Field Hockey Plays Messiah in Sweet 16 at Rowan on Saturday

MEDFORD, MA (November 11, 2022) - For the 10th time in team history, head coach Tina Mattera's Tufts University field hockey team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16" and will play Messiah University at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey on Saturday. Game time is 2:00 PM.

Game Details:
Opponent: Messiah (16-2)
Date: Saturday November 12, 2022
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Glassboro, NJ (Rowan University) – Richard Wackar Stadium (Directions)
Live Coverage: LIVE STATS – LIVE VIDEO – BRACKET
* If Tufts defeats Messiah, Jumbos will advance to Elite 8 and play Rowan or Christopher Newport on Sunday at 1 pm
 
This is the third time that the Jumbos and the Falcons have met in the NCAA Tournament. The first game was in the national semifinals of 2008 when the Jumbos won 5-2. The teams then met in the 2016 national championship game which Messiah won 1-0 in overtime.
 
Tufts, an at-large entry to this fall's NCAA's after finishing as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) runner-up, enters the weekend with a 13-6 record. They won their first-round game 4-1 against Castleton University on Wednesday at Ounjian Field, led by a goal and two assists from Kylie Rosenquest. The Jumbos are in their 13th NCAA Tournament now with a 22-11 record in those games.
 
Messiah won the MAC Commonwealth Championship this year and received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons are in the tournament for the 35th time and have a 56-33 NCAA reord. They are led by senior forward Ashlyn Smith, who has 15 goals and nine assists for 39 points.
 
The winner of the Tufts-Messiah tilt will advance to the "Elite 8" on Sunday. There they will face either host Rowan or Christopher Newport University, who play their Sweet 16 game Saturday at 11:00 AM. The Profs (19-1) also received a first-round bye after winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference. They are in the NCAA's for 22nd time where they have an even 20-20 mark. For the Captains (15-5), they opened their 11th NCAA appearance with a 6-0 first-round win over Bridgewater (VA) on Wednesday. The Coast-To-Coast Conference runner-up is now 8-10 in NCAA games.
 
Saturday's winners will play at Rowan for a berth into the "Final Four" at 1:00 PM. This weekend's pod features three teams that have won NCAA titles with Rowan's in 2002, Tufts' in 2012 and Messiah's in 2016. In the current National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III poll, the Profs are #3, the Falcons are at #5, Tufts ranks sixth and the Captains come in at #16.
 
The teams will be looking to make a return trip to Rowan's Richard Wackar Stadium, which is the site of the national semifinal on November 18 and the NCAA Championship Game on November 20.
 
For information on tickets and live coverage for this weekend's games, visit the tournament website HERE.