West Long Branch, NJ — Monmouth Field Hockey announced its 2026 schedule Monday as the Hawks look to build off their highest national ranking in program history (No. 11) while also claiming their third regular season Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) title.
Of Monmouth's 17 opponents, seven finished ranked in the NFHCA top 20 in 2025 with five teams appearing in the NCAA Tournament. The CAA alone, will have had three ranked programs in the top 20, including the Hawks who made their third straight conference finals appearance in 2025.
Monmouth opens up its 2026 schedule at home at So Sweet A Cat Field against Big 10 rival Rutgers, Aug. 28. The Scarlet Knights ended last year at No. 19 in the final NFHCA national poll and finished 4-4 within the Big 10. The Hawks went on the road and defeated then No. 17 Rutgers, 4-2.
The team will then hit the road to face Delaware Aug. 30 before coming home to face Rider Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. on So Sweet A Cat Field. Monmouth handled the Broncs last season, 7-1 thanks to seven unanswered goals in a balanced, dominant offensive performance. After the Hawks visit Temple Sept. 11, they'll return to their home turf for a three-game slate on their home turf including their first CAA game Sept. 18 against Towson. Monmouth defeated the Tigers last season in the pairs only matchup, 4-1.
The Hawks conclude their three-game home stand against Penn State before going on the road for three straight matchups, starting with Hofstra Sept. 25. Monmouth owned two wins over the Pride — a 4-0 shutout during the regular season before ending Hofstra's 2025 campaign with a 5-0 victory in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament.
Monmouth competes against Columbia Sept. 27 before seeing CAA rival Drexel for a rematch of last season's conference title game. The Hawks defeated the Dragons during the regular season, 3-2, but fell in the finals to the No. 3 seed by the same score.
The last seven games of the regular season is a tough test, starting with Ivy League's Yale, which ranked No. 12 in the final NFHCA poll of 2025 and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament where they fell to eventual national champion Northwestern. Monmouth then heads to Ann Arbor, Michigan the following week for an Oct. 11 matchup against Michigan which landed at No. 16 in last season's NFHCA national poll.
After a CAA matchup against William & Mary Oct. 16, the Hawks travel to Charlottesville, Virginia to face the University of Virginia, which also earned a spot in the national tournament a year ago after finishing second in the ACC. Monmouth then faces two more nationally ranked and national tournament opponents from a season ago in Fairfield and Harvard.
The Hawks will take on inaugural CAA opponent in the Stags on Oct. 23 in West Long Branch. Fairfield competed and won the NEC last season and made a second round NCAA appearance before falling to National Runner Up Princeton. Two days later, Monmouth travels to Cambridge, Massachusetts for a contest against 2025 Ivy League Champion Harvard. The Crimson finished No. 4 in the NFHCA national rankings a year ago after making a run into the semifinals of the national tournament. The Hawks fell in a close game last season at home against Harvard, 2-0.
Monmouth then caps its regular season on the road for a CAA matchup against Northeastern. The Hawks bested the Huskies 4-1 in their regular season finale last year.
The CAA Championship is set to begin Nov. 4 for the semifinal round with the finals slated Nov. 6. All three games will be held at Buckley Field on the campus of Drexel University.
See the Hawks full schedule by clicking here.
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