LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall field hockey opens the 2026 campaign with a trip to Susquehanna on Tuesday, September 1. The Diplomats look to follow up on the program's recent consistency that has produced four consecutive seasons with ten-plus wins and Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinal appearances. The 2025 team posted a 15-4, 8-2 Centennial Conference record, marking the program's best overall winning percentage since the 2019 season, which marked F&M's last trip to the NCAA Tournament when the team advanced to the national championship game.
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2025 Recap
The No. 14 Franklin & Marshall field hockey team (15-4, 8-2 Centennial Conference) wrapped up the 2025 season with an appearance in the Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinals for the fourth consecutive season and team's best overall winning percentage (.789) since the 2019 season. Among Centennial Conference teams, F&M ranked first in scoring average (3.28) and scoring margin (2.07), slotting in the top 25 in both categories nationally. The Diplomats spent ten consecutive weeks ranked in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III national Coaches Poll, ending at No. 14 with a season-best rank of No. 13.
F&M opened the season with six-straight non-conference wins including a 3-2 win over then No. 9 Messiah. Other non-conference wins included Susquehanna (5-3), Montclair State (3-1), Elizabethtown (7-0), Catholic (3-1), Alvernia (2-0), and Cortland (5-0). The team's lone out of conference loss came at Washington & Lee in a 4-3 overtime loss.
F&M went 8-2 in the Centennial Conference campaign, finishing the season in second place to earn a bye into the conference tournament semifinal. Following a 3-2 loss to Haverford, the Diplomats earned back-to-back victories over McDaniel (6-0) and Gettysburg (6-2) before falling to No. 2 Johns Hopkins, 2-1. From there, the team earned six-straight victories over Muhlenberg (4-2), Washington College (2-1, 2OT), Ursinus (3-0), Dickinson (4-0), Bryn Mawr (2-0), and Swarthmore (2-1).
No. 12 Dickinson avenged their loss to F&M in the regular season, ending F&M's season in the Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinal with a 1-0 loss.
2026 Diplomats
While the program saw the departure of five seniors including two-time All-Centennial Conference defender Kat Thistlewaite, a majority of last season's starting lineup is back plus eight first-year players to make up a roster of 29 players.
Forward
Three forwards return from the 2025 team, led by NFHCA All-America First Team honoree Caitlin Hoover. She'll look to follow up on a junior year where she ranked in top ten nationally in both goals per game (1.28, sixth) and points per game (2.94, seventh). In addition to being named an All-American, she was also on the NFHCA All-Region V First Team, was named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and earned Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week status on four separate occasions. Other notable milestones achieved included breaking the program's career hat-trick record with five overall, while she points second-most goals per game and points per game, the third-most points (56), and fourth-most goals (24). Senior Caroline Krisko recorded one goal across 12 appearances, while junior Ava Lofgren totaled the fourth-most points on the team last season via six goals and five assists.
Forward/Midfield
Four players return as options at forward or midfield, led by senior Hannah Fitzgerald. She enters 2026 following a 2025 campaign where she placed on the NFHCA All-Region 5 Second Team and All-Centennial Conference Second Team. Among Centennial Conference players, she tied for the second-most assists (10), ranked third in points (28), and tied for ninth in goals (9). The ten assists tied for the fourth-most in a single season in program history. Molly Donadoni started all 19 games last season, recording three goals and one assist, while Sophia Sarbanes registered three goals across 19 appearances in her rookie campaign, including a game-winner over Swarthmore that clinched a bye from the first round of the Centennial Conference Field Hockey Tournament. Brianna Coolican enters her senior year after making seven appearances a year ago.
Lucy Cole (Pelham, N.Y. / Pelham Memorial) and Caroline Bariscillo (Ocean, N.J. / Ocean Township) join as options at forward or midfield.
Midfield
Four Diplomats return at midfield including NFHCA All-Region 5 First Team player Megan Dadio. The junior was F&M's primary penalty corner injector, and she registered six goals and six assists across her 19 starts, tying for ninth in the conference in assists per game. Maya Rorick also begins her junior year after placing on the All-Centennial Conference Honorable Mention team last season. Bella Konchar registered four goals from four games, including three penalty stroke, early in 2025 before injury ended her season, while senior Ally Walk logged 16 appearances a year ago.
Two new midfielders join for 2026 in Riley Carr (Somerset, South Africa / Westfield (N.J.)) and Sheridan Whitacre (Darien, Conn. / St. Luke's School).
Defense/Midfield
Two players return as options at midfielder or defense including senior Aoife Nerz and sophomore Brynn Harrison. Nerz appeared in six games, while Harrison made 18 appearances in her rookie campaign.
Caroline Kuehner (Bethlehem, Pa. / Freedom) and Coco Maxwell (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shady Side Academy) are the first-year players who can serve in midfield or defense.
Defense
F&M's defense combined with the goalkeeping unit registered seven shutouts last season, and six players return from that defensive unit, with Kat Thistlewaite the lone departing Diplomat. Senior Sarah Weitzman started all 19 games last season, while junior Caroline Roschen logged 12 starts and 18 appearances with three goals. Junior Melissa Sessler earned seven starts and 14 appearances. A trio of sophomore in Meghan Fly, Ella Healey, and Maddie Takahashi provided plenty of depth for the 2026 defensive unit.
