BOONE, N.C. — The App State field hockey team looks to defend home turf as it takes on Central Michigan on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a road matchup against Kent State on Sunday at noon.
The Mountaineers (6-7, 2-3 MAC) are coming off back-to-back losses on their road trip to the Northeast, first falling 5-0 to No. 5 UMass before taking a 1-0 overtime loss to preseason America East favorite Vermont.
Friday's Matchup
· Who: App State vs. Central Michigan
· Where: Dr. Jan C. Watson Field at the Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field Hockey Complex // Boone, N.C.
· When: Friday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m.
Sunday's Matchup
· Who: App State at Kent State
· Where: Murphy-Mellis Field // Kent, Ohio
· When: Sunday, Oct. 18, noon
Scouting the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers have been stout defensively outside of contests against ranked opponents, allowing only seven goals through those nine games while posting four shutouts, most recently against Ball State in Boone on Oct. 2. Anchoring that defensive unit is two-time MAC Goalkeeper of the Week Anderson, who is second in the MAC in save percentage (0.780) and ranks 15th nationally in the category.
App State has been relentless at home, holding a 5-1 record at Jan C. Watson Field, with the sole loss coming against No. 6 Wake Forest on Sept. 13.
Newcomers have made a major impact on scoring for the Mountaineers, with freshman
Chloe Hook leading the team with six goals this season. Michigan State transfer
Brynn Shaffer trails Hook with four goals, with both Hook and Shaffer finding the back of the cage against Ball State.
The Mountaineers retain key returners from the 2025 squad, led by four-time 2025 Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Baxter, along with fellow team captains
Kassie Paul and
Calista Schwartz, a Vancouver, British Columbia, native and member of the FIH Junior World Cup roster.
App State has added impactful transfers to its 2026 roster, highlighted by Canadian National Team player and Vancouver native
Rylie Novak, who transferred from Iowa. Senior
Madie Baker, who saw action at Liberty, joins the team along with Shaffer, who appeared in 15 games last season while tying for third in goals, assists, and points for the Spartans. Hailing from Santa Rosa, Argentina, is
Amparo Figueroa, a junior forward transfer from Converse University who earned 2025 First-Team All-SAC honors after leading her team in goals (12), points (30), shots on goal (47), and game-winning goals (3) while finishing second with six assists.
The Mountaineers have also added five freshmen, headlined by sisters
Chloe Hook and
Morgan Hook, who both had standout careers at Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Joining them in the freshman class is fellow Pennsylvania native
Reagan Bailey from Dallastown Area High School, where she was named Offensive Player of the Year. The final two newcomers are
Jackie Kerner from Crofton, Maryland, where she won multiple state titles, and
Mai Hattori from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Scouting the Chippewas
CMU enters the matchup 4-10 (2-3 MAC) after falling to Saint Louis 2-1 in overtime. In its five conference matchups, the Chippewas posted shutout wins over Ball State and Longwood, alongside shutout losses to Kent State and No. 4 UMass. 2025 All-MAC Freshman Team honoree Mora Rulli highlights the returners for CMU after being named to the NFHCA Division I Watchlist in the preseason. The Chippewas are led by head coach Kelly Terwilliger, who is in her first year at the helm.
Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State enters the matchup 3-10 (2-3 MAC) after falling 3-0 to Longwood on Sunday. Two of Kent State's three wins came in conference play, defeating Ball State and Central Michigan at home. The only other win for the Golden Flashes came against Bucknell, also at home. The Golden Flashes added nine newcomers to the 2026 squad, including five freshmen and four transfers. Kent State is led by head coach Heather Hefner, who is in her third year leading the program.
Series History
· vs. CMU: This marks the 16th all-time matchup between the Mountaineers and the Chippewas, with App State leading 10-5 in the series and winning the last four. In 2025, the Mountaineers shut out CMU 4-0 on the road, with Baxter netting a goal in the win.
· vs. Kent State: Sunday's matchup marks the 16th all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and the Golden Flashes, with App State winning the past two meetings. In the season finale last year, the Mountaineers defeated Kent State 9-0 on Senior Day, with Baxter and Callery both scoring goals in the contest.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will remain on the road for their next matchup, taking on James Madison on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.
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