NORTHAMPTON - The Smith College field hockey team is set to take the turf for an exciting 2026 campaign, as head coach Jaime Ginsberg and the Bears prepare for a challenging slate featuring regional rivals, competitive non-conference matchups, and a full NEWMAC schedule. With opportunities to build momentum throughout the fall, Smith will look to showcase their growth and compete for a conference tournament berth. 

The Bears open the campaign September 1 at Western New England University before hosting the annual Caryl Newhof Classic on September 5 at 12:00pm against Gordon College. The NEWMAC portion of the schedule starts Saturday, September 19 at Wheaton College. 

This is the Bears' 20th season with Ginsberg leading the charge. Anna Beck and Ju Park return as assistant coaches for the second season, while Greta Marchildon begins her first season on the sidelines. Gracie Hylton (Easton, PA/Moravian Academy), Ellie Szostalo (Gorham, ME/Gorham) and and Isabel Johnson (Fort Worth, TX/Trinity Valley School) have been named captains for 2026. 

Smith returns 15 players from last season and welcome eight newcomers. 

Here is a breakdown of the schedule for 2026:

The Basics

• Smith's regular-season schedule consists of 18 games. There are nine NEWMAC games and nine non-league games. 
• The schedule includes 11 home games and seven road matches
• The schedule includes nine non-conference games, and four different conferences are represented:
  • Sept. 1 @ Western New England University (Conference of New England)
  • Sept. 5 vs. Gordon (Conference of New England)
  • Sept. 9 @ Trinity  (NESCAC)
  • Sept. 12 vs UMass Dartmouth (LEC)
  • Sept. 16 vs. vs Williams (NESCAC)
  • Sept. 23 at Keene St. (LEC)
  • Sept. 29 vs Dean (GNAC)
  • Oct. 14 vs Amherst (NESCAC)
• Live stats and video of all home games, and road games where applicable, will be available via links on GoSmithBears.com. 

Strength of Schedule

• The Bears play four teams that ended last season ranked in the top 25 of the in the NCAA RPI rankings: No. 3 Babson, No. 12 Williams, No. 17 WPI, No. 18 Amherst
• Six of Smith's opponents played in the 2025 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament (Amherst, Babson, Dean, Westfield St. Williams, WPI)

Postseason

• The NEWMAC Tournament begins on Tuesday, November 3 with first round action taking place at the higher seeds. The semifinal round will be played on Thursday, November 5 followed by the championship game on Saturday, November 7. 

About Smith Athletics Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.