DURHAM, N.C. — The 2025 field hockey season has reached its climax.
After 12 weeks of play, the final chapter will be sealed with a bout between No. 2 Northwestern and No. 3 Princeton on Sunday.
The Wildcats (21-1, 8-0 Big Ten) are searching for their storybook ending, facing the team responsible for their one loss as they look to claim back-to-back national titles.
“I’m just really, really happy we’re in the final game,” coach Tracey Fuchs said postgame Friday. “It’s exciting, that is the one team that beat us.”
NU advanced to its fifth-straight championship game and is searching for the program’s third title after overcoming a two-goal deficit to defeat No. 1 North Carolina 4-3 in overtime.
Fuchs will be facing off against her former associate head coach, Carla Tagliente, and the Tigers (18-3, 6-1 Ivy League), who took down No. 4 Harvard 2-0, notching their fifth title game appearance in program history.
Here are three things to know ahead of this matchup that will crown a national champion:
1. ’Cats looking to avenge mid-season loss to Princeton
Six weeks ago, the Tigers traveled to Evanston to face undefeated NU in a Monday afternoon clash. Entering the game, the ’Cats were 11-0 and held the top ranking in the Division I National Coaches Poll.
Against the odds, then-No. 8 Princeton came out on top, nabbing a 3-2 victory to hand the nation’s top team its first and only loss of the season.
It was also the first time the Tigers had defeated NU across their four all-time matchups.
“They’re a great team, they have some amazing players,” Fuchs said following a Saturday practice. “It’s going to be another battle.”
During the first contest, the ’Cats outshot Princeton 18-13 and won the penalty corner margin 10-4, but only managed to score once off a corner and twice overall.
Fuchs said she’s keeping the lack of scoring production in mind.
“I think we had enough opportunities in that game to win it,” Fuchs said. “We want to be at 20-to-25 percent on corner execution and keep them way lower than that.”
Ahead of Sunday’s game, the ’Cats have no shortage of tape to look back at.
2. A last hurrah for NU’s veterans
The ’Cats’ Class of 2026 graduates are headed to their fourth championship game in four years with the program. They are searching for their second title over that span.
Senior defender Maja Zivojnovic has seen years of success with NU and is looking for more on Sunday.
“I’m just really excited that our season isn’t over yet, we get to go until the very end,” Zivojnovic said. “We’re having so much fun as a team, and I feel like we’re gonna be able to get it done as long as we play together.”
The ’Cats boast a talented roster across the board, but preparedness for games in the Final Four can only come from experience. Zivojnovic and other upperclassmen, such as graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer, have served as leaders in the program.
Fuchs emphasized the inevitability of having nerves ahead of such an important contest, but said her returning players have experience overcoming it.
“You let the Maddies and those who’ve been here before lead the way, and (the underclassmen) will follow,” Fuchs said. “You just have to continue to try to be yourself and obviously, not show as many nerves as you have.”
3. The need for perseverance in grueling games
Of the 16 games played during this tournament, eight have been decided by a goal in the fourth quarter or later. NU and Princeton have played in four of those games.
Both squads are more than familiar with grinding out wins through all 60 minutes of game time.
“We were down 2-0 in the first quarter, not exactly how you would like to start, but we were able to claw our way back,” graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer said after Friday’s win. “I would like to not have such a stressful game, but I could not be prouder of how we pulled through.”
In the Tigers’ semifinal game, the score stood deadlocked at 0-0 until the final four minutes, when midfielder Anna Faulstich’s pass trickled through the Harvard goalkeeper for the score. The latter stages of the tournament have featured the country’s top defenses, and they have stood strong until the final moments of each game.
In games like Friday’s overtime contest between the ’Cats and UNC, the threat of extra time can be enough to propel a team to victory.
“I didn’t really want to go to a second overtime, I was kind of tired,” Zimmer said. “As soon as we were able to win the ball and secure possession, it was really important to capitalize.”
NU played more than nine minutes of additional field hockey during its semifinal, which likely left the ’Cats a bit more tired than Princeton after their games were complete
Whichever team can maintain its stamina and step up down the stretch will likely come out on top.
“It’s a national championship, you can run on empty if you have to,” Fuchs said. “Hopefully we still have a little fuel left in the tank.”
NU faces off against Princeton on Sunday at noon, looking to expand its dynasty with another national title. The game will be streamed on ESPNU.
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