The University of Rochester field hockey team has been selected as the 2025 Liberty League preseason favorite in a vote by the league’s head coaches. The Yellowjackets reached the Liberty League title game for the second time in three years in 2024 and extended their postseason streak to 12 consecutive seasons.
It’s shaping up to be a tight race in Liberty League Field Hockey this season, with all eight conference teams battling for five playoff spots. League coaches are expecting a competitive season, as evidenced by four different programs receiving first-place votes in the poll. Rochester leads the rankings with three first-place votes and 44 points, narrowly edging Union College by two. Union, with 42 points and a pair of first-place votes, was selected to finish second, and the Garnet Chargers were followed closely by Ithaca College in third with 37 points and two first-place votes. William Smith College is projected to finish fourth with 31 points, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) rounds out the top five with 26 points. Vassar College and Skidmore College tied for sixth with 17 points each, and St. Lawrence University (10) completed the poll.
In the 2025 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) preseason poll, two league teams are featured; Ithaca and Rochester are ranked among the top 25 Division III teams. The Bombers check in at No. 20, and the Yellowjackets are 25th.
University of Rochester
Rochester eyes a return atop the Liberty League standings following the 2024 campaign, where they closed out the year at 17-4 overall with a 5-2 mark against league opponents. Grayson Honig (All-Liberty League first team) will lead the offense after netting 14 goals and dishing out three assists for 31 points last season. Honig led the conference with six game-winning goals, and she was also the league’s leader in shots (109) as well as shots on goal (68). She tied for second in total goals and was third in total points. Anya Arseneau will also provide a boost to the offense; she scored a pair of goals and tallied three assists for seven points in 21 games last year. Abigal Mateer (1 games) highlights the team’s defensive returnees. Mateer and the Yellowjackets held opponents to 24 goals (1.1 per game), good for second in the conference in 2024. Kara Houston will be a stalwart presence in goal for Rochester after playing every minute last season. She recorded 76 saves to go along with a 1.08 goals against average and a .760 save percentage. Among conference goalies, Houston was second in goals against average and fifth in save percentage.
Union College
Union is poised to continue its momentum from last year, as the Garnet Chargers finished 2024 with the program’s highest-ever conference finish at 6-1, tying for the Liberty League regular-season title. They also matched the second-highest win total in program history with a 14-6 overall record and advanced to the Liberty League semifinals. Union welcomes back all four of its All-Liberty League selections from last season to lead this year’s squad in Maddie Greco (first team), Megan Dorsey (first team), Sophie Brady (first team), and Rowan Dapson (second team). Greco, the 2024 Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year, paced the team and league in scoring with a program-record 20 goals and four assists for 44 points. She was also recognized as an NFHCA All-American with second-team honors. Dorsey handed out a league-best eight assists and was third on the team with 14 points. She tallied a point in five of the last seven games of the regular season to close out 2024. Brady returns to anchor the defense as the goalie finished her junior campaign with a 12-5 record, an .817 save percentage, and a 1.38 goals against average. She was tops in the Liberty League in save percentage (20th, Division III) and third in goals against average (39th, Division III). Brady will be joined in the backfield by Dapson, who started 19 games last season. Dapson also had a hand in the offense with seven points (1G, 5A).
Ithaca College
Ithaca (15-6, 6-1 Liberty League) will look to build on its recent conference success as the Bombers claimed their first Liberty League tournament title in 2024, as well as their third straight regular-season title. However, with the graduation of seven, including two-time Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year Bella McCollister, the Bombers field a young squad that returns only four starters this season. Among the returners is goalie Maeve Clark, an All-Liberty League honorable mention selection. Clark made 17 starts in net last season, posting a 12-5 record and finishing with a league-best .819 goals against average. She also led conference goalies in shutouts (6) and ranked second in save percentage (.800). Clark and Reese Abrahamson (21 games) anchored a defensive unit that allowed a league-low 18 goals in 2024, ranking 13th in Division III, and in league play, limited opponents to five goals (7 games). Eliza Ballaro (1G, 2A) and Payton Yahner (1A) both played in all 21 games last year and will be central to Ithaca’s offense this season.
William Smith College
A year of experience should translate well on the field for William Smith as the Herons look to improve upon their 9-10 overall record (4-3 Liberty League) in 2025. With only three graduating from the 2024 squad, the Herons will aim to extend their postseason streak to four consecutive seasons this year. They will be headlined by the return of Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year Caroline Kogut. Kogut spearheaded the William Smith defense that held opposing teams to 1.79 goals per game (34 goals total) while Kogut recorded a team-best four defensive saves. She was a dual threat, finishing the year as the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals and 27 points (12G, 3A). Kogut tallied at least a point in eight of the team’s final 10 games of the regular season. Rebecca Mantione is back after playing in limited action last season. In seven games, she scored one goal and handed out three assists. In 2023, Mantione was named to the All-Liberty First Team after starting 22 games, where she paced William Smith in points (23) and goals (10). Ana Dios Vidal also returns after appearing in 18 games (12 starts) last year, where she tallied four points on a goal and two assists.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RPI will seek to improve on last season’s 8–9 overall mark in 2025 and with eight returning starters, a strong nucleus of players is back in Troy. A pair of All-Liberty League second team selections: Sophia Brown and Grace Johnson headline the 2025 team. Brown had a strong rookie campaign for the Engineers; she paced the team in scoring with 11 goals for 22 points. She boasted a league-high five game-winning goals, including two against league opponents. Among league leaders, Brown was fifth in goals per game (.647) and seventh in total goals. Johnson scored one goal and dished out a team-high five assists for seven points to finish fifth on the team in scoring. Other key returnees include Ria Patel (13 games) and Emily Dubord (17 games). Patel was fourth on the team in scoring with 11 points, thanks to three goals and a team-high five assists. Dubord recorded two goals and an assist for five points.
Vassar College
Vassar opens the 2025 season with a mix of veterans and newcomers, with 15 returners and 10 first-year collegiate players. Eight are back with starting experience, as the Brewers bring a veteran presence to the field. Sofia Beseth, an All-Liberty League second team honoree, will be the offensive sparkplug for the Brewers after leading the team in goals and points in 2023 and 2024. In 16 games last season, she scored six goals and recorded one assist for 13 points. She also produced a pair of game-winning goals. Gianna Hoover and Anna Hazewindus are back to lead the defense. Hoover played and started all 18 games for the Brewers last season, where she recorded a team- and league-best eight defensive saves. She finished the year 15th in Division III in defensive saves. Hazewindus started 17 games and chipped in offensively with a goal and a team-high four assists for five points.
Skidmore College
Skidmore returned to the Liberty League postseason for the second time since 2022 and wrapped up the 2024 campaign at 9-12 overall. The Thoroughbreds snagged the fifth seed in the tournament and advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2019. They open the year with seven starters from last year, including two of the team’s top three scorers, Colby Paul and Abby Ezickson. Paul was second on the team with 22 points, thanks to 10 goals and a pair of assists. She was among the league’s top 10 in game-winning goals (T-5th, 3), goals (8th), and goals per game (9th, .476). Ezickson totaled 13 points with four goals and five assists. Among league leaders, she tied for seventh in assists and ninth in assists per game (.250). Skidmore also welcomes back Erin Ohlenbusch (All-Liberty League honorable mention) and Gianna DiGioacchino. Ohlenbusch started all 21 games and recorded five points (2G, 1A). DiGioacchino appeared in 20 games and made 18 starts while recording one defensive save on the year.
St. Lawrence University
With the graduation of only three, St. Lawrence is ready to make some noise in the standings this season. The Saints welcome back Caroline Hamilton to lead the offense after earning All-Liberty League second team accolades following the 2024 season. Hamilton (11G, 4A) registered a team-high 26 points, good for second among league leaders in points per game (1.63). She was also second in goals per game (.688), fifth in shots on goal per game (2.25), and ninth in shots per game (2.75). Maggie Spire will be an additional key contributor to the offense; she was one of three players to tally double-digit points (10) last season. She scored three goals and tied for a team-high four assists. Maddy Shaw and Maja Helmer return; they both played in all 16 games last season and were among the team’s top five scorers last year with a combined four goals and seven assists; eight and seven points, respectively.
The 2025 Division III field hockey season begins on Friday, August 29, with six Liberty League teams in action. Ithaca, St. Lawrence, and William Smith host their home openers, while RPI, Skidmore, and Union open the season on the road. Conference play begins on Saturday, September 27, with two matchups: Ithaca at Union and Skidmore at St. Lawrence. League action gets into full swing on Friday, October 3, with four games on the slate: Skidmore at Rochester, Ithaca at Vassar, St. Lawrence at William Smith, and Union at RPI.
2025 Liberty League FH Preseason Poll
Place. Team, Points (First Place Votes)
- 1. Rochester, 44 (3)
- 2. Union, 42 (2)
- 3. Ithaca, 37 (2)
- 4. William Smith, 31
- 5. RPI, 26
- 6. Vassar, 17 (1)
- 6. Skidmore, 17
- 8. St. Lawrence, 10