STANDISH, Maine – #2 Saint Joseph's College (12-7, 9-1 GNAC) will host #3 Colby-Sawyer College (11-6, 8-2 GNAC) in a 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Tournament semifinal on Wednesday, November 5 at 6:00 PM at the SJC Athletics Complex.

The winner of the #2 Saint Joseph's / #3 Colby-Sawyer matchup will advance to Saturday's GNAC Championship (November 8) to face the #1 Dean College / #4 New England College victor, with the conference title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth (beginning November 12) on the line.

BRACKETOLOGY:

GNAC Field Hockey Tournament Schedule

Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 1 (Hosted by higher seeds)

#1 Dean def. #8 Rivier, 6-3
#2 Saint Joseph's def. #7 Simmons, 5-0
#3 Colby-Sawyer def. #6 University of Saint Joseph, 6-0
#4 New England College def. #5 Lasell, 3-0

Semifinals – Wednesday, Nov. 5 (Hosted by higher seeds)

#1 Dean vs. #4 New England College – 2:00 PM
#2 Saint Joseph's vs. #3 Colby-Sawyer – 6:00 PM

Championship – Saturday, Nov. 8

Semifinal winners – TBD

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

In quarterfinal action on Saturday, #2 Saint Joseph's routed #7 Simmons University by a 5-0 score, while #3 Colby-Sawyer cruised past #6 University of Saint Joseph, 6-0.

QUICK FACTS:

• Saint Joseph's is 7-2 at home this fall, while Colby-Sawyer is 5-3 on the road.
• The Monks have won five of their last six games; the Chargers are 4-2 over that stretch.
• Saint Joseph's is 4-1 all-time versus Colby-Sawyer in home contests.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Maya Waryas (Sr., Bellows Falls, Vt.) – 22 goals, 9 assists (53 pts), 2 game-winners; ranks third in the GNAC in goals and fourth in points and shots (110).
• Kienna Haley (Sr., Scarborough, Maine) – 22 goals, including four game-clinching tallies this fall.
• Ava Markham (Fr., Belfast, Maine) – 7 goals, 15 assists (29 pts), and three game-winners; five-time GNAC Rookie of the Week.
• Sadie Tirrell (Sr., Naples, Maine) – 3 goals, 4 assists, and 2 defensive saves as a versatile two-way contributor.
• Chloe Grosso (Sr., Westbrook, Maine) – Defensive anchor with a team-leading five defensive saves.

Colby-Sawyer:

• Brooke Farquhar (So., Gorham, Maine) – 26 goals, 13 assists (65 pts), 4 game-winners; leads the conference in goals and points; three-time GNAC Player of the Week and 2024 GNAC Rookie of the Year.
• Jillian Fredette (Fr., Weare, N.H.) – 12 goals and 12 assists (36 pts).
• Cecillia Ponzini (Sr., Windham, N.H.) – 9 goals, 4 assists, 2 game-winners, 2 defensive saves.
• Abby Olden (Jr., Belchertown, Mass.) – 6 goals, 9 assists (21 pts).

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's: Junior Kimberley McLaughlin (Lewiston, Maine) – 2.39 GAA with 110 saves (.733 SV%) in 1,003 minutes of action.

Colby-Sawyer: Sophomore Ashlee Blashock (Lebanon, N.H.) – 1.88 GAA with 85 saves (.794 SV%) in 704 minutes between the pipes.

THE SKIPPERS:

Saint Joseph's – Theresa Arsenault '14 (2nd Season – 22-18, .550)

Colby-Sawyer – Emily Dewdney (6th Season – 74-37, .667)

THE LAST TIME THEY MET:

The teams last met earlier this season, on October 11, when Saint Joseph's earned a 2-1 overtime victory over Colby-Sawyer at the SJC Athletics Complex. Haley scored the game-winner with 1:53 left in the first overtime period to lift the Monks to the thrilling triumph.

After a scoreless opening quarter, the Monks broke through early in the second when Waryas converted a penalty corner from Zoey Lailer (Limington, Maine) to make it 1-0. The Chargers responded in the 42nd minute when Olden knocked home a rebound to even the score, setting the stage for a tense fourth quarter and overtime finish.

Colby-Sawyer held slight edges in shots (13-11) and shots on goal (10-9), while SJC owned an 11-7 advantage in penalty corners. McLaughlin recorded seven saves, and seniors Tirrell and Grosso each added a defensive save in the win.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With that victory, Saint Joseph's improved to 8-2 all-time versus Colby-Sawyer.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Monks — four-time GNAC champions (2016–19) — have reached the postseason in all 11 years as a GNAC member, boasting a 12-6 all-time record in conference tournament play.

In eight seasons as a GNAC member, Colby-Sawyer has advanced to the playoffs seven times, compiling a 7-5 record in postseason competition.

The two programs have met once previously in the GNAC Tournament, with Saint Joseph's edging Colby-Sawyer 2-1 in last year's quarterfinal round.