PITMAN, NJ – Rowan has been picked as the preseason favorite in the 2026 New Jersey Athletic Conference Field Hockey Coaches Poll, collecting seven of the eight first-place votes in balloting by the league's head coaches. The Profs enter the season ranked 14th in the NFHCA Division III Preseason Coaches Poll.
TCNJ, ranked 25th nationally, picked up the other first-place vote to land second, while Stockton and Montclair State rounded out the top four. New Paltz, in its first season in the NJAC, was tagged as this year's dark horse in fifth. Kean, Ramapo and William Paterson completed the poll.
The NJAC Tournament expands to five teams for the first time in 2026, with the fourth and fifth seeds meeting in a quarterfinal on Monday, Nov. 2. The semifinals follow Wednesday, Nov. 4, and the championship is set for Saturday, Nov. 7. The tournament champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.
2026 NJAC FIELD HOCKEY PRESEASON POLL
(first-place votes in parentheses)
- Rowan (7)
- TCNJ (1)
- Stockton
- Montclair State
- New Paltz (dark horse)
- Kean
- Ramapo
- William Paterson
KEAN
Kean returns a pair of First Team All-Conference forwards to lead the attack. Shannon Conroy (14 points, 5 goals, 4 assists) and Madison Brege (13 points, 5 goals, 3 assists) — both 2026 NFHCA Division III Watchlist honorees — headline the offense, joined by Sophia Candeloro (9 points, 2 game-winners) in the midfield. 2025 Honorable Mention goalkeeper Daniella Maresca (.741 save percentage, four shutouts) returns to anchor the defense, and the Cougars add scoring punch via transfer Ali Stoner, a 2025 Honorable Mention forward at William Paterson who posted 28 points last season.
Newcomers to Watch: Ali Stoner (JR; Forward; Branchville, NJ/High Point HS/William Paterson), Brianne Scuderi (FR; Defense; Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg)
Head Coach Maura Johnston: "We're really excited about this upcoming season and the opportunity to see a new group establish its identity. We have a great mix of new faces and returners stepping into bigger roles."
MONTCLAIR STATE
Montclair State returns a balanced core headlined by Honorable Mention forward and 2026 NFHCA Watchlist honoree Natalie Surma, who led the Red Hawks with 12 points on five goals and three game-winners. Bella Heiser (3 points) adds scoring depth up top, while Kasey Watson anchors the midfield/defense in front of goalie Sydney White, who made a conference-high 162 saves and posted the second-highest save percentage in the NJAC (.810) a year ago.
Newcomers to Watch: Olivia Ent (Forward/Midfield; Burlington Township HS), Kayla Balsamo (JR; Goalie; East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick/Molloy College)
Head Coach Eileen O'Reilly: "We are very excited about our 2026 team and look forward to a competitive non-conference and NJAC schedule this fall. We believe this combination of experience, talent, and competitiveness will position us for a successful season."
SUNY NEW PALTZ
New Paltz enters its inaugural NJAC season bringing a proven scoring touch from its final SUNYAC campaign. Ashley McGough (9 goals, 20 points) and Maya O'Keefe (5 goals, 10 points) lead the attack, while 2025 Second Team All-SUNYAC selection and 2026 NFHCA Watchlist honoree Sophia Bronzi anchors the midfield. Goalkeeper Grace Grant, who posted a .750 save percentage in her freshman season, steps into a featured role in net as the Hawks blend youth with returning experience in their new conference home.
Newcomers to Watch: Caydence Parker (Midfield/Defense; Nansemond River HS), Katie Sauve (Midfield; Roy C. Ketcham HS)
Head Coach Shanna Szablinski: "This year we will be relying on a mix of both freshmen and returning players to navigate our inaugural season in the NJAC. Our team is young and rebounding from the graduation of the 2026 class, but they are motivated to get to work."
RAMAPO
Ramapo returns a young, productive midfield to build its 2026 attack around. Eliana Momm (5 goals, 11 points on 28 shots, a .679 shots-on-goal rate) and Kayla Gray (7 points, 5 assists) lead the way up top, while Savannah Davis, who posted five defensive saves across 806 minutes, anchors the back line in front of goalkeeper Emily Getz. Getz made 79 saves and posted a .718 save percentage in her time between the pipes a season ago. The Roadrunners add a talented freshman class to round out the roster.
