NFHCA National Coaches Poll

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Looking to build upon last year's Final Four run, the Christopher Newport field hockey team will begin the 2026 campaign ranked fourth in the nation after the Captains received high marks in the NFHCA National Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Tuesday morning.

CNU earned 407 points in the poll, which slotted the team fourth in the rankings. That equaled the highest position in a preseason poll in program history, matching the 2014 squad, who also held down the No. 4 spot at the start of the year.

The Captains have now been recognized in the NFHCA Preseason Poll for 19 consecutive years. Last fall, Christopher Newport opened the 2025 campaign slotted sixth in the country before making a run to the Final Four for the second time in school history.

At the top of the rankings, Tufts held down the No. 1 position and earned 18 first-place votes after claiming last year's national title. Following the Jumbos, Johns Hopkins was ranked second in the nation, while Babson rounded out the top-three. After the Captains, Bates and Salisbury tied for fifth in the rankings.

Six of CNU's upcoming opponents earned a spot in the poll, including four squads that garnered top-10 marks. Christopher Newport will kick off the 2026 season with a showdown at No. 23 Washington and Lee on September 1. Then, the Captains will wrap up an early-season road trip with bouts at No. 3 Babson on September 5 and No. 10 Endicott on September 7.

Later in the year, CNU will host No. 22 Messiah on September 19 before facing No. 7 Middlebury in a neutral-site tilt in Cambridge, Massachusetts on September 27. Towards the end of the season, the Captains will also renew their rivalry with No. 5 Salisbury in a test at Sea Gull Stadium on October 19.

Christopher Newport welcomes back an impressive collection of veteran talent from last year's roster, which posted a 19-1 record and spent seven weeks ranked first in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll. Nine of the squad's 11 starters from the Final Four are back in Newport News, including three All-Americans and six All-Region performers.

Among the decorated contingent, Courtney Hughlett is a reigning first-team All-American and the Region VI and VaSID All-State Player of the Year. During her junior campaign, she established a new program record with 15 assists, which also placed her fifth on the national leaderboard. She recorded at least one point in 13 of her appearances and assisted on seven game-winning goals.

Fellow first-team All-American Caroline Hughlett also returns after posting 23 points, including a career-high nine assists and three penalty strokes. Meanwhile, Lindsey Loar garnered third-team All-American citations last fall after leading the team with 14 goals and 32 points. Her 14 goals equaled the eighth-most in school history and placed her in the top-50 on the national charts.

In addition to the All-American trio, Avery Mast and Kelly Via also secured first-team All-Region honors last year, while Kendall Gibson was a second-team selection. Mast slotted third on the team with eight assists, while Via and Gibson were staples on a back line that helped the team rank first in the nation in scoring defense with a 0.39 goals-against-average. Incredibly, that mark was the ninth-best in the history of Division III field hockey.

Among other returning starters, Morgan Shealer was equally impactful on the record-setting defensive unit, while Riley Iasiello stockpiled highlight-reel moments on the offensive end, including the game-winning goal against No. 5 Salisbury during the NCAA Quarterfinals, which catapulted the Captains into the Final Four. Meanwhile, Ellie Nuckols has remained a centerpiece on the squad's elite penalty corner defense and spent the offseason earning first-team All-American honors as a heptathlete on CNU's track & field team.

Overall, 17 standouts are back from last year's team, including seven seniors. The program also bolstered the veteran-portion of the roster with seven freshmen along with junior transfer Ella Elliott.

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