Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics
The field hockey team maintained a four-game streak, their largest margin being 8-0 against Elms.
By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28
Sports Editor
As incoming and returning students moved into their dorms in late August, Mount Holyoke’s field hockey team kicked off the 2025 season. With both wins and losses, the season has been a steady rise to success for the team.
The first game of the season was on Saturday, Aug. 30, against the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, Maine, where the Lyons lost 2-0. The next day, they competed against Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, and once again lost 2-0.
Their first September match was on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Lyons faced the University of Saint Joseph in a home game. Mount Holyoke scored two goals early on, holding a lead of 2-1 by the end of the first period. A score by Saint Joseph in the fourth period and a comeback shot in overtime resulted in a loss for the Lyons, leaving the final score 3-2.
“Our biggest struggle was ultimately putting the ball in the net,” Rory Bernardo ’29 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “Our first three games, we dominated but failed to execute on goals early on, so it has been made a priority of every player to score early and often.”
The first season win for the Lyons was at a home game against Dean College. On Thursday, Sept. 11, the field hockey team triumphed with a 4-0 victory. This was only the beginning of a series of victories for the Lyons.
“We have always been a tight-knit group,” Ashley Scott ’27 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “But recently, we have really started learning each other’s playing styles and tuning into each other’s strengths, which has helped us catapult our season in the right direction.”
Over the next week, the Lyons continued to prevail. Their next match was against Albertus Magnus College on Saturday, Sept. 13, in New Haven, Connecticut. Mount Holyoke secured its second win of the season with a score of 6-0.
Three days later, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the Lyons faced Elms College on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The Lyons were victorious with a score of 8-0 the largest margin of success the team has had this season so far.
“We’ve really gained some much-deserved confidence,” Bernardo continued. “A lot of people are playing new positions, so it was tough to find our rhythm. That said, once we started to learn more about each other’s playing styles, we were able to succeed.”
The winning streak didn’t end on Thursday, Sept. 18, when Mount Holyoke competed against Nichols College. The home game resulted in a score of 4-0, marking a fourth consecutive win for the Lyons.
“We’ve been having great energy throughout the game, scoring early, and giving it our all every quarter,” Scott continued. “It’s been so fun to be back out on the field with the team. We’re a family, we have great chemistry, and we are always pushing each other to be better than the day before.”
On Saturday, Sept. 20, Mount Holyoke faced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at a conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT was in the lead with a goal in the first period. The Lyons tied the score in the second period, but MIT prevailed with a shot in the fourth period, making the final score 2-1.
“After a challenging game, we keep our heads up, try new strategies in practice, hype each other up, and watch film in order to better ourselves for next time,” Scott explained. “We come prepared to take on the next challenge together.”
“This team has really felt like a home to me,” Bernardo said. “Being a freshman, I was super nervous to meet new people and make a good impression, but my teammates immediately welcomed me with open arms and showed me that this is where I’m meant to be.”
Mount Holyoke’s field hockey team has since competed in a home game against Babson College on Saturday, Sept. 27. They will next face Wheaton College on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Mount Holyoke College.
Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact checking.
