Catching Up with the ’24 Natty Champs

From defending champions to hungry contenders — how three programs are turning the page from 2024 glory to 2025 opportunity.

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — In field hockey, one season ends with a title. The next begins with a question: Can they do it again?

No two seasons are the same. Rosters shift, leaders graduate, and new faces step into big roles. The transition from defending champions to would-be repeaters brings both pressure and possibility — and for Northwestern, Saint Anselm, and Middlebury, the 2025 campaign will be all about finding the right mix of continuity and reinvention.

Division I — Northwestern University

2nd NCAA title; Head Coach Tracey Fuchs (USWNT Assistant Coach, ’96 Olympian, and ’24 Paris Olympics Assistant Coach)

This season, Head Coach Tracey Fuchs knows the look of her roster will feel different. The Wildcats bid farewell to key players — some with five years in the program thanks to the COVID year — but a strong core remains.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming our newcomers and we have a great core of leaders and players returning,” Fuchs said.

Offseason work centered on giving players with limited minutes in 2024 valuable game experience. The incoming group includes four first-years and a few transfers.

“That’s why we’re all here — to vie for championships,” Fuchs explained.

Among Northwestern’s most noteworthy returners are two Olympians, midfielder NFHCA 2024 National Player of the Year Maddie Zimmer (graduate student) and junior forward Ashley Sessa, both First-Team NFHCA All-Americans in 2024. Also back are junior Olivia Bent-Cole, a U.S. Women’s National Team member and 2023 Second-Team NFHCA All-American, and junior defender Ilse Tromp, a 2024 Second-Team NFHCA All-American. Bent-Cole and Tromp started all 24 games during the Wildcats’ 2024 national championship run. The roster will also feature other key contributors, though in goal Northwestern will turn to a new starter following the graduation of Annabel Skubisz, the NFHCA First-Team All-American and 2024 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, who served as a cornerstone in the cage.

International competition has also kept the Wildcats’ skill level sharp. Laura Salamanca is competing for Chile at the Junior Pan Ams in Paraguay, while Julianna Boon has been training and playing with the US U21 Women’s National Team.

As for keeping the hunger alive after two national titles?

“Winning keeps you hungry,” Fuchs said. “There’s no better feeling than raising the trophy and sharing that experience with your teammates.”

Fuchs knows the game and college athletics as a whole is evolving quickly. Her approach: take it one day at a time and be ready to adapt. The culture she builds at Northwestern is rooted in the same principles she lived as a player: loyalty, honesty, integrity, and taking care of your teammates.

Division II — Saint Anselm College

1st NCAA title; Head Coach Carolyn King-Robitaille

For Saint Anselm, 2025 brings a near-complete roster overhaul. The Hawks graduated nine starters, including three 2024 NFHCA All-Americans, leaving a large leadership and experience gap. Still, there’s excitement about what remains.

“We’re bringing back a strong core of returners with championship game experience and a lot of growth in leadership this offseason,” King-Robitaille said. “This group is hungry for their opportunity.”

The offseason was all about individual skill development, building chemistry, and refining playing philosophies. Seven newcomers will join a veteran group that’s already adjusted to life without last year’s senior class.

“Quite frankly, we won’t embrace ‘defending the crown,’” King-Robitaille explained. “This is a new season with new players and new opponents. The outcome is a result of the process.”

The losses hit hardest in the defensive backfield, goalkeeping, forward line, and midfield — essentially every line of the field. But King-Robitaille is eager to see the leadership of the seniors, the influence of the juniors, and the spark from rising sophomores and first-years.

The program’s rise has been steady since its first national championship appearance in 2019. The difference now? A deep belief in their ability to compete with the best and a commitment to pouring into each other as people and players.

Division III — Middlebury College

9th NCAA title; 8th under Head Coach Katharine DeLorenzo; 7 consecutive titles (2017–2024)

With nine seniors having graduated, the Panthers will look very different in 2025. Among the biggest shoes to fill is the departure of senior midfielder Amy Griffin, the 2023 and 2024 NFHCA National Player of the Year and a two-time NFHCA All-American. But at Middlebury, that kind of transition is always part of the plan.

“Every minute of every practice last year was approached knowing that we were also preparing everyone for 2025, not just the rest of 2024,” DeLorenzo said.

The focus since last season has been on long-term fitness, durability, and sharpening technical skills — especially first touch and decision-making. Eight newcomers will arrive for preseason, joining juniors and seniors ready to fill core midfield roles.

Rather than thinking in terms of defending titles, Middlebury pursues its own standard:

“We’re all chasing the best hockey — the best unified performance — every day,” DeLorenzo said. “We’re excited for a long, meaningful regular season to grow toward the postseason.”

The program’s sustained success comes from fostering independence.

“Build a team that needs the coaches less and less as you approach the postseason,” DeLorenzo advised. “Don’t just create practices that are fun — create training that is interesting, thought-provoking, and full of decisions to make.”

Middlebury’s “through line” stretches back decades, rooted in a style of athleticism, competitiveness, and unity.

From Champions to Challengers

For all three programs, the transition from 2024 champions to 2025 contenders means adapting to new rosters, developing fresh leaders, and reestablishing identity. The pressure of defending a title may be constant, but each coach knows the secret: focus on the process, and let the results follow.

In field hockey, there’s no coasting on last year’s win — because as soon as the trophy is lifted, the next chase begins.