Northwestern Blanks St. Joseph's 5-0 in NCAA Opener
The top-seeded Wildcats advance to face the North Carolina-Miami winner in the second round Sunday.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Hockey
Northwestern shut out St. Joseph's 5-0 in the first round of the NCAA field hockey tournament on Friday in Evanston, Illinois. The No. 1 seed, which finished 19-2, scored twice in the first six minutes and led 4-0 at halftime.
Why it matters
The win keeps Northwestern's postseason run alive and sets up a second-round home game against the winner of North Carolina and Miami. St. Joseph's, which finished 12-10, saw its season end with the loss.
Northwestern outshot St. Joseph's 22-5 and put 14 shots on goal, while St. Joseph's managed only one shot on goal in each half. The Wildcats finished the season 19-2 and St. Joseph's finished 12-10.
The players
Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern University's varsity athletics program, competing in NCAA Division I field hockey.
Ashley Sessa
Northwestern field hockey player who scored twice in the first half of the first-round win over St. Joseph's.
The details
Ashley Sessa scored twice for Northwestern in the first half, and the Wildcats added one more goal with less than two minutes remaining. St. Joseph's allowed no goals in the third quarter but could not generate consistent offense against the Northwestern defense.
Timeline
Friday: Northwestern defeats St. Joseph's 5-0 in Evanston.
Sunday, 1 p.m.: Northwestern hosts the North Carolina-Miami winner in the second round.
Season Trajectory
As the No. 1 seed in the NCAA field hockey bracket, Northwestern has earned home-field advantage through the second round under the tournament's seeding structure. The 5-0 result strengthens its position as one of the strongest teams left in the field this season.
Northwestern's second-round game is set for 1 p.m. Sunday, with the opponent to be determined by the North Carolina-Miami matchup. Fans planning to attend should expect a home game against whichever team advances from that contest.
The takeaway
Northwestern's strong start shows how seeding can translate into early-round control in a single-elimination bracket. Following the Sunday matchup will show whether the Wildcats can keep their momentum going.
What happens next
Northwestern hosts the North Carolina-Miami winner in the second round at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Further reading
For more on the sport, see our Hockey coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
