OXFORD, Ohio — The App State field hockey team begins the 2026 MAC Field Hockey Championship taking on fifth-seeded Kent State in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
The Mountaineers (9-9, 5-4 MAC) are coming off a Senior Day win over Longwood, shutting out the Lancers 3-0 on Friday.
Sarah Callery,
Morgan Hook and
Baylie Phillips all found the back of the cage in the contest, with
Sophia Baxter picking up an assist in the win.
Wednesday's game is a rematch of the Oct. 18 matchup between the Mountaineers and Golden Flashes, with
Brynn Shaffer securing the comeback win after smashing a goal past the goalkeeper off a penalty corner.
Wednesday's Matchup
· Who: No. 4 seed App State vs. No. 5 seed Kent State
· Where: Miami Field Hockey Complex // Oxford, Ohio
· When: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 11:30 a.m.
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers have been relentless defensively outside of nationally ranked matchups, posting six total shutouts over the course of the regular season and holding unranked opponents to just 10 goals over 13 games.
App State has been relentless at home, holding a 7-2 record at Jan C. Watson Field, with its only losses coming against ranked ACC opponents Wake Forest and UNC.
Newcomers have made a major impact on scoring for the Mountaineers, with freshman
Chloe Hook leading the team with eight goals this season. Michigan State transfer Shaffer trails Hook with five goals, with both scoring against CMU and Kent State.
The Mountaineers retain key returners from the 2025 squad, led by four-time 2025 Defensive Player of the Week Baxter, along with fellow team captains
Kassie Paul and
Calista Schwartz, a Vancouver, British Columbia, native and member of the FIH Junior World Cup roster.
App State has added impactful transfers to its 2026 roster, highlighted by Canadian National Team player and Vancouver native
Rylie Novak, who transferred from Iowa. Senior
Madie Baker, who saw action at Liberty, joins the team along with Shaffer, 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 freshmen, headlined by sisters
Chloe Hook and
Morgan Hook, who both had standout careers at Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pennsylvania. 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, Maryland, where she won multiple state titles, and
Mai Hattori from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State enters the matchup 5-13 (4-5 MAC) after defeating Ohio 3-1 in its regular-season finale. In that game, Kent State scored two goals in the second quarter to take an early lead. Kent State added nine newcomers to its 2026 squad, including five freshmen and four transfers. Kent State is led by head coach Heather Hefner, who is in her third year at the helm.
Series History
· vs. Kent State: This marks the 17th matchup between the Mountaineers and the Golden Flashes, with App State winning the last three meetings. This is the second matchup of the season against Kent State, with App State prevailing 3-2 in overtime behind Shaffer's game-winning goal on Oct. 18.
Up Next
With a win, the Mountaineers will remain in Oxford to take on top-seeded UMass on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Sport-specific giving allows you to directly support App State student-athletes and help provide them the resources they need to be successful.
Click here to contribute to the App State Field Hockey support fund.
Keep up with App State Field Hockey wherever you go by following the Mountaineers on social media. Follow @appfieldhockey on
X, Instagram and
Facebook. Download the App State Athletics App for
iOS or
Android to keep the Mountaineers at your fingertips.