Mira Arnold (Bethesda, Md. / The Bullis School) completes the 2026 Diplomats defensive unit.
Goalkeeper
Senior Meghan Dole posted a 15-4 record with a .723 save percentage, 60 saves, a 1.21 goals against average, and five shutouts last year. Among Centennial Conference goaltenders, she was fourth in goals allowed averaged, fourth in shutouts, and seventh in save percentage. Sophomore Sara Davis earned time in the cage in two contests in 2025.
The goalkeeping trio is rounded out by first-year Maddie Kryzak (Freeport, Maine / Freeport)
The Road Ahead
F&M has a 17-game regular-season slate including seven non-conference contests and ten games against Centennial Conference opponents. The team will play at Tylus Field eight times in the regular season, while they will play on the road nine times.
The non-conference schedule includes six opponents from last season plus the addition of Shenandoah, marking the first game in the series. 2026 begins with a trip to Susquehanna on Tuesday, September 1, marking the fifth-straight season that kicks off against the River Hawks. The Diplomats followed that game by hosting Elizabethtown on Saturday, September 5, and Messiah, on Wednesday, September 9. F&M travels to Montclair State on Saturday, September 12 and Alvernia on Wednesday, September 16. The next game sees F&M host Shenandoah in the inaugural meeting of the sides, while the non-conference schedule concludes with an away day at SUNY Cortland on Saturday, October 3. F&M was a perfect 6-0 against the non-conference sides returning to the schedule.
F&M's ten-game Centennial Conference slate opens with a trip to Haverford on Saturday, September 26, as the Diplomats look to make amends for one of two regular season losses in the conference. The next game is a home matchup against McDaniel on Wednesday, September 30, followed by trips to Gettysburg (Wednesday, October 7) and Johns Hopkins (Friday, October 9).
F&M's next week of play includes home contests against Muhlenberg (Wednesday, October 14) and Washington College (Saturday, October 17). F&M earned a 4-2 win over the Mules before claiming a double-overtime victory against the Shorewomen last season. The following week features away trips to Ursinus (Wednesday, October 21) and Dickinson (Saturday, October 24). The regular season concludes at home games against Bryn Mawr on Wednesday, October 28, and Swarthmore on Saturday, October 31.
The six-team Centennial Conference Tournament begins with the first round on Tuesday, November 3, while the semifinal and championship games are slated for Thursday, November 5 and November 7, respectively. The top-two seeded teams earn a bye from the opening round.
The 24-team NCAA Tournament opens with first round action on Tuesday, November 10 ahead of the second round on Saturday, November 14 and quarterfinals on Sunday, November 15. Championship weekend, featuring the semifinal round and national championship game, will be hosted at William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y. between Friday, November 20 and Sunday, November 22.
In the Polls
Following a second-place finish in the regular season to earn a bye in the Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinal, rank in second place with 85 points and two first-place votes in the 2026 Centennial Conference Field Hockey Preseason Poll. Defending Centennial Conference champions and national finals Johns Hopkins lead the way with 99 points and nine first-place votes. Dickinson ranks third with 79 points following their conference championship appearance. Swarthmore (75), Ursinus (62), and Haverford (61) round out the Centennial Conference Tournament qualifying spots in the poll, with the same six that qualified for last year's tournament comprising the poll's top six. Bryn Mawr (46) is seventh followed by Gettysburg (38), Muhlenberg (24), Washington College (24), and McDaniel (11). You can view the complete Centennial Conference Preseason Poll here.
In the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Preseason poll, the Diplomats start the year ranked No. 16 with 172 points. Defending national champions Tufts start ranked No. 1 with 450 points and 18 of 19 first-place votes. Three other Centennial Conference schools earned a spot in the top 25, including No. 2 Johns Hopkins following a National Championship appearance, No. 9 Dickinson following a Centennial Conference Tournament Championship appearance, and No. 21 Haverford. You can view the full NFHCA Preseason Poll here.
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Record Book Watch (active players in career top 20 in school history)
Meghan Dole
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Most Wins: 4th (36)
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Goalie Games Started: t-6th (56)
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Goalie Games Played: 8th (56)
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Saves: 10th (249)
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Save Percentage: 12th (.785)
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Goals Against Average: 12th (1.84)
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Saves Per Game: 13th (4.45)
Hannah Fitzgerald
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Assists Per Game: 15th (0.25)
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Shots on Goal Per Game: 15th (1.33)
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Shots On Goal: 16th (73)
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Shots Per Game: 17th (1.93)
Caitlin Hoover
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Points Per Game: 2nd (1.79)
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Goals Per Game: 3rd (0.75)
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SOG Per Game: 3rd (2.40)
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Shots Per Game: 4th (3.82)
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Shots On Goal: 4th (137)
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Shots Attempted: 5th (218)
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Penalty Kicks Made: t-5th (4)
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Penalty Kick Attempts: t-5th (5)
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Points: t-7th (102)
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Game-Winning Goals: t-7th (11)
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Goals: t-8th (43)
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Assists Per Game: 10th (0.28)
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Assists: 17th (16)
Bella Konchar
Caroline Roschen
