GORHAM, Maine – For the first time in since 2023 and for the seventh time in program history, the University of Southern Maine Huskies field hockey team is headed to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The Huskies (15-7) claimed the Little East Conference's automatic bid to the tournament after winning the LEC's tournament championship nail-biting 1-0 win over Keene State College Owls on Saturday. Southern Maine, the 2026 LEC Regular Season Champion, was the top-seed in the tournament, defeating Eastern Connecticut State University 6-1 in the semifinals before taking down the Owls for the crown.
Southern Maine will face the nationally-ranked Hamilton College (11-5 overall, 6-4 NESCAC) in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament on Wednesday, November 11 (4:00 pm). Tickets will be sold on site and are $15, cash only. Students will valid institutional ID are $5.
Hamilton is currently ranked eighth nationally in the most recent National Field Hockey Coaches' Association poll. The Continental received one of the 10 at-large bids into the National Championship, and are appearing in the NCAA tourney for the third time in program history, and for the second straight season.
Led by veteran head coach Bonny Brown Denico '91, '98 (302-298) now in her 29th season, the Huskies claimed their third Little East Conference Championship and second in the last four seasons (2003, 2023 and 2026). The Huskies have finished as the conference's regular season champion in three of the last five seasons (2022, 2023, 2026).
Southern Maine finished the 2026 Little East Conference regular season with a 6-1 record, securing the regular season championship with a thrilling 3-1 win over Plymouth State. As a team, the Huskies have scored 50 goals this season, and are averaging 2.27 goals per game. In LEC action, USM outscored its opponents 20-6 as the Huskies' defense allowed a conference-best 0.86 goals per game.
Individually, several Huskies have had standout performances in 2026 including senior midfielder
Dylan Barr (Phippsburg, Maine/Morse), the Little East Conference Championship's Most Outstanding Player. Barr, a 2025 all-conference selection, has seven goals and two assists this season. The Huskies also feature senior forward
Bri Townsend (Newport, Maine/Nokomis) and sophomore forward
Maddie Niles (Benton, Maine/Lawrence). Niles leads Southern Maine with nine goals and six assists, while Townsend has eight goals and four assists.
Allowing just six goals in LEC competition, the Huskies' defense is led by a veteran back line including juniors
Jenessa Foster (Pittsfield, Maine/Maine Central Institute),
Jayla Gentry (Skowhegan, Maine) and senior
Julia Elie (Dayton, Maine/Thornton Academy). The Huskies' defense has limited its opponents to 11.3 shots per game. Freshman goalkeeper
Haylee Romasco (Newport, Maine/Nokomis), who made seven saves in the LEC Championship win earning her third shutout of the season, has an overall goals against average of 1.66 to lead the Little East Conference to go with a .750 save percentage.
The 2026 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship consists of a 28-team field, dedicating 18 slots to automatic qualifying programs, and the remaining 10 spaces to at-large candidates chosen by the selection committee. The first round of the tournament will be on Wednesday, November 11 and will be hosted at campus sites.
2026 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament
Hamiton College | Clinton, NY | Goodfriend Field | Wednesday, November 11
Who: Southern Maine (15-7, 6-1 Little East) vs. No. 8 Hamilton College
When: Wednesday, November 11 (4:00 pm)
Where: Clinton, NY; Goodfriend Field
Southern Maine Team Info:
Record: 15-7 (6-1 Little East); 2026 Little East Regular Season Champion, 2026 Little East Tournament Champion
Head Coach: Bonny Brown Denico '91, 29 seasons (302-298)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 7 (Most Recent 2003, 2023, 2026)
All-Time Record in NCAA Tournament Play: 2-7
Huskies to Watch: Maddie Niles, So., F, (9 g, 6 a, 23 pts);
Bri Townsend, Sr., F, (8 g, 4 a, 20 pts);
Dylan Barr, Sr., M, (7 g, 2 a, 16 pts);
Mackenzie Hall, So., F., (5 g, 4 a, 14 pts);
Allie Flagg, So., F., (6 g, 0 a, 12 pts)
Jenessa Foster, Jr., B, 2 defensive saves;
Julia Elie, Sr., B, (2 g, 1 a, 5 pts);
Haylee Romasco, Fr., GK, 13-6, 3 shutouts, 1.66 GAA, .750 Save Percentage.
2026 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament Format and Dates
- First round: Wednesday, Nov. 11 at campus sites
- Second round: Saturday, Nov. 14 at campus sites
- Third round: Sunday, Nov. 15 at campus sites
- Semifinals: 11 am or 2:30 pm on Friday, November 20
- National championship: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 22
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