The University of Delaware Field Hockey team is headed back to the NCAA tournament after winning the Coastal Athletic Association tournament final Sunday.
The 4-3 overtime win over Monmouth gave UD its 10th CAA championship in the last twelve years. With the lead bouncing back and forth between the Blue Hens and the Hawks throughout the game, UD locked down the win in extra time.
The win gives UD not only another conference championship but a guaranteed ticket to the NCAA tournament, where the Blue Hens will face the NEC Champion Fairfield Stags on Wednesday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
UD is no stranger to NCAA tournament play. They’ve appeared in the tournament 13 times over the years, most recently in 2022. In 2016, the Blue Hens won the national championship.
In the conference tournament, Valentina Martorell was named the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player.
Along with Iris Bekker, Sarah Rigual, and Cecile van Eijck, Martorell was named to the All-Tournament Team. In addition, four other UD players picked up All-Conference honors. Kate Fiest was named to the conference First Team, while Cameron Medinger and Janne Stoetzer made the Second Team. Stoetzer was also named to the All-Rookie team, along with Kate Janssen.
