#3 UConn Advances to BIG EAST Championship Game - University of Connecticut Athletics

Friday, November 6

Philadelphia, PA

1:00 PM

University of Connecticut

(15-1, 6-0)

Villanova University

(10-8, 3-3)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Villanova	0	0	0	0	0
UConn	0	0	0	1	1

11/6/2026 2:56:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA — UConn women's field hockey defeated Villanova by a final of 1-0 on Friday afternoon at Howarth Field. UConn scored in the fourth quarter and finished with a 10-6 shot advantage, including seven shots on goal while allowing two. With the win, UConn advances to the BIG EAST Championship game and will face the winner of Old Dominion and Liberty.

The Huskies paired a 10-6 shot advantage with a 7-2 edge in shots on goal, while Natalie McKenna made one save in the shutout. Lucy Zich supplied the game-winning goal as part of a five-shot, three-on-goal performance, giving UConn the finish it needed in a game with limited scoring.

The Huskies created the first recorded attacking chance, earning a penalty corner at 2:35 before Lucy Zich's shot was blocked at 2:36. Villanova answered with a shot wide at 3:45, and neither side recorded another attempt for the rest of the first quarter. After Charlotte Ritter was issued a green card at 10:31, the first quarter closed without a goal and the game remained tied 0-0.

The second quarter stayed scoreless through the opening stretch before UConn was shown cards to Emma Larit at 19:20 and Fien Hollander at 19:51. Villanova pressed from there, earning penalty corners from Molly Zimmerman at 19:51 and 19:59, but Gemma Lysaght's shots at 19:57 and 20:04 were both blocked. The Huskies held Villanova off the board for the rest of the quarter, and the game remained tied 0-0 at halftime.

After Villanova's Evangeline Minnella was shown a green card at 31:40, UConn generated the first listed shot of the third quarter when Zich sent an attempt wide at 36:19. The Huskies later earned a penalty corner at 40:19, but Lene Reiche's shot one second later was saved by Maddi Sears. Villanova produced a corner at 43:13, and Marlijn Swaan made a defensive save on Colleen Finnan's shot at 43:24 before UConn forced Sears into another save on Milou Heuker's attempt at 44:57, leaving the game scoreless at 0-0 through the third quarter.

The Huskies created the first sustained push of the fourth quarter, getting two saved shots from Abby Davidson before earning back-to-back penalty corners that led to Lucy Zich's shot being turned away by a defensive save from Gemma Lysaght at 48:20. UConn kept generating corners, and after another Olivia McKenna insert, Zich scored at 52:06 off a Ritter assist to put the Huskies in front, 1-0. Villanova moved Team into goal at 54:29 and produced a high shot from Aimee Largoza, then tested Natalie Mckenna in the final minute, but Mckenna saved Colleen Finnan's attempt at 59:45 as UConn finished off the 1-0 win.