NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - For the first time in a quarter century the Northeast 10 has a shared regular season field hockey champion. Saint Anselm and Assumption both finished 8-1 in conference this fall, tying atop the standings --- a second in the league since Bryant and Saint Michael's in 2002 (Assumption and Saint Anselm tied in 2022). By virtue of a head-to-head tie-break, Saint Anselm does take the No. 1 seed in the postseason bracket.
Saint Anselm wins the head-to-head tie-break with Assumption after a 2-1 win on October 17th. The tie, however, does make Assumption's senior class four-for-four in winning conference regular season titles. Saint Anselm wins its first share of a regular season championship since 2022. This marks the second consecutive season that the previous year's postseason NE10 Champion has won the league's regular season title the following fall.
Adelphi is the league's No. 3 seed, finishing 7-2 with only losses to the two champions.
Parody has been paramount in the Northeast 10 over the years. Only five times since 2010 has the regular season champion gone on to win the conference's postseason title. An additional twist to the end of the year is the fact that the East Region receives only one at-large berth to the NCAA Championship. All three of Assumption, Adelphi and Saint Anselm are ranked in the region's top three spots in the NCAA's NPI. One will earn the league's AQ while the next highest ranked team earns the NCAA at-large.
Bentley is the all-time leader in NE10 Championship crowns with nine, followed by Saint Anselm among active members with three. Last year's final pitted the two clubs against each other as the first 2OT Championship Final in conference history, won by the Hawks.
This fall Adelphi boasts the top-ranked offense in the league while Assumption and Saint Anselm have the top two defenses, followed closely by Pace. The Setters have two of the best wins in the conference this fall, beating both Saint Anselm and Bloomsburg while those opponents were ranked in the NFHCA Top 10.
NE10 Championship action begins November 10th with the opening round, culminating in the Championship Final on November 15th. All action will be broadcast on
FloCollege.
1. Saint Anselm (8-1)
2. Assumption (8-1)
3. Adelphi (7-2)
4. Pace (5-4)
5. Bentley (5-4)
6. American International (3-6)
7. Southern New Hampshire (3-6)
Tuesday, November 10th
Quarterfinals – at Higher Seeds
Match 1: #7 Southern New Hampshire at #2 Assumption (7:00 PM)
Match 2: #6 American International at #3 Adelphi (6:00 PM)
Match 3: #5 Bentley at #4 Pace (3:300 PM)
Friday, November 13th
Semifinals - at Higher Seeds
Match 4: Match 3 winner at #1 Saint Anselm (4:00 PM)
Match 5: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner – Time TBD at Higher Seed
Sunday, November 15th
Championship – at Highest Seed
Match 6: Match 4 Winner vs. Match 5 Winner – Time TBD at Higher Seed
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season. The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.