BOONE, N.C. — The App State field hockey team looks to get back in the win column, facing conference foe Ball State on Friday at 3 p.m. The first 50 fans in attendance will receive a free ticket to App State Volleyball's 6 p.m. Sun Belt home opener against Coastal Carolina.
The Mountaineers (5-5, 1-2 MAC) are coming off a tight 2-1 loss against No. 16 Miami (Ohio) in Oxford, Ohio.
Ellie DeHart scored her first career goal against the ranked Redhawks, providing the lone goal of the game for App State.
Dakota Anderson anchored a defense that weathered 14 penalty corners, recording 10 saves in her third double-digit save performance of the season.
Friday's Matchup
- Who: App State vs. Ball State
- Where: Dr. Jan C. Watson Field at the Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field Hockey Complex // Boone, N.C.
- When: Friday, Oct. 2, 3 p.m.
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers (5-5, 1-2 MAC) have been stout defensively outside of contests against ranked opponents, allowing only six goals through those seven games while posting three shutouts, most recently against Bellarmine in the MAC opener. Anchoring that defensive unit is Anderson in goal, who leads the MAC in save percentage (0.777). For her performances, she was named the MAC Goalkeeper of the Week during the first two weeks of the season, with the first honors coming in the first starts of her career. The Mountaineers also rank second in the MAC and 15th nationally in shutouts per game (0.30).
On the offensive side, goal scoring has come from multiple contributors, led by freshman
Chloe Hook, who leads the team with five goals on the season. Senior
Brynn Shaffer has three on the season, with both
Baylie Phillips and
Sarah Callery trailing behind with two goals apiece.
The Mountaineers retain key returners from the 2025 squad, led by four-time 2025 Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Baxter, along with fellow team captains
Kassie Paul and
Calista Schwartz—a Vancouver, Canada, native and member of the FIH Junior World Cup roster.
App State has added impactful transfers to its 2026 roster, highlighted by fellow Canadian National Team player and Vancouver native Novak, who transferred from Iowa. Junior
Madie Baker, who saw action at Liberty, joins the team along with Shaffer from Michigan State, who appeared in 15 games last season while tying for third in goals, assists, and points for the Spartans. Hailing from Santa Rosa, Argentina, is
Amparo Figueroa, a junior forward transfer from Converse University who earned 2025 First-Team All-SAC honors after leading her team in goals (12), points (30), shots on goal (47), and game-winning goals (3), while finishing second with six assists.
The Mountaineers have also added five impactful freshmen to the roster, headlined by the sister duo of
Chloe Hook and
Morgan Hook, who both had illustrious careers at Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pa. Joining them in the freshman class is fellow Pennsylvania native
Reagan Bailey from Dallastown Area High School, where she was named Offensive Player of the Year. The final two newcomers are
Jackie Kerner from Crofton, Md., where she won multiple Maryland state titles, and
Mai Hattori from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Scouting the Cardinals
Ball State enters the matchup 3-6 (1-2 MAC) after defeating Longwood 3-1 on Sunday for its first conference win. In their three conference matchups, the Cardinals have scored four goals, three coming in the win against Longwood and the other in a 3-1 loss to James Madison in their MAC home opener. Ball State retains 14 players from last season, highlighted by 2025 All-MAC Freshman Team honoree Jade Vandevoorde. Ball State is led by head coach Caitlin Johnson, who is in her fifth season at the helm.
Series History
- vs. Ball State: This marks the 18th all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and the Cardinals, who have played in each of the last three seasons, with App State trailing 9-8 in the series. The Mountaineers have not fallen to the Cardinals since 2021, winning the last four matchups. The last matchup between the two programs came on Oct. 24, 2025, in Muncie, Ind., where the Mountaineers defeated Ball State 3-1. Baxter scored off a penalty corner for the second goal of the game, with one of the assists coming from Schwartz.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will hit the road for the Northeast, first taking on No. 3 UMass on Oct. 9 before facing America East-leading Vermont on Oct. 11.
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