The Quinnipiac field hockey team starts its season on Aug. 29 and looks to bounce back after having an overall record of 2-16 and 0-7 conference season last season. Head Coach Nina Klein is entering her third season with the Bobcats, the second head coach in program history. In her first season with Quinnipiac, the team finished 6-11 and with a 2-5 conference record, one win away from making their first-ever postseason appearance.

Game Plan: 

The Big East Conference is known for its tough competition. According to this year’s National Field Hockey Coaches Association Coaches Poll, the University of Connecticut and Liberty are both ranked in the top 20. Last season, UCONN finished sixth in the poll. Quinnipiac finished in last place in the Big East preseason poll, but don’t let that fool you about the individual talent on the team. Senior goaltender, Christina Torres, is currently ranked in the top 50 in the nation with a 70.2 save percentage.

A huge part of the game is the ability to draw a penalty corner and earn the chance to get a scoring opportunity. Quinnipiac is ranked 35th in the nation in total penalty corners. Last season, the Bobcats had 108 total penalty corners and averaged six of them per game. Sophomore midfielder Francisca Eschoyez led the team with 10 goals and 22 points, being a strong offensive presence for the team.

With both a strong offensive and defensive presence, the Bobcats have had a year to learn to play with each other.

The team will have 18 total matchups: 11 non-conference and seven Big East conference games, with nine road games. The Bobcats will start the season on the road at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, and then head back to Hamden for their home opener against Bucknell. Their first conference matchup will be against Liberty at home on Sept. 19, as they look to beat the Flames for the first time since 2017. The schedule will always be tough, but with the right group of players, the Bobcats could overcome that adversity.

New Recruits:

The Bobcats have a lot of their returning players for this upcoming season, with a lot of them being impact players. Players who have left the squad include Lauren Knight, who transferred to Babson College, and Ella Barrett who transferred to Sacred Heart University. Those who graduated include Paige Hussie, Lucia Pompeo, and Kate Zamagni. Only five players are leaving off a pretty big roster for Quinnipiac. To recoup those players, Coach Klein was busy on the recruiting trail this past spring to replace those losses for the Bobcats, and she brought in more than just five. Quinnipiac brings in six new first-years and a transfer to the team. The list includes Jaelyn Crossman, Maaike Van Wensen, Jenna Livatharres, Veronica Goettner, Rozemarjin Van Kuele and Charlie Caunter round out the first-years. Alexa Kidd also joins the team as a transfer from Penn State, where she did not play.

Crossman comes in as one of the most impressive of the bunch. She just came off a season where she broke the single-season goal record at her high school, finishing with 89 goals and 47 assists in her high school career. In each year of her time at Pinkerton Academy, she was named to the All-State First Team. She was also named to First Team All-New England in 2023 and 2024. She seems like she’ll fit right in with the Bobcats on the offensive side of the ball.

Klein has brought in three new players from the Netherlands. Van Wensen, Caunter and Van Keulen. Klein continues her search outside of the U.S., bringing in players who have a winning culture behind them. Caunter, from Twents Carmel College Lyceum, won the National Championship in the Super-B League, while Van Keulen qualified for the Indoor National Championships, finishing fifth, along with doing it for the Elite National U16 League the previous two seasons in a starting role. 

Livathares comes in as a two-way player for Quinnipiac, earning All-Conference honors in offense and defense in two separate seasons. She finished off her high school campaign strong, earning First Team All-North Jersey and was invited to the New Jersey All-Star Game. She also brings in a winning culture, as she helped her team win the league and county all four seasons while at Northern Highlands Regional.

Lastly, Goettner from North Wales, PA. In 2024, she was named to the All-Interac First Team and she also finished third place the year prior in the National Championship with the Mainline Mayhem.

It seems like Klein has done her job on the recruiting trail for Quinnipiac. She continues to go state to state and even country to country, which continues to build up a strong international presence. 

In Fall 2024, the Quinnipiac Bobcats rostered five international players. All five returned to the locker room for another season, but the Bobcats added to that group. Now, the 2025 edition of the Bobcats features an additional three foreign recruits. 

Who’s Returning:

Quinnipiac has had luck in recent years finding talent outside the U.S. Goalkeeper and team captain Christina Torres is the most experienced international player on the roster heading into her senior season. The coaching staff in Hamden should be excited to have a senior leader like Torres, especially one with a connection to the seven underclass athletes who moved to Connecticut to be a part of this program.

Sophomore midfielder Francisca Eschoyez headlines the group for Klein’s team. Her 10 goals as a first year led the Bobcats and were the most goals by a Quinnipiac player since 2021. Her 22 points were enough to earn a spot on the All-Big East second team and this preseason she was recognized as a player to watch nationally. Coaches named her to the preseason All-Big East team and the 2025 NFHCA watch list.

Additional returners in the same group include junior Martina Calveira, along with sophomores Lucia Donati and Jule Hofer. Both Calveira and Donati are from Argentina originally and all three appeared in every game last season. The three will have a chance to play key roles on the offensive end this year.

After a rough 2024 season, many drives and flights on the recruiting trail have led coach Klein to a pivotal moment in the Bobcats season. However, an always tough Big East schedule continues to stand in her way. Before the must-win conference matchups where losses are critical, they have a non-conference slate to help prepare. The Bobcats face Holly Cross at 6:00 p.m. in Worcester, MA.