There’s a new No. 1 team in the nation: the Maryland Terrapins.
After starting the season 12-0 for the sixth time in program history, Maryland has taken the top spot in the NFHCA rankings after Northwestern’s tight top-10 loss to Princeton. The Wildcats, who are 13-1, fell to No. 2, while three more Big Ten teams occupy spots in the top 20.
Northwestern has a chance to bounce back immediately in one of the biggest games of conference play so far.
Battle for First Place: Wildcats Visit Hoosiers in Bloomington
Heading into the weekend, the Big Ten has two 4-0 teams in No. 2 Northwestern and No. 11 Indiana, and the two open up the weekend slate with a massive tilt in Bloomington. The winner will occupy a driver’s seat in the conference standings as the regular season heads down the stretch.
The back-to-back defending national champion Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season on Oct. 11, falling 2-1 in overtime to No. 10 Princeton. However, Tracey Fuchs’ squad remains spotless in Big Ten play, boasting one of the nation’s premier attacks while tying for the conference lead in both goals scored (46) and fewest goals allowed (nine).
The other team that has given up just nine goals this season is the Indiana squad who has given up just one tally in its past four games. The goalie matchup is as intriguing as any with two of the conference’s defensive stalwarts occupying the posts. Indiana’s Sadie Canelli has a conference-leading 0.55 goals against average and Northwestern’s Juliana Boon is right behind her with a 0.57 GAA. Boon leads Canneli and the rest of the Big Ten with an .871 save percentage.
With strong defenses, both teams will need their star attackers to produce. For Northwestern, that will be Ashley Sessa, who has scored seven goals in four conference games to get up to 11 on the season. Sessa, along with Ilse Tromp (nine goals), form one of the most formidable attacks in the country. For the home team Hoosiers, look for leading scorers Molly Stutte and Celia Arroyo Cabezudo (eight goals apiece) to create chances against the Wildcat defense.
Friday afternoon’s showdown at Deborah Tobias Field carries massive implications as the postseason picture continues to take shape. You can catch the game on B1G+ at 3 p.m. ET.
Keeping An Eye on Bloomington, Top-Ranked Maryland Hosts Spartans, Buckeyes
The other undefeated team in the Big Ten is the new-No. 1 Maryland Terrapins, who sit at 3-0 in the standings with one less game played. Missy Meharg’s squad hosts two Big Ten foes in Michigan State on Friday and Ohio State on Sunday, giving the Terrapins another prime opportunity to rack up some wins.
The Spartans and Buckeyes both sit at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, but Michigan State has a winning record on the road this season and Ohio State has shown a penchant for the upset (ask then-No. 5 Virginia). Maryland, meanwhile, comes in firing on all cylinders following a statement 5-2 road win against Michigan.
If the Terrapins take care of business, they will be 14-0 (5-0 B1G) heading into their biggest game so far: Thursday, Oct. 22’s matchup in Evanston against No. 2 Northwestern. Tune in to Friday’s game at 4 p.m. ET and Sunday’s at 12 p.m. ET, both on B1G+.
As the 2026 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament Presented by Allstate approaches, each game is carrying more weight. Outside of the games in Bloomington and College Park, No. 18 Michigan has two conference tilts. Check out the full schedule here.