Dukes Season Ends at Hands of RedHawks in MAC Semifinals

Thursday, November 5

Oxford, Ohio

2:30 p.m.

James Madison University

(9-9)

Miami (Ohio)

(14-4)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
James Madison	0	0	0	0	0
Miami (Ohio)	1	0	0	0	1

Avery Ruckman drives with the ball against Miami (Ohio)

11/5/2026 5:28:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

OXFORD – Second-seeded Miami (Ohio) needed one goal in the first quarter to take down third-seeded James Madison field hockey (9-9, 7-2), 1-0, in the semifinals round of the MAC Championship on Thursday afternoon at the Miami Field Hockey Complex.

All game long, the RedHawks relentless offensive pressure made life difficult for the Dukes as Miami (Ohio) outpaced JMU in shots, 12-to-1, shots on goal, 4-to-0, and penalty corners, 10-to-1. Emma Smit accounted for JMU's lone shot of the game.

The Dukes stood tall defensively time and time again, holding one of the best offenses in the country to a single goal, making it just the third time the RedHawks had been held to one goal in a game all season long. Hannah Popolis tended the Dukes' cage well, coming up with three saves.

How It Happened

Miami (Ohio) struck first in the 4^th minute as the RedHawks were able to draw a penalty corner and capitalize thanks to the crafty play of Malena Sabez.
After holding the RedHawks shotless in the second quarter, JMU blocked a pair of shots in the third quarter.
JMU drew their first penalty corner at the 53-minute mark. Following Brynna Hill's insertion, Smit took a rip at the ball, dribbling it a few inches to the left of the cage and out of play.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, Avery Ruckman positioned herself well and ripped a shot to the back of the cage. However, the Dukes equalizer was taken off the board after a video referral.

Game Notes

For the third straight year, Miami (Ohio) has ended the Dukes season in the MAC Championship. Last year, the RedHawks were able to take down JMU 2-1 in the semifinals at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.
The Dukes were limited to a tie for their season low in shots, producing their lowest output since Sept. 13 at No. 11 Virginia.

2026 Season Recap

It was the start of a new era for JMU field hockey in 2026 as the Dukes completed year one of the Alyssa Parker Rosenblum era at 9-9 overall and 7-2 in league play.
The Dukes made it to the semifinals of the MAC Championship for the second consecutive season, defeating Ohio in the quarterfinals.
After starting 0-5, the Dukes rattled off wins in eight of their following nine contests, including a remarkable seven game win streak, the longest in program history since 2008.
In MAC play, the Dukes took down Ball State, Kent State, Longwood, Ohio, Bellarmine, Central Michigan and App State.
JMU rounded out conference play by earning the three seed ahead of the MAC Tournament, their second highest regular season finish since joining the league in 2024.