AMHERST, Mass. (JMU Athletics) – Overwhelming offensive pressure from No. 4 Massachusetts forced James Madison field hockey (8-8, 7-2 MAC) into a 3-0 loss at the Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex Friday afternoon.
After a scoreless first quarter, UMass got past JMU’s stingy defense with a goal from the MAC’s scoring leader Niamh McKenzie. In the fourth frame, JMU surrendered a pair of scores to the Minutewomen to put the game out of reach.
The Dukes hung with the Minutewomen for much of the contest but were outnumbered in shots 12-to-5, shots on goal 6-to-5 and penalty corners 7-to-3. Individually, Ava Drexler-Amey put two shots on frame while Azul Covarrubias, Brynna Hill and Emma Smit all put a shot on the board each. In goal, Hannah Popolis made three saves in her first start of the season.
How It Happened
• The Minutewomen broke the ice in the 28th minute when Megan Carpender kept with the play, feeding a lunging McKenzie who stabbed her stick at the ball and pushed it into the back of the cage.
• The Dukes earned their first real opportunity in the 38th minute when Smit saw her shot off a penalty corner saved as the ball went out of play to end James Madison’s scoring threat.
• JMU acquired another penalty corner a few minutes later as Covarrubias rifled a shot at goal, but Rozrie Mrzov made the stop right in front of the cage.
• UMass padded their advantage in the fourth as Elani Sherwood and Neva Eisenga both scored goals off penalty corners.
Game Notes
• With the loss, James Madison’s hopes of a share of the MAC Regular Season Championship were dashed as the Dukes will be the three seed in the MAC Tournament. JMU finishes the 2026 regular season with an overall record of 8-8 and 7-2 in MAC play.
• For the first time all year, JMU has been shutout in consecutive games. It was only the fourth time the Dukes had been kept off the scoring column all season.
• The Dukes fell to 2-8 when their opponent scores first and 2-6 when their opponent records more penalty corners.
• JMU falls to 3-8 against UMass in the all-time series as the Minutewomen won their third in a row over the Dukes.
Up Next
#3 James Madison will face #6 Ohio in the quarterfinals round of the 2026 MAC Championship. The game will take place Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Miami Field Hockey Complex in Oxford, Ohio.
— JMU Athletics —
