Two-time defending national champion Northwestern picked up a signature Big Ten win over No. 6 Iowa on its home turf, keeping its conference record flawless. Right on the Wildcats' heels, undefeated Maryland stayed hot with another ranked victory, setting the stage for an electric finish as the 2026 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament Presented by Allstate gets closer.
Top-Ranked Wildcats Split Against Ranked Foes
No. 1 Northwestern flexed its championship mettle in Evanston, picking up a 2-1 victory over Big Ten rival No. 6 Iowa on Friday.
The Wildcats relied on a stout defensive effort to ground the Hawkeyes, holding the conference’s top goalscoring offense to just 11 shots and one goal. On the other end, Northwestern star Ashley Sessa (who scored a hat trick last time out) was responsible for both goals — opening the scoring in the first and scoring the game-winner in the third — moving her total for the year to 11.
Friday’s win was Northwestern’s 600th overall since achieving varsity status in 1980 and kept the defending champions at the top of the standings. While the Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday to No. 10 Princeton, they remained undefeated in conference play. More on the Wildcats top-10 win here.
Maryland Moves to 12-0 in Michigan
Along with the defending champions, No. 2 Maryland continues to set the pace for the rest of the nation, extending its season-opening win streak to 12 games in a 5-2 victory over No. 19 Michigan.
After a scoreless first half, the Terps offense broke through in a big way in the third quarter, scoring four goals in under four minutes. Maryland took a 4-0 lead into the final 15 minutes, and while the Wolverines got two back, Maci Bradford’s second goal of the day (along with two assists) added onto the cushion and secured the 5-2 win.
With the victory, Maryland improved to 12-0 for the sixth time in program history while moving to 3-0 in the conference, only giving up three goals so far. Could Maryland become the No. 1 team in the country following Northwestern’s loss on Sunday? We’ll find out on Tuesday. Read more about the Terps.
Wolverines Get Back into Win Column
Following a tough loss against the Terrapins, No. 19 Michigan bounced back in a big way on Sunday against No. 18 Monmouth. Behind a goal 30 seconds in and a strong defensive effort, the Wolverines defeated the Hawks 2-1 to get back into the win column.
The Wolverines made an early exclamation point less than a minute in, with Juliette Manzur putting home a rebound off an Eva Bernardy shot to give them a 1-0 lead. Michigan carried that momentum through the break before Esmée de Willigen doubled the advantage in the fourth quarter with a clever chip past the goalkeeper.
Though their Big Ten campaign got off to a bumpy start, Sunday's ranked victory provides a timely spark for the Wolverines (6-6). Next up, the squad has a crucial conference road trip at Rutgers and Penn State this weekend. Hear from the Wolverines.
Beyond the ranked wins from the Wildcats, Terps and Wolverines, there were some more big results that shook up the standings, including Rutgers winning in a penalty shootout against Ohio State. Check out the full schedule here.
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