By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28
Publisher
September was a strong month for Mount Holyoke’s field hockey team. The start of the 2026 season saw a consecutive winning streak for five games, with the widest margin in the third game against Framingham State University.
“I think one of the main factors contributing to our success this year is our cohesion as a team,” Emily Bisson ’27 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “In my four years here, this is the most integrated and connected our team has ever felt. I think our strong bonds and cohesion off the field are translating to our on-field success.”
“I think a big part of our success is our team chemistry and our drive to win,” Ashley Scott ’27 said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “Coming off of wins against USJ and Thomas, both of whom we haven’t beaten in years, was definitely super rewarding. These wins fueled our drive to beat even more teams going into NEWMAC play.”
The first game of the season was on Tuesday, Sept. 1, in a home match against UMass Boston that resulted in a victory for the Lyons, 6-1. Two days later, on Thursday, Sept. 3, Mount Holyoke competed and won against Salem State University in Salem, Mass., 3-0. That same weekend, on Saturday, Sept. 5, saw a major gap in the final score, with Mount Holyoke conquering Framingham State in a home game, 8-1.
“Particularly at UMass Boston and Framingham State, these were games where we wanted to win and knew we had the capability of winning,” Bisson explained, “but we didn’t let that dull our intensity, and approached these matches with the same level of energy and play that we would any other game.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Lyons prevailed 1-0 against the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Conn., and, four days later, secured their fifth consecutive win on Saturday, Sept. 12, competing with Dean College in Franklin, Mass., and emerging victorious, 2-1.
The first loss came in a home match with MIT on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Lyons lost in a close game that finished 3-2 in favor of the Engineers. However, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, Mount Holyoke triumphed against Thomas College on home turf, securing a 3-0 win.
“One challenge our team consistently faces is being underestimated by the NEWMAC conference,” Bisson said. “We were ranked last in the NEWMAC this year despite success in our conference last year. We respond to this challenge by using it to fuel us to perform better and do well in our conference. We know that we are a good team that can do well in our conference, and we know that our success will speak for itself. We look at our losses as a learning opportunity.”
Yet, on Friday, Sept. 25, #7 Babson College held steady and beat the Lyons 6-1 in Wellesley, Mass. The Lyons made a comeback with their game on Tuesday, Sept. 29, against Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., with a 2-0 victory.
“Some challenges we’ve faced are MIT and Babson, both of whom have dominated the NEWMAC for years,” Scott said. “Although they were tough matches, I’m proud of us for holding MIT to a one-point lead. That game showed us our determination to stand tall against tough opponents and our strength to keep going. A lot of the teams coming up will be great games, and will be tough mentally and physically. But I know the team has the ability to play to our level, and keep NEWMAC teams on their toes.”
“The losses we have had so far have been against some of the highest ranked teams in our conference and in the country,” Bisson continued, “so we know that these are chances for us to learn from the best and translate our growth into other conference games down the road.”
Since then, Mount Holyoke has played against Western Connecticut State University on Thursday, Oct. 1, in a home game, Wheaton College on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Norton, Mass., and Wellesley College on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at South Hadley, Mass.
“We have been preparing by staying focused on our goals and putting our all into preparation for every game,” Bisson explained. “As we approach more NEWMAC matches, we are excited to show how much our team has grown and represent Mount Holyoke with some exciting wins.”
“Overall, this season has been going super well,” Scott finished. “We are undefeated in non-conference games, and had the longest win streak since 2013. We have been working super hard for this all summer and all season, so it’s been super rewarding to see our hard work pay off! We are ready for conference play, and we are ready to shake up the NEWMAC.”
Mount Holyoke field hockey will next compete on Saturday, Oct. 10, against Worcester Polytechnic Institute, at 12 p.m. on Mount Holyoke turf.
Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.
