fitzgerald tallied five points. 

Among Division III sides entering the week, the Diplomats ranked tied for 15th in winning percentage (0.778), 18th in penalty corners per game (10.17), 22nd in scoring margin (2.02),and 49th in scoring average (2.69). F&M is conceding a conference-low 0.72 goals per game. 

F&M has held a spot in the NFHCA Division III Coaches Poll every week so far in 2026, peaking at No. 7 on September 15 for the program's highest rank since the 2021 season. 

The Diplomats look to build on a run of four consecutive Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinals appearances, as they seek a first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019's runner-up result. The 2025 season came to an abrupt end in the semifinal round, as fourth-seeded No. 12 Dickinson scored the lone goal from a penalty corner to upset second-seeded No. 13 F&M at Tylus Field. 

Players to Watch

Senior forward Caitlin Hoover is primed to repeat as an All-American, as the senior forward is tied for ninth in goals per game (1.18, 20 total) and 24th in points per game (2.41, 41 total). She's recorded two hat-tricks with six multi-goal games and three game-winning goals. Entering Tuesday, she holds the program records in goals (63) and points (143). 

Senior forward/midfielder Hannah Fitzgerald is tied for the most assists in the Centennial Conference with eight, while she has recorded eight points in her last three games. Megan Dadio, the team's primary penalty corner injector, is tied for Fitzgerald with eight assists, while she is tied for seventh in goals (8), and tied for sixth in points (24). 

Ava Lofgren and Molly Donadoni are level with Hoover with three game-winning goals, while both juniors have totaled five goals overall in 2026. Junior midfielder Maya Rorick has been pivotal both in defense and transition for the Diplomats while contributing two goals and four assists. Junior midfielder Bella Konchar executed both of her penalty corner chances this season, as she remains a perfect 6-for-6 in her career.

Senior goalkeeper Meghan Dole has had her statistically strongest season, ranking among the nation's best keepers in DIII. She ranks fifth in goals against average (0.582), 15th in save percentage (.828), leading the conference in both categories plus shutouts (7). Ahead of her, she's had the help of a back-three made of senior Sarah Weitzman, junior Melissa Sessler, and junior Brynn Harrison that's been key to maintaining a top-ten defense in DIII. Weitzman has also been useful in attack, chipping in two goals and four assists.

Postseason Performers

Caitlin Hoover and Hannah Fitzgerald have each recorded three postseason goals in their career after they each scored a goal last night, while Megan Dadio has two assists. Meghan Dole has made 20 saves across six starts with a .744 save percentage. 

Scouting the Blue Jays

2025's national runners-up, the No. 9 Blue Jays recorded a 14-4, 9-1 Centennial Conference record in the regular season as they seek an eighth-consecutive Centennial Conference Tournament title. 

The Blue Jays played seven fellow ranked sides in an eight-game non-conference schedule where they went 4-4, opening with a 5-0 win against No. 18 Lynchburg before falling to No. 22 Messiah, 1-0. They bounced back with a 3-1 home win against No. 24 Rowan and a 4-1 victory over No. 22 TCNJ. 2025 NCAA Quarterfinalists #2 Salisbury handed Johns Hopkins a 4-1 loss, while the Blue Jays bounced back with a shootout victory against No. 18 Washington & Lee. York handed Hopkins a 2-1 loss ahead of the start of conference play. A 2-0 win over No. 5 Williams in mid-October completed the non-conference slate.

The Blue Jays secured consecutive 5-1 away wins at Bryn Mawr and Dickinson to begin Centennial Conference play, while they followed that with a 1-0 win hosting No. 12 Ursinus. #21 Swarthmore proved the lone in-conference loss, a 1-0 result, while the Blue Jays then rallied for a 2-1 win in double overtime hosting No. 10 F&M. The Blue Jays outscored opponents 30-1 in their last five conference games, beginning with a 10-0 win over McDaniel. They cruised to a 6-0 win at Washington College before hosting Haverford in a 3-1 victory. Gettysburg was handed a 6-0 defeat, while a 5-0 win over Muhlenberg capped the regular season.

Among DIII sides, Johns Hopkins ranks tied for 15th in winning percentage (.778), tied for 18th in shutouts per game (0.44), 16th in scoring margin (2.41), 20th in penalty corners per game (10.11), and 26th in scoring average (3.16). They rank just behind F&M in goals allowed average, conceding 0.78 per contest.

Johns Hopkins' attack has remained balanced in 2026, as three Blue Jays rank in the top ten in the conference in goals and five different players have recorded two game-winning goals. In overall Centennial Conference goals, sophomore midfielder Sarah Chilton (13) is fourth, sophomore forward Ava Zimmerman (9) ranks sixth, and junior midfielder Kaitlin Coward is tied for seventh (8). Zimmerman is level with senior forward Sophia Albano in a six-way tie for third in assists (6). Chilton leads the team in points and ranks fifth in the conference with 29. Senior goalkeeper Aubrey Kilgore has the fifth-best goals against average (1.28) among the conference's goalkeepers. 

Series History vs. Blue Jays

The Blue Jays hold a 32-16-1 advantage over Franklin & Marshall, while head coach Kaitlyn Eager has a 3-9 record against Johns Hopkins. The team's wins include 2019's NCAA Final Four matchup (3-1), the 2017 Centennial Conference Championship game (2-1), and 2018's regular season contest (2-0). F&M will be seeking the team's first win in Baltimore since a 4-0 victory in the 2015 regular season. F&M took the 2026 regular season game to double overtime before falling, 2-1, on the road. Meghan Dadio had the lone goal for F&M, while Meghan Dole made eight stops on ten attempts.

Dadio and Caitlin Hoover have each recorded a goal against the Blue Jays, while Meghan Dole has posted a .819 save percentage with 30 saves in four starts.