Smith College

GLASSBORO, NJ - Rhodes held off a late Rowan rally to post a 3-2 win over the #6 Profs in the 2026 NCAA Field Hockey Championship First Round this afternoon at Coach Wackar Stadium. Rowan ends the year with a 17-5 record while Rhodes (15-1) advances to the NCAA Second Round to be held this weekend at Bowdoin College.
 
Trailing 3-0 since the 21-minute mark of the first half, Rowan got on the board in the third quarter. Riley McClelland broke the shutout as she into the circle, came upon three defenders, spun around and sent a rocket into the cage for the Profs' first goal with 1:14 left in the third quarter.
 
The Profs cut the deficit to 3-2 just minutes later when Sydney Kowalczyk took the insert pass on a corner and sent it back to Aurelia McManis, who put it into the left side of the cage from 10 yards out.
 
Rowan kept up the pressure and McClelland took a shot right in front with :01 remaining by Rhodes' Caroline Naifeh came up with the stop to advance the Lynx to the next round.
 
Rhodes scored two quick goals in the first quarter. At 8:24, Bella Spina dribbled into the circle on the right side and passed to Abbie Wallace at the left post for the goal. Two minutes later, Maria Zaporozhski received the ball at the top of the circle and sent a behind- the-back pass to Layla Anderson, and she scored from just inside 10 yards away.
 
Zaporozhski set up the Lynx' final goal as she carried the ball to midfield and found Alder Dickey all alone up the field. Zaporozhski's 20-yard pass hit Dickey in stride and the senior carried it into the circle and scored from 10 yards out for the 3-0 Rhodes' lead.  
 
Rowan outshot the visitors, 14-4, and had a 15-2 advantage in corners, but Rhodes made the best of its opportunities. Naifeh made eight saves while Ella Morton and Kelley Crescenzo shared time in the cage for Rowan.
 
Rowan's 17 victories is the most since the 2022 season when it went 21-2 and reached the NCAA Final Four. This year's edition of the Profs started the year 0-3 but rebounded to win 14 games in a row. Rowan captured its sixth consecutive NJAC Championship and made its eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship under head coach Michelle Andre, while participating in the NCAA Championship for the 26th year all-time.