EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — With the 2026 field hockey season just days away from beginning, the Warriors are ready to pursue their third national championship and fifth conference title as they enter the next era of ESU field hockey.
 
It's a new year, featuring familiar faces in new roles. After longtime Head Coach Sandy Miller retired, ESU promoted Katie Ord, who has been a part of the program for nearly two decades. Starting her journey as a decorated player on the team, Ord put in time as a graduate assistant and volunteer coach before returning to her alma mater as an assistant coach. After 14 seasons working with Miller, Ord earned the honor of becoming the 11^th head coach in ESU field hockey history. Throughout her time as a Warrior, each part of her career has been intentional. That's a theme she's looking to keep going and instill in the team during her first year as head coach.
 
"There has been a new intensity over the last three weeks this preseason," Ord said. "We've rallied around a really clear vision of what we want, and the word that we've had on repeat has been intentional. Everything that we're doing, every drill, every touch we get on the ball, every off-ball thing has been all about intentionality. That comes with a clear vision of the things that we want to focus on as a team, and that will lead to the outcomes we want at the end of the year."
 
While there is naturally some of the same preseason processes Ord has carried over from previous years, there are new wrinkles to the ramp-up to the start of the 2026 campaign. Maybe the biggest area of focus: becoming faster.
 
"I want us to be faster and fitter than our opponents, which means we have to put in the work to get there, and that's not going to happen overnight," Ord said. "That's always been the mentality with our team, but I would say now we're trying to push that even more. Everywhere you look on the field, you'll be surrounded by ESU jerseys."
 
Centering everything around that team speed is the core identity Ord has in mind. While the whole team has either played for Ord or been recruited by her during her time as the assistant coach, there's a newfound spark evident in their preparation that has come with her rise to head coach.
 
"Every position, from front to back, we're all in all the time," Ord said. "Defensively, we're playing in layers, so when one layer is beat, you have your teammates who are right there to fire up right behind you. Offensively, we've been preaching to attack fast. It's our second culture, and you'll see more explosiveness even out of the backfield on attack."
 
Joining Ord on the sidelines is a former player she coached just three seasons ago, Madison Kline. The 2023 and two-time All-PSAC forward was a central figure in the winningest class in ESU field hockey history, leading the Warriors to a 2022 Division II championship and three PSAC championships. Kline's experience on the field and her play style made her a perfect fit alongside Ord as the new coaching duo for the Warriors.
 
"Madison brings awesome offensive energy to our group this year," Ord said. "She's been a great refresher for us offensively. As a player, she was such a threat at all times, and her addition has given us new parts to focus on on that end of the field."
 
While not much is changing in the sense that the coaching staff are both players who have gone through the program and helped shape the culture, standards, and expectations of ESU field hockey, the Warriors did bring in 16 new players between their freshman class and transfers. With the freshmen, a large group comes in that is learning everything about what goes into becoming a successful collegiate student-athlete. Through meetings and activities, Ord said she has been focusing on the team's mental game as well as their performance on the field during the preseason. She's brought in former U.S. Army Ranger Ian Schneider to help with leadership and character development not just for the players, but to talk to the staff as well. On a day-to-day basis, what helps Ord and Kline settle into their new roles while welcoming the newcomers is the dependability of the players at the top of their roster, on and off the field.
 
This year's team captains, fifth-year midfielder Elaiana Rivera-Lagalla and senior forward Rylie McGrath, have taken initiative in communicating and upholding expectations within the locker room heading into the season. After earning the spots by a vote of their teammates last spring, Ord said they have consistently met with classes, called captain meetings, and organized team events to show the incoming players the way of ESU field hockey.
 
"They're strong voices in the team huddles," Ord praised both. "The team has a lot of respect for each of them. Our players pick the captains, so these are the ones that they said they see something in them that we trust them and want them to lead."
 
With a young roster that includes 21 freshmen and sophomores combined, ESU will need some to make an impact this year. Out of those 14 freshmen, the Warriors have one at each level who have impressed during the preseason: Emily Dobrowolski at forward, Brooke Wasson at midfield, and Bailey Griffin on defense. Last year, those freshmen who played their way onto the field were Lisa Pasman on attack and Piper Patrick on the back end. Ord expects both of those players to build on their strong first years and develop into key contributors and even more throughout their careers.
 
