Stanford’s women’s field hockey program capped the 2025 season with a second straight appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference Postseason Tournament, a milestone achieved under the guidance of Director of Field Hockey Roz Ellis and a blend of seasoned seniors and impactful freshmen.
A season defined by breakthrough performances
Freshman forward Natalie Hoppe paced the attack, becoming only the second freshman in the past three years to lead the team in scoring, while Cara Sambeth closed out her collegiate career with All‑ACC Second Team and NFHCA Division I All‑West Region Second Team honors.
The Cardinal opened the year with a split in the Chesapeake Bay, battling No. 4 Maryland in a tightly contested match that saw Summer Knight‑Thompson become the first freshman scorer in a season opener since 2019 and Daisy Ford make a career‑high 12 saves, the most by a Stanford goalkeeper since 2019.
Back on campus, Stanford posted a 6‑0 victory over Ball State to launch its home slate, then welcomed No. 6 Harvard, forcing the Crimson into a penalty shootout before falling just short. Wins over James Madison, Ohio, and a dramatic 2‑1 overtime triumph against Boston College highlighted a schedule that also included narrow defeats to top‑ranked Michigan and North Carolina.
Academic excellence alongside athletic ambition
Beyond the scoreboard, Stanford dominated the academic front, placing 22 athletes on the NFHCA Academic Squad and leading the ACC with 18 members on the All‑ACC Academic Team. Daisy Ford and Esther Pottebaum earned Scholar‑of‑Distinction honors, underscoring the program’s commitment to excellence in the classroom.
Looking ahead, the program announced the signing of six new student‑athletes for the 2026 roster, a recruiting class that Director Ellis believes will elevate the team’s competitiveness and sustain the momentum built over the past two seasons.