LANCASTER, Pa. – Seven-time defending champion Johns Hopkins captured the top position in the 2026 Centennial Conference Field Hockey Preseason Poll. The Blue Jays compiled nine first-place votes and 99 points to earn the title of preseason favorite in a vote of the conference head coaches.
Franklin & Marshall was picked to finish in second place, garnering the remaining two first-place nods and 85 points. Dickinson, the 2025 CC tournament runner-up, was picked third with 79 points. Swarthmore was close behind in fourth place with 75 points, while Ursinus (62) and Haverford (61) were also projected playoff teams in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Bryn Mawr (46), Gettysburg (39), Muhlenberg (24), Washington College (24) and McDaniel (11) rounded out the voting.
The 2026 season opens up on Tuesday, Sept. 1 with nine teams in action on opending day. All 11 squads will open the campaign by Thursday, Sept. 3. Conference play commences on Saturday, Sept. 26, with the six-team CC playoffs set for Nov. 3-5-7.
2026 Centennial Conference Field Hockey Preseason Poll
| Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Johns Hopkins (9) |
99 |
| 2. Franklin & Marshall (2) |
85 |
| 3. Dickinson |
79 |
| 4. Swarthmore |
75 |
| 5. Ursinus |
62 |
| 6. Haverford |
61 |
| 7. Bryn Mawr |
46 |
| 8. Gettysburg |
39 |
| 9T. Muhlenberg |
24 |
| 9T. Washington College |
24 |
| 11. McDaniel |
11 |
2026 Schedule | 2025 Championship Results | 2025 All-Centennial Team | History & Records
Reigning Centennial champion Johns Hopkins and runner-up Dickinson represented the conference in the NCAA tournament last fall, marking the 13th time in conference history that multiple teams qualified for the national tournament. Making their first-ever NCAA appearance, the Red Devils registered a victory over St. Mary's (Md.) in the opening round before being knocked out by Salisbury in round two. Hopkins advanced to the national title game for the fourth time in the past five seasons, defeating WPI in round two, ending the reign of seven-time defending national champion Middlebury in the quarterfinals, and edging Babson in overtime in the semifinals before falling to Tufts 2-1 in the title round.
As has become the expectation for Centennial field hockey, another banner year is likely on tap with the conference welcoming back three All-Americans, 12 All-Region and 18 All-Centennial performers. F&M forward Caitlin Hoover headlines the list of returners after earning first team All-America accolades and CC Offensive Player of the Year honors last fall. Hoover's 24 goals in 2025 is 10th on the CC all-time single-season list and her 56 points are 14th. With career totals of 42 goals and 102 points entering her senior year, Hoover has a chance to become one of the all-time leading scorers in CC history with another strong showing this fall.
Johns Hopkins defender Caeli Robinson (second team) and Dickinson forward Nicole Uebele (third team) also earned All-America awards in 2025. Hoover and Johns Hopkins goalkeeper Aubrey Kilgore are both two-time All-Region picks. Kilgore registered the second-most single-season wins in CC history last fall with 20 and currently ranks fifth all-time in career goals against average (0.793).
Ursinus forward Marie Brainard is the lone three-time All-CC honoree returning to the conference this season. Two-time All-CC honorees include Hoover, Uebele, Kilgore, Dickinson midfielder Alexandra Hockwitt, F&M midfielder Megan Dadio and goalkeeper Meghan Dole, Haverford forward Erica Pardon and Swarthmore midfielder Kayla Fink. Dole enters her senior campaign ranked 16th in the conference in career goals against average (1.228) and 16th in shutouts (17).
Ursinus remains the all-time leader with 12 CC titles, followed by Johns Hopkins (11), Gettysburg (5), Swarthmore (3), Franklin & Marshall (2), McDaniel (1), and Washington College (1).
The NFHCA preseason poll will be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Returning All-Americans (3)
Nicole Uebele, Dickinson, Sr., F (2025 Third Team)
Caitlin Hoover, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., F (2025 First Team)
Caeli Robinson, Johns Hopkins, Sr., D (2025 Second Team)
Returning All-Region (12)
Nicole Uebele, Dickinson, Sr., F (2025 First Team)
Caitlin Hoover, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., F (2025 First Team, 2024 First Team)
Megan Dadio, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., M (2025 First Team)
Hannah Fitzgerald, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., F (2025 Second Team)
Meghan Dole, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., GK (2023 Second Team)
Erica Pardon, Haverford, Sr., F (2025 Second Team)
Aubrey Kilgore, Johns Hopkins, Sr., GK (2025 First Team, 2024 Second Team)
Caeli Robinson, Johns Hopkins, Sr., D (2025 First Team)
Ada Farmer, Johns Hopkins, Jr., D (2025 Second Team)
Annika Hoyer, Swarthmore, So., F (2025 Second Team)
Kayla Fink, Swarthmore, Jr., M (2024 Second Team)
Marie Brainard, Ursinus, Sr., F (2024 Second Team)
Returning All-Centennial (18)
Nicole Uebele, Dickinson, Sr., F (2025 First Team, 2024 Honorable Mention)
Alexandra Hockwitt, Dickinson, Sr., M (2025 Honorable Mention, 2024 Second Team)
Caitlin Hoover, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., F (2025 First Team & Offensive POTY, 2024 First Team)
Megan Dadio, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., M (2025 First Team, 2024 Honorable Mention)
Hannah Fitzgerald, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., F (2025 Second Team)
Maya Rorick, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., M/D (2025 Honorable Mention)
Meghan Dole, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., GK (2024 Honorable Mention, 2023 First Team & Rookie OTY)
Jillian Somers, Gettysburg, Sr., F (2025 Second Team)
Erica Pardon, Haverford, Sr., F (2025 Second Team, 2024 Honorable Mention)
Aubrey Kilgore, Johns Hopkins, Sr., GK (2025 Second Team, 2024 First Team)
Caeli Robinson, Johns Hopkins, Sr., D (2025 First Team)
Ada Farmer, Johns Hopkins, Jr., D (2025 Second Team)
Charley Noah, McDaniel, Jr., F (2025 Honorable Mention)
Kayla Fink, Swarthmore, Jr., M (2025 Honorable Mention, 2024 Second Team & Rookie OTY)
Annika Hoyer, Swarthmore, So., F (2025 Second Team & Rookie OTY)
Liza Semenenko, Swarthmore, So., F (2025 Honorable Mention)
Marie Brainard, Ursinus, Sr., F (2025 Second Team, 2024 Second Team, 2023 Honorable Mention)
Kirsten Johnson, Ursinus, Sr., M (2025 Honorable Mention)
