CLEVELAND, OH – Ohio Wesleyan has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Field Hockey Poll based on balloting of the league coaches.
The Battling Bishops, who shared the 2024 NCAC title with Denison, narrowly edged out the Big Red for the top spot in the preseason poll after taking five of the 10 first-place votes and 94 total points. Denison collected four first-place votes for 93 total points, while DePauw captured the final first-place vote and claimed third with 79 points. Kenyon was fourth with 69 points, followed by Wittenberg (62), Allegheny (48), Wooster (33), Washington & Jefferson (32), Transylvania (22), and Oberlin (18).
Ohio Wesleyan finished the 2024 season with a 17-5 overall record and a 9-1 mark in league play to claim the program’s 11th conference title. Head coach
Brenda Semit and assistant coach Jon O’Haire return three All-NCAC selections, including junior
Grace Ammon (Southborough, MA/Algonquin Regional), the 2024 Midfielder of the Year. During Ammon’s sophomore campaign, she tied for a league-best six assists and ranked third in shots with 45 against league opponents. Overall, the midfielder tallied an NCAC-best nine assists, to go along with five goals for 19 points last season. Senior defender
Alyssa Markell (Leesburg, VA/Loudoun County) joined Ammon on the 2024 first team for the second straight season after anchoring a defense that allowed only five goals in conference action and recorded 13 shutouts overall. Junior forward
Mattison Hyland (Brodheadsville, PA/Pleasant Valley), a third-team all-conference honoree a season ago, returns after posting three goals and three assists for nine points against conference opponents.
The 2025 NCAC field hockey season begins August 29th with non-conference play, while the first NCAC matchups will take place on September 10th with Wittenberg at Denison, Transylvania at Ohio Wesleyan, and Allegheny at Washington & Jefferson.
2025 North Coast Athletic Conference
Field Hockey Coaches' Poll |
| Place |
Institution (1st Place Votes) |
Total Points |
| 1 |
Ohio Wesleyan (5) |
94 |
| 2 |
Denison (4) |
93 |
| 3 |
DePauw (1) |
79 |
| 4 |
Kenyon |
69 |
| 5 |
Wittenberg |
62 |
| 6 |
Allegheny |
48 |
| 7 |
Wooster |
33 |
| 8 |
Washington & Jefferson |
32 |
| 9 |
Transylvania |
22 |
| 10 |
Oberlin |
18 |