WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Allegheny field hockey team captured the 2026 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Field Hockey Championship Saturday (Nov. 14) as they defeated Wilkes 4-3.
The game went back-and-forth throughout as
Caroline Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) scored the go-ahead goal with three minutes left.
The Gators scored the game's first goal late in the opening quarter. After a couple of stopped shots,
Jamie Marchewka (Buffalo, N.Y./Amherst Central) found the back of the net to put Allegheny on the board.
Early in the second, the Gators increased their lead to 2-0. Off a penalty corner,
Rhyan Rish (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) passed the ball over to
Bryce Watford (Parkville, Md./Eastern Technical). Watford's low shot found its way through traffic and past the goalie for the tally.
The Colonels battled back, erasing the two-goal deficit as they struck twice in the opening minutes of the second half to tie the game at two.
The game remained knotted at two heading into the fourth quarter.
Wilkes gained the lead early in the fourth, scoring just over a minute in off a corner.
The Colonels lead lasted just a couple minutes. Similar to their second goal, the third Gators goal also came off of a corner. This time, Watford sent the pass to
Teagan Ressler (Glenwood, N.J./Vernon Township), who scored the equalizing goal.
The two teams continued to battle down the stretch. With just under three minutes to go, the Gators reclaimed the lead for good. Smith got possession just outside the arc. After taking a few steps in, her shot from distance found its way through the defenders and into the back of the net.
The Allegheny defense held tough the rest of the way as they won their first ECAC Championship in program history.
Inside the Box
- Marchewka scored an unassisted goal late in the first quarter.
- Watford, assisted by Rish, scored in the second quarter.
- Wilkes scored three unanswered goals to take 3-2 lead in the fourth.
- Ressler scored off an assist by Watford to tie the game at three.
- Smith scored the unassisted gamewinner with just under three minutes remaining.
- Rowan O'Toole (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) made seven saves.
News and Notes
- This marked the first appearance for the team in the ECAC Championships.
- The Gators finish the season at 9-8.
- Today's game was the first between the two programs.
- Smith finishes the season with 22 points, setting a program record. Additionally, she sits at 40 career points, which also puts her at the top of the program career list.
- Watford's 19 points this season is the second most in program history while Ressler's 18 is tied for third.
