UConn field hockey will host a pair of matches this weekend, headlined by a Big East Championship rematch against the reigning titleholder, Liberty.
Following a week with wins over Villanova and Princeton, the Huskies shot up the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll to No. 7.
Additionally, UConn swept the Big East weekly awards, with junior forward Ellie Goldstein earning Offensive Player of the Week, senior goalkeeper Natalie McKenna named Defensive Player of the Week and freshman forward Lucy Zich taking home Freshman of the Week.
On the docket, the Huskies will square off against No. 14 Liberty (5-3) on Friday at 6 p.m. and Northeastern (2-5) at noon on Sunday.
Since Liberty’s inception into the Big East field hockey conference in 2016, the Flames and the Huskies have emerged as the league’s perennial powerhouses. The two programs have battled each other in the title game four times, establishing a dominant era where either UConn or Liberty has appeared in the championship match every single year.
Furthermore, these elite squads have combined to win every conference title during that span, with the sole exception of 2023, when Old Dominion disrupted the streak.
UConn dominated the early meetings with an 8-0 all-time start against Liberty, including championship wins in 2016 and 2018. However, the Flames have recently taken control, winning eight of the last ten matchups, including title victories in 2021 and 2025.
Most recently, Liberty defeated UConn 2-1 in overtime of the 2025 Big East Championship. The Flames return nine starters from that game, whereas the Huskies bring back just four.
However, Liberty did lose its main offensive weapon in Lou Combrinck to graduation, who was named the Big East Championship Most Outstanding Player after scoring the game winner to clinch the title.
In the September 2026 edition of UConn vs. Liberty, it will be a top 15 showdown with significant conference standing implications on the line.
As this is the teams’ only regular-season matchup, the winner of this game will secure the head-to-head tiebreaker. Alongside Old Dominion, Liberty and UConn are currently in a tier of their own. Consequently, the winner of this match will fully control its own destiny for the top seed, maintaining a clear path to sit atop the standings even if it were to drop a game later in the season.
Liberty ranks fifth in the country in goals per game at 4.25, whereas UConn is 26th with 2.71. The difference between the two squads, however, is UConn’s defensive efforts. McKenna has allowed just seven goals all season, whereas Liberty’s sophomore goalkeeper Diane Saint Martin has conceded 14.
If the Huskies can force the Flames into another low scoring affair and can continue to execute penalty corners, they should set themselves up for the win.
The opening pushback is set for 6 p.m. against Liberty on Nancy Stevens Field at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex. The game is available for streaming on ESPN+. Sunday’s undercard against Northeastern can be streamed on UConn+ at noon.