For Immediate Release:
20 August 2026

WINTROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has announced that the Dean College field hockey team has been selected as the favorite in this year's preseason poll, as voted by the conference's head coaches.

The Bulldogs narrowly edged Saint Joseph's College of Maine, collecting 89 total votes and four first-place votes in the poll.

Dean earns their first-ever preseason favorite selection after a historic 2025 campaign. The Bulldogs took home this past year's GNAC championship, defeating Colby-Sawyer College by a final score of 3-1. The team finished the year with an impressive 16-8 record, with a 9-1 record in-conference.

In addition, six players were named to the GNAC All-Conference roster and four were honored on the GNAC All-Tournament team.

Leading the charge into 2026 is junior Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, N.Y.). Yazzetti continued her impressive year through the summer, earning a spot on the Puerto Rico National Field Hockey Team and competing in the 2026 Cal Cup. The forward/midfielder earned first team all-conference honors this past fall while being named the 2025 GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Midfielder Jordan Boelig (Tilton, N.H.) will also return for her final season of play. Boelig appeared in all 24 games for the Bulldogs in 2025 and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.

Sara Gardner (Hampstead, Md.) once again leads Dean's efforts in-goal. Last season, Gardner produced a career-high .795 save percentage while collecting an 11-6 record. She was named to the GNAC All-Conference second team.

The Bulldogs begin their quest to defend the title on Tuesday, September 1^st, in a road trip to Western Connecticut State University (WestConn). Their home opener is scheduled for Saturday, September 5^th, against the Manhattanville Valiants.

Dean will play a total of 20 regular season games, including nine conference matchups. In addition, Dean also adds three new non-conference opponents for 2026 (Connecticut College, Eastern Connecticut State University, Smith College).

Should Dean make the postseason, the GNAC quarterfinal round is slated for Saturday, October 31^st. Time and location are to be determined.

FULL GNAC RELEASE

For more information regarding the Dean College field hockey program, please visit any of the respective links above.

For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu