Preview: No. 2 Miami Field Hockey takes on No. 3 James Madison in MAC Tournament Semifinal

The Miami University field hockey team hasn’t known anything but success over the last decade. Over the last nine years, the team has won eight Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament titles, with the only exception being 2020, when there was no tournament due to COVID-19. 

Now, on their home field, the RedHawks will host the MAC tournament as the No. 2 seed in the competition, and they’ll be vying for their ninth straight conference title with a first game against the James Madison University Dukes – a rematch of the 2024 MAC Championship game. 

After finishing 13-4 overall (8-1 in-conference) in the regular season, the RedHawks will move into the postseason with a bye. 

The No. 1 seed, University of Massachusetts Amherst, also received a bye and will play Kent State University before Miami’s game on Thursday.

Miami is second in the MAC in goals scored (15 behind Massachusetts in first and 36 ahead of James Madison in third). They’ve also only allowed 18 goals on the season, which is nine more than Massachusetts and 17 fewer than the Dukes. 

Sophomore midfielder Malena Sabez was named the 2026 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, and she led the conference in shot attempts and shots on goal. She also was tied for third in goals (15) with teammate and All-MAC First Team sophomore midfielder Justina Intzes. 

The honor comes just a season after winning the 2025 MAC Offensive Player of the Year honor. 

The RedHawks had three players in the top 10 in goal scoring in the MAC, along with senior back Kylie Coughlin, who tied for first in the conference in assists (17).

Head Coach Iñako Puzo saw those three players make the All-MAC First Team together this season, while sophomore forward Bet Gifra, senior midfielder Sloane Wearren and sophomore goalkeeper Macarena Gonzalez make the All-MAC Second Team.

Midfielder Toto Scarlatti and Midfielder Máxima (Máxi) Aguirregomezcorta were awarded All-Freshman Team honors as well. 

Across national polls, the RedHawks rank 21st NCAA Field Hockey RPI (Rating Percentage Index), and in the Division I National Coaches Poll, they finished 11th by season's end. 

However, even with the bye and plenty of conference and national recognition for the players and the team, their upcoming opponent would like to do nothing more than play spoiler on Miami’s home turf. 

James Madison is the No. 3 seed in the MAC tournament and drew No. 6 Ohio University in the quarterfinal match. They defeated the Bobcats 2-0 with two goals in a five-minute span from junior forward Elena Giangaspero and sophomore midfielder Anna Collinge. 

Junior goalkeeper Hannah Popolis registered her third shutout of the season.

The biggest threat for the Miami defense is freshman forward Emma Smit, who finished the season 10th in the MAC in goal scoring and with MAC All-Freshman Team and All-MAC Second Team honors. But even if they take Smit out of the equation, there are other important matchups.

Forward Diede Donders was also placed on the MAC All-Freshman Team, and senior defender Azul Covarrubias was placed on the All-MAC First Team. The group also had multiple honorees on the Second Team with Smit: senior midfielder Brynna Hill and junior forward Avery Ruckman. 

Ruckman tied for 13th in MAC goal-scoring this season with seven.

The RedHawks and Dukes matched up only one time during the 2026-27 season. In late September, Miami defeated James Madison at home by a score of 4-2. A goal in the second quarter by Gifra put the home squad up 1-0.

However, two straight goals by James Madison – the first by sophomore Sydney Raguini and the second by Ruckman – put the visitors up 2-1 before Miami came storming back. 

Coughlin smacked home her fourth goal of the season, and Intzes scored the final two to take home a victory. 

Following the defeat, James Madison went on a seven-game win streak and lost the final two games of the season without scoring a goal against No. 10 Wake Forest University and No. 4 Massachusetts. 

Miami and James Madison will take the field at 2:30 p.m. ET for a chance to play in the MAC Tournament Final on Saturday, Nov. 7.