Rice Field Hockey Wins Third Straight Title

Rice beat Essex 7-0 in the Vermont Division I championship game at the University of Vermont's Moulton Winder Field.

Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Hockey

Rice field hockey beat Essex 7-0 on Saturday to win its third straight Vermont Division I championship at the University of Vermont. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Rice field hockey defeated No. 3 seed Essex 7-0 on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, to win its third straight Vermont Division I championship. The seven goals set a record for most scored by one team in a D-I championship game.

Why it matters

Rice becomes the first Division I field hockey program to win three consecutive titles since South Burlington accomplished the feat from 2015 to 2017. The result underscores a sustained run of dominance for the program in Vermont high school field hockey.

Rice finished 16-1 and outscored in-state opponents 99-2 in 15 games, averaging 6.3 goals per game, with the seven championship goals setting a D-I title-game record. Rice has gone 62-4-1 over the last four years, with four championship appearances and three titles.

The players

Rice Field Hockey

Rice is a Vermont high school field hockey program that has dominated the Division I level in recent seasons.

Essex High School

Essex is a Vermont high school whose field hockey team reached the D-I championship game as the No. 3 seed.

The details

Rice held Essex to three offensive counters in which Essex drove the ball close to the circle, and Essex did not get a shot off during the championship game. Rice scored at least one goal in every quarter, and the team is currently ranked No. 2 in New England according to Max Field Hockey.

2015-2017: South Burlington won three consecutive D-I field hockey titles.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026: Rice defeated Essex 7-0 for its third straight D-I title.
Over the last four years: Rice compiled a 62-4-1 record with four championship appearances and three titles.

Season Trajectory

Rice's three straight titles match the run South Burlington completed from 2015 to 2017, the only prior D-I team to win three consecutive championships. Its 62-4-1 record over four years places the program among the most dominant recent forces in Vermont field hockey.

Rice's perfect pace and record scoring margins make it a strong candidate to remain the favorite in Vermont D-I field hockey next season. Fans tracking the team's 2027 roster can watch how it replaces graduating players.

The takeaway

Rice's three straight titles show how sustained coaching and depth can produce dominance across multiple seasons. Teams that combine balanced scoring with defensive discipline, as Rice did against Essex, tend to sustain championship success.