Despite coming into the preseason unranked, the Bryn Mawr field hockey team has jumped to No. 16 in the Division III National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll after a dominant start to the 2024 season.
The Owls are currently 5-1 overall, with their only loss happening in overtime against Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ranked No. 13. They responded immediately to this loss though, and since then the team has gone on a four game winning streak, all against ranked teams. In addition to this success, the Owls had a historic win on Sept. 15 against the University of Lynchburg, No. 10, beating their first top ten ranked team in the history of Bryn Mawr field hockey, with a final score of 4-1.
The team’s hard work is not going unnoticed, with two Owls being named the Centennial Conference Field Hockey Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week. Offensive Player of the Week, Eva Yacura, is a senior captain and is currently tied for first for number of goals scored this season. Charlene Basque, the Owls’ goalkeeper, was not only recognized in the Centennial Conference, but was also named the NFHCA’s DIII Defensive Player of the Week. Basque has maintained a .71 save percentage, logging twenty saves across six games, with a season high of seven saves against the University of Lynchburg.
The Bryn Mawr field hockey team has two more non-conference games before they go against the rest of the Centennial Conference, which will be incredibly competitive. The Owls’ next home game is Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m. on Shillingford Field against Swarthmore College, formerly ranked No. 21 in the preseason poll.