On paper, the biggest challenge the Warriors face this season is replacing the production they got from their top three scorers last year. Minke Klijn, Emma Friend, and Kerry Kaufman combined for 33 goals and 27 assists; nearly half of ESU's 202 points. That onus largely falls on the upperclassmen, who have proven over the last two years that they are up for the challenge.
 
The team's two fifth-year players, Rivera-Lagalla and Bella Viruet, have earned All-PSAC honors and were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II Watchlist, with the former being named an NFHCA First Team All-American last season. Ord praised McGrath for developing as a goal-scorer last year, finishing third on the team with seven. The Warriors have two more returning seniors that Ord can rely on through their play and experience, Hannah Schmittinger and Avery McGinty. Schmittinger's viewed as a key player on the defensive side of the field, while McGinty is one of the players Ord envisions rolling onto the field in the line-change style of substitutions, reinforcing the pace and energy she wants to see on the field.
 
She also mentioned the opportunity presented to this year's returning junior class, consisting of Maddie Moline, Sydney Frantz, Megan Rafter, and Alex Eagles. Moline, Rafter, and Eagles all recorded double-digit point seasons in 2025, and the vacated production from last year's squad could be theirs for the taking.
 
"Maddie is such a solid player, it's like you get her the ball and you're on the edge of your seat wondering what she's going to do," Ord said. "Alex and Megan will both be playing defense for us, and between those two, having rock-solid defenders will be crucial."
 
Joining the fold are two transfers that bring Division I experience to the Poconos, senior forward Reagan Kunkle and junior midfielder Alex Bandura. Kunkle, from Ball State, and Bandura, from Old Dominion, have fit in seamlessly as they enter their first season and are set to help replace some of the staples that have kept ESU at the top of Division II.
 
"They chose ESU for a reason," Ord said. "They're both outstanding players. Reagan's a powerful attacker and all-around offensive threat who takes quick shots. Alex, she's so steady in the backfield. She'll fill in where we're losing Charlotte Simon. She'll be a reliable center fielder for us back there."
 
Behind all of the players mentioned, the Warriors have a tested goalie tandem they have every reason to be confident in entering 2026. Between seniors Sydney Pope and Jet Vermeulen, Ord knows she could call on either one to deliver 60 minutes in net and be happy with the outcome.
 
"Sydney is a really strong vocal leader," Ord described. "She has a strong presence in the crease, and that comes a lot from her communication, her movements, and her aura as a goalie. Jet's a little quieter, stealthier in net. When Jet is on, she's a dynamic, explosive goalie. She'll go out and make some tackles and create plays that are key for our defense."
 
Having that stability and dependability in net is crucial when playing in the toughest conference in Division II. Of the 10 teams listed in the initial National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Preseason Poll, five of them were from the PSAC. Historically speaking, the PSAC has always been the leading conference for Division II field hockey. 31 of the 36 national champions have come from the conference, with each national championship game having at least one team from the PSAC in it, with the exception of the first one in 1981. With four of the top five teams ranked, including No. 1 Shippensburg, No. 2 Kutztown, No. 4 ESU, and No. 5 West Chester, this year shapes up to be no different. The PSAC preseason poll reflected more of the same, with the only change in the top four being ESU and West Chester swapping places, followed by Bloomsburg, which came in at No. 8 in the NFHCA poll.
 
In her first season as head coach, Ord reiterated that there are three elements she wants her team to show through their play: speed, intentionality, and joy. That's been the theme present in every meeting, practice, and scrimmage. The connecting fourth factor that will help those translate to success on the field is, exactly, playing connected.
 
"I started the preseason and opening meetings right away hitting on that," Ord said. "I want people to look and see a team that's connected in everything they do. From the way they warm up to how they cool down at the end. People will see the celebrations, picking each other up, and everything in between — a truly connected team."
 
The Warriors open their season this week, taking on St. Thomas Aquinas at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Whitenight Field.