Duke Gears Up For ACC/B1G Challenge Versus No. 1 Northwestern, No. 13 Maryland

Friday, September 4

Newton, Mass.

3 p.m.

Duke University

Northwestern

Duke FH Players Julia Boehringer and Philine Klas high five

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Gears Up For ACC/B1G Challenge Versus No. 1 Northwestern, No. 13 Maryland

9/3/2026 11:30:00 AM | Field Hockey

Game Notes (PDF)Live Stats (vs. Northwestern)Live Stats (vs. Maryland)

THE OPENING HIT:

No. 6 Duke heads to Newton, Massachusetts, this weekend for the ACC/B1G Challenge, where the Blue Devils will face their first ranked opponents of the season in No. 1 Northwestern (Sept. 4) and No. 13 Maryland (Sept. 6).
The Blue Devils enter the weekend at 2-0 after opening the season with a pair of wins over William & Mary (7-0) and Richmond (1-0). Five different Duke players scored in the opening weekend, including Juliette Schulten and Ashley Stockdale, who each netted a career-high two goals versus the Tribe.
This weekend is the 11th installment of the interconference challenge featuring Boston College, Duke, Maryland and Northwestern. The Blue Devils are 12-8 all-time in the event, including wins over the Terrapins in each of the last three outings. The Wildcats have had the most success recently with eight straight wins (2022-25).

BY THE NUMBERS:

2: Total shots allowed by the Duke defense versus William & Mary and Richmond in the second half
3: Consecutive wins over Maryland in the ACC/B1G Challenge
3: Players from North Carolina -- Alessia Cicuto, Adriana Ensani and Callie McCarron -- on the Blue Devil roster
5: Different goal scorers in the Blue Devils' 2-0 opening weekend
5: players named to the 2026 NFHCA Division I Watchlist -- Madison Beach, Julia Boehringer, Alaina McVeigh, Ashley Stockdale and Shae Wozniak
8: Newcomers -- five freshmen and three transfers -- to the 2026 Duke field hockey roster
9: Opponents ranked in the NFHCA preseason poll
12-8: Duke's record in the ACC/B1G Challenge since the first installment in 2015
17: letterwinners returning from the 2025 squad
46: Career goals by Alaina McVeigh, ninth in Duke history
79: Percent of assists retained from 2025
90: Percent of scoring retained from 2025
108: Career points totaled by Alaina McVeigh, 10th on the Duke charts
120: Minutes the Blue Devils have held their opponents scoreless
352: Career wins for Pam Bustin, fourth all-time among active DI field hockey coaches

DUKE IN THE ACC/B1G CHALLENGE:

For the 11th time since the 2015 season, Duke will play Maryland and Northwestern during the annual ACC/B1G Challenge. The 2026 rendition of the event - hosted by Boston College - will take place in Newton, Massachusetts Sept. 4 and 6 at the Field Hockey Complex.
The Blue Devils own a 12-8 all-time record in the interconference showdown. Duke boasted a 9-1 mark through the first five tournaments before going three years without a win. The Blue Devils have gone 3-0 against the Terrapins and 0-3 versus the Wildcats over the past three seasons.
Northwestern is 8-0 in the past four ACC/B1G Challenge events, with its last defeat coming in a 2-1 loss to Boston College in 2021. Maryland has gone 4-4 the past four years, with three of the losses coming to Duke.

SERIES HISTORIES:

Duke and Northwestern meet for their 18th all-time matchup Friday, with the Wildcats holding a slim, 9-8, edge in the series. Northwestern has experienced the more recent success with six consecutive wins. Prior to the 2021 contest, the Blue Devils had won six straight.
Sunday marks the 57th meeting between Duke and Maryland. The Terrapins hold a tight grip on the series, 36-17-3, dating back to the first matchup between the two schools in 1985. The last four meetings have gone the way of the Blue Devils, including the 2024 NCAA First Round game and last season's ACC/B1G Challenge.

LAST DANCE FOR MIGHTY MCVEIGH:

Graduate