Unveiling GNAC Field Hockey: Legendary Championships and Iconic Players You Must Know!

Field hockey has a rich history within the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and other conferences, marked by intense competition, outstanding individual performances, and memorable championship victories. This article highlights some of the key moments and players that have shaped field hockey in these leagues.

From dominant teams securing consecutive titles to individual athletes earning prestigious awards, the story of field hockey in these conferences is one of dedication, skill, and triumph.

GNAC Field Hockey Champions

For the first time in program history, Dean College captured the GNAC Field Hockey Championship. The conference trophy was the cherry on top for the Bulldogs, who had their best season yet and first over .500 since the program had been reinstated in 2018. After having their nearly perfect GNAC record spoiled by Colby-Sawyer to finish 9-1 in the regular season, Dean found the strength to defeat the Chargers, 3-1, when the stakes were high - in the GNAC championship. Sophomore Emily Yazzetti led the way with a goal and was named Tournament MVP, while Sydnee Ramos and Emma Gragen also scored.

In 2025, Saint Joseph's finished 12-8 overall and 9-1 in league play under second-year Head Coach Theresa Arsenault.

Here's a look at other conference champions:

Atlantic East Conference: Marywood University repeated as champions with a 3-0 victory over Neumann.
Centennial Conference: Second-ranked Johns Hopkins captured its seventh straight title with a 4-1 victory over Dickinson.
Central Maine Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (CMCFHC): Husson University claimed its second consecutive title with a 3-2 overtime comeback against Thomas College.
Collegiate Field Hockey Conference: The University of Mary Washington defeated Rhodes College, 3-0, to claim its second straight championship.
Conference of New England: The No. 8 Endicott field hockey captured its first-ever title with a 2-1 overtime win over Roger Williams.
Empire 8: SUNY Geneseo nabbed its second consecutive championship with a 5-1 win over Nazareth.
Landmark Conference: Scranton defeated Susquehanna 3-0 to claim their first title since 2021.
Liberty League: Vassar College captured its first title since 2021 with a 4-2 victory over Union.
Little East Conference: Keene State secured its league-record 16th championship with a 1-0 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University.
MASCAC Championship: Westfield State University defeated Worcester State University 4-2 to claim the 2025 title.
MAC Commonwealth: Stevenson captured its first-ever title with a 1-0 victory over Messiah.
Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championship: Stevens Institute of Technology captured its third consecutive title with a 3-0 victory over Misericordia.
NESCAC: Bates captured their first NESCAC Championship with a 2-0 win over Wesleyan.
NEWMAC: Babson College secured its fifth consecutive championship with a 1-0 victory over WPI.
NJAC Field Hockey Championship: Rowan University clinched its fifth consecutive title with a 1-0 victory over The College of New Jersey.
NCAC Field Hockey Tournament: Denison captured the 2025 title with a 2-1 overtime victory over Ohio Wesleyan.
ODAC: Top-ranked Lynchburg defeated Shenandoah 5-1 to claim its second conference title in three years.
SUNYAC Field Hockey Championship: Salisbury captured its first title with a 7-1 victory over SUNY Cortland.

Outstanding Players and All-Conference Honors

Each year, outstanding players are recognized for their exceptional contributions to their teams. These athletes receive All-Conference honors and are sometimes named tournament MVPs.

GNAC All-Conference Selections

In the GNAC, several players have been recognized for their outstanding performances:

Ava Markham (Saint Joseph's): Named the 2025 GNAC Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-Conference selection.
Sydnee Ramos (Dean College): Named to the GNAC First Team.
Emily Yazzetti (Dean College): Named to the GNAC First Team.
Shea Cassani (Dean College): Earned 2nd Team honors.
Sara Gardner (Dean College): Earned 2nd Team honors.
Emma Gragen (Dean College): Earned 3rd Team honors.
Ella Belanger (Dean College): Earned All-Sportsmanship recognition.

Other notable players include:

Dariane Jones (Marywood University): Led the team with two goals in the Atlantic East Conference final and earned Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Megan Chang (Johns Hopkins): Named the tournament MVP in the Centennial Conference Championship.
Natalia Correia (Endicott): Named Tournament Most Outstanding Player after a key block in overtime.
Sara O’Donnell (SUNY Geneseo): Named Tournament MVP in the Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship.
Annie Shaw (Scranton): Scored twice in the Landmark Conference Championship match.
Karina Hoffman (Vassar College): Named Most Outstanding Performer in the Liberty League title game.
Meghan Daileanes (Keene State): Scored the lone goal in the Little East Conference championship game.
Kaleigh Murphy (Westfield State University): Named MASCAC Tournament MVP.
Aleah Dinmore (Stevens Institute of Technology): Named Tournament MVP in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championship.
Caroline DiGiovanni (Babson College): Named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in the NEWMAC.
Kaylee Wenzel (Rowan University): Scored the golden goal in the NJAC Field Hockey Championship.
Anna Dorrestijn (Lynchburg): Led the team with a hat trick in the ODAC final.

Key Performances and Moments

Many games were defined by individual brilliance and timely goals:

Grace Waldeck (Johns Hopkins): Redirected a pass for an early goal in the Centennial Conference Championship.
Lauryn Brown, Tessa Capozzoli, and Faith Tillotson (Husson University): Scored crucial goals in the comeback victory in the CMCFHC final.
Laney Reed (Babson College): Scored the only goal in the NEWMAC championship game.
Katherine Flanagan and Emma Gebhart (Denison): Scored the tying and game-winning goals in the NCAC Field Hockey Tournament final.

All-Conference Roster

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has announced that six Dean College Field Hockey players have made the GNAC All-Conference roster. Both Sydnee Ramos (New Bedford, MA) and Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, NY) were named to the GNAC First Team. Ramos, earning her first All-Conference Honors, displayed the best season of her career. On the other side, Emily Yazzetti takes home the second conference honors of her young career. The sophomore scored 55 total points, including 17 goals and 21 assists. In addition, Yazzetti also finished 1st place in the NCAA in assists per game (1.05). Both Shea Cassani (Belgrade, ME) and Sara Gardner (Hampstead, MD) earned 2nd Team honors, marking the first all-conference honors for both. Cassani would produce six defensive saves through the regular season, shattering her previous career high. Emma Gragen (Brattleboro, VT) earned 3rd Team honors for the Bulldogs. The sophomore posted nine goals and 21 total points, including four different multi-goal performances. She posted a career-high six points on September 3rd vs. On the All-Sportsmanship, Ella Belanger (Worcester, MA) earns her first All-Conference recognition of her career.

These moments highlight the excitement and competitive spirit that define field hockey in these conferences.

Statistical Achievements

Several players achieved notable statistical milestones during the season:

Emily Yazzetti (Dean College): Finished 1st in the NCAA in assists per game (1.05).
Anna Dorrestijn (Lynchburg): Led the ODAC with 21 goals and 56 points in 20 games.
Lily Wierzbicki (Stevens Institute of Technology): Earned her 18th win of the year, setting a single-season program record for victories.
Ava Markham (Saint Joseph's): Ranked second in the conference in assists and now ranks second in single-season assists in program history.

These achievements underscore the high level of talent and dedication present in collegiate field hockey.

Conference Realignment

Following their departure and 2024 conference win in the Coast-to-Coast Conference, Salisbury quickly adapted to its new opponents, capturing its first SUNYAC Field Hockey Championship on Saturday with a 7-1 victory over SUNY Cortland. The Sea Gulls earned an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.

Conference	Champion	Key Player(s)
Atlantic East Conference	Marywood University	Dariane Jones
Centennial Conference	Johns Hopkins	Megan Chang
NESCAC	Bates	Brooke Moloney-Kolenberg, Caroline Nowak, Ava Donohue
NEWMAC	Babson College	Laney Reed, Helen DiGiovanni, Caroline DiGiovanni
GNAC	Dean College	Emily Yazzetti, Sydnee Ramos, Emma Gragen
SUNYAC	Salisbury	N/A

tags: #gnac #field #hockey