Syracuse Climbs to No. 12 in Week Three Rankings
9/15/2026 11:12:00 AM | Field Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Syracuse University Field Hockey returns home for the first time this season to face UMass Lowell after spending three consecutive weeks on the road. The Orange have picked up four wins in their first five games of the season and will look to carry that momentum into their first home game.Â
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced its week three poll Tuesday morning. Syracuse (4-1) climbed three spots in this week's rankings following a dominant 10-0 victory at Bucknell on Sunday. Northwestern remains at No. 1 with 220 points and 11 first-place votes. Iowa holds steady at No. 2 with 207 points, while Princeton moved up to No. 3 with 189 points. Wake Forest climbed two spots to No. 4 with 182 points, and Maryland rounds out the top five with 177 points.
The ACC remains well represented in the top 20 with seven of the nine ACC programs ranked this week: No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 8 Duke, No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 North Carolina, No. 12 Syracuse, No. 16 Louisville and No. 18 Cal.
In addition to six ACC opponents, Syracuse will face No.7 Harvard on October 11 giving the Orange seven games against nationally ranked opponents during the regular season. The Orange have already faced No. 20 Rutgers this season while Ohio State also entered the top 20, adding another ranked opponent to Syracuse's schedule.
Before returning to conference play, Syracuse will welcome UMass Lowell to campus for its first home game of the season on Friday, September 18 at 4 p.m. at J.S. Coyne Stadium.
