Boston College is back home this weekend for a stiff early-season test, welcoming the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to the Newton Field Hockey Complex. The Eagles will see two heavyweights in quick succession, opening against No.
13 Maryland on Friday at 6 p.m. before facing No. 1 Northwestern on Sunday at 2 p.m. on ACC Network.
BC comes into the tournament after splitting its first two games. The Eagles opened with a 3-1 win over Providence at home, then dropped a 4-3 decision at UAlbany. Alex De Cain found the net in both contests, Klara Mueffelmann scored twice against Providence, and Melea Weber and Caroline Chisholm each picked up their first goals of the season against UAlbany.
Maryland arrives ranked and already rolling. The Terrapins are 2-0 to start 2026 and entered the year at No. 13 in the NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll.
They also showed plenty of firepower in the opening weekend, outshooting their opponents 45-11. BC and Maryland will meet for the 21st time, and the Eagles have already shown they can handle the matchup - last year at this same event, they stunned then-No.
4 Maryland, 2-0, for their first win over the Terps since 2021.
That Maryland team brings back a strong core. Josie Hollamon returns after earning First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2025, while Jordyn Hollamon comes back after being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and leading the team with seven goals.
Lucia Magro is also back after finishing second on the squad with nine goals and 20 points last season. The Terps added eight newcomers, including Francisca Eshoyez, the 2025 Big East Offensive Player of the Year and NFHCA Third Team All-American.
Northwestern is an even taller order. The Wildcats are the unanimous NFHCA preseason No. 1 after winning their second straight NCAA title and third overall in 2025. Sunday’s meeting will be the 18th between BC and Northwestern, and the Wildcats have plenty of star power back in the fold.
Ashley Sessa, the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, returns after leading Northwestern with 65 points. Juliana Boon, last season’s Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, is back after posting a .775 save percentage and 10 shutouts.
Ilse Tromp, the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, also returns after scoring the game-winning goal in the NCAA Championship. Northwestern opened 2026 with shutout wins over VCU, 2-0, and Lafayette, 1-0, with Jessica Freedman scoring in both games.
BC had a taste of both opponents at last year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Eagles beat Maryland 2-0 behind a fast-break goal from Melea Weber, set up by Caroline Chisholm, and a fourth-quarter penalty stroke from Chisholm. Against Northwestern, BC held firm through three quarters before the Wildcats broke through twice in the fourth.
Sunday’s game also carries a special meaning at Boston College. It will be the 20th MS Awareness Game at BC in honor of Kathleen (Murphy) Cashman.
Murphy was part of the Eagles’ field hockey program when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she kept practicing and competing through it. She and her teammates later began taking part in a walk for the MS Society, and she continues to support awareness and fundraising efforts aimed at finding a cure.
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