WASHINGTON -- Massachusetts field hockey captured its 16th Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title and its first since 2014, and will serve as the No. 1 seed for the 2024 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship. The championship begins Thursday and concludes Saturday at Ellen Ryan Field in Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
Ranked 15^th in the most recent NFHCA poll, the Minutewomen concluded the season with a 7-0 mark in league play. Led offensively by Claire Danahy’s 25 points and 18 assists and by Myrte van Herwijnen, who is sixth nationally with a ,804 save percentage, UMass has a 14-4 record overall and have wins over three ranked teams (No. 20 UMass Lowell, No. 12 Boston College and No. 6 Saint Joseph’s).
 
The Minutewomen will open the championship against fourth-seeded VCU in the first semifinal, Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Morena Macera paces the Rams offense with eight goals and 22 points, and Ella Fehr has scored nine goals and has 19 points. VCU wrapped up the year at 11-6 overall and 4-3 in the A-10.

Defending champion Saint Joseph’s closed out the 2024 campaign at 6-1 in Atlantic 10 competition with an 15-3 mark overall, earning the second seed for the championship. SJU, winners of seven of the last eight A-10 titles, have topped four ranked teams this season, including No. 3 Virginia, No. 5 Duke, No. 11 Rutgers and No. 16 Penn State. The Hawks, hosts for the A-10 Championship, are led by Lily Santi with 14 goals and 38 points and Manu Ghiglitotti with 10 goals, 12 assists and 32 points.
 
The Hawks, currently ranked fifth in the NFHCA Poll, will face No. 3 Richmond Thursday in the second semifinal at 2:00 pm. The Spiders are led Clara Larripa with 12 goals and with assists for 32 points and Valen Luna Paratore’s 23 points from 11 goals.
 
Thursday’s semifinal winners will meet Saturday at noon for the A-10 Championship match. The winner of the 2024 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship will earn the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid and advance to the NCAA Tournament.  All three games of the A-10 Field Hockey Championship will be broadcast on ESPN+. For watch links, result, photos and more visit the Field Hockey Championship Central at Atlantic10.com