Newcomers to Watch: Sophia Catanzaro (FR; Midfield; Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue), Haylee Townsend (FR; Forward; Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional), Isabella Asaro (FR; Defense; Mount Olive, NJ/Mount Olive)
Head Coach Rachel McHale: "I feel so blessed with my group. We have a solid group of returners who are extremely close, along with nine new additions. I cannot wait to see what they contribute to the team, and how they help shape the bright future of Ramapo College field hockey as a whole."
ROWAN
Rowan returns a deep, experienced attack that outscored NJAC opponents 74-39 a year ago. 2025 NJAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference midfielder Sydney Kowalczyk, who tallied a team-best 19 goals and 44 points as a freshman, headlines the group alongside fellow First Team honorees Gracie Merrick (11 points, 5 assists) and defender Aurelia McManis (9 points, 7 assists), who anchored a defense that held opponents under two goals per game. Mia Foti (10 goals, 20 points) rounds out an attack that features four 2026 NFHCA Division III Watchlist honorees.
Newcomers to Watch: Ava Fisher (Midfield), Kaylee Wondsettler (Forward)
Head Coach Michelle Andre: "Returning a core group that has a ton of experience. A very balanced team."
STOCKTON
Stockton returns its full complement of impact forwards off a season that saw the Ospreys outscore opponents 60-40. Brooke Ruiz (9 goals, 21 points) and Honorable Mention forward Riley DeMarco (8 goals, 20 points) lead the attack, joined by NFHCA Watchlist honoree Jenna Gregula. First Team All-Conference midfielder Maura Somers (8 points, 4 assists), also a Watchlist selection, and defender Melany Mosier anchor the back line in front of goalkeeper Erika Roura, who posted a .712 save percentage across 20 starts.
Newcomers to Watch: Emmah Devlin (SO; Forward; Millville, NJ/St. Joseph's Hammonton/Kean), Stella Devlin (FR; Midfield; Millville, NJ/St. Joseph's Hammonton), Olivia Broome (FR; Forward; Runnemede, NJ/Triton)
Head Coach Sarah Elleman: "Stockton Field Hockey will look to be an offensive force in 2026, returning all of our impact forwards from the 2025 season. We will have a strong blend of experienced returners and talented newcomers throughout the roster."
TCNJ
TCNJ returns the engine of a team that posted the best scoring margin in the NJAC a year ago (plus-2.37). 2025 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year Jadyn Huff, who posted 35 points on 11 goals and a conference-best 13 assists, leads the attack alongside Honorable Mention midfielder Isabel Maher and Prisha Dhruve (14 points, 8 assists). On defense, 2025 Goaltender of the Year Brigitte Racey (1.01 GAA, .836 save percentage, six shutouts) and First Team defender Rachael Tetzlaff (10 defensive saves) return to anchor a unit that allowed just 20 goals in NJAC play. Huff, Maher, Racey and Tetzlaff were all named to the 2026 NFHCA Division III Watchlist, and the Lions bring in a seven-player freshman class to build even more depth.
Newcomers to Watch: Avery Gower (FR; Midfield/Defense; Allentown, NJ/Allentown), Jill Tetzlaff (FR; Midfield/Defense; Toms River, NJ/Toms River North), Liz Americo (FR; Forward/Midfield; Howell, NJ/Howell), Natalia Simcak (FR; Forward; Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough), Grey Sobel (FR; Midfield/Forward; Haddonfield, NJ/Westtown School (PA)), Charley Hardiman (FR; Midfield/Defense; Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon), Casey Kozelnik (FR; Goalie; Washington, NJ/Blair Academy)
Head Coach Sharon Pfluger: "The 2026 TCNJ field hockey team is made up of a strong group of returners who will do a fantastic job of mentoring and leading our newcomers. The team possesses incredible potential, and we are excited about what we can accomplish together."
WILLIAM PATERSON
Julia Dennehy, who posted 12 points on four goals and four assists while firing 25 shots, is William Paterson’s leading returning scorer. She leads the attack alongside forward Giuliana Pasquarella (3 points, 11 shots), and Sofia Russell adds depth in the midfield/defense. The Pioneers welcome back goalie Sofia Chebookjian, who returns to the net after missing the 2025 season. In her last action between the pipes in 2024, she made 110 saves across 15 starts.
Newcomers to Watch: Kelsie Massingill (Midfield; Hamilton HS West), Elizabeth Fitzharris (Midfield; A.L. Johnson HS), Rebecca Palumbo (Defense; W.T. Clarke HS)
Head Coach Melissa Zurawiecki: "We're really excited to see the energy and talent of our incoming class mixed with the work ethic and drive of our veteran players. This team is hungry and dedicated to competing at a high level in a very competitive NJAC."