BOONE, N.C. — On the back of three straight wins to open the 2026 season, the App State field hockey team takes on American on Sunday at 1 p.m. on the road for the second leg of its first trip away from home.
The Mountaineers (3-0) recently defeated the Davidson Wildcats on Wednesday, once again coming alive offensively in the second half with fourth-quarter goals from newcomer
Brynn Shaffer and freshman
Chloe Hook—her second goal in as many games.
Shaffer's game-winner marked her first career score in Black & Gold, pouncing on a deflected ball to give App State the late lead.
Senior goalkeeper
Dakota Anderson has been stellar in cage to begin the season, posting two shutouts and allowing only one goal while making 15 total saves.
Sunday's Matchup
• Who: App State vs. American
• Where: Jacobs Recreational Complex // Washington, D.C.
•
When: Sunday, Sept. 6, 1 p.m.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State has begun the season 3-0 without scoring a goal in the first three quarters of play, winning two overtime games over opening weekend against Towson and Georgetown. Against Davidson, the Mountaineers broke through early in the fourth quarter to pave the way for the victory. Anderson has remained solid in goal, recording her second shutout of the season against the Wildcats and bringing her save total to 15 with just one goal allowed. For her performance over opening weekend, she was named the 2026 MAC Goalkeeper of the Week, marking her first career weekly honor.
The Mountaineers retain key returners from the 2025 season, 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
Rylie Novak, who transferred from Iowa. Junior
Madie Baker, who saw action at Liberty, joins the team along with
Brynn 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 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 Eagles
American enters the matchup after falling in its first two contests against ACC opponents, dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to Cal in the season opener before a 3-1 loss to Stanford. The Eagles, coming off a perfect 6-0 record in the Patriot League and their 16th regular-season title, return key talent led by NFHCA honorees Jordan Reicher and Emilia Winkler. American also added two Power Four transfers in Sienna Klein (Boston College) and Katelyn Dulin (Michigan State). The Eagles are led by head coach Steve Jennings, who is in his 28th season at the helm and boasts 12 Coach of the Year awards.
Series History
• vs. American: This marks the sixth all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and the Eagles, with App State trailing 0-5 in the series. The last matchup between the two programs came in 2017, when App State fell 3-2 in overtime.
Up Next
The Mountaineers return to the High Country for their final midweek matchup of the season, hosting Queens on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
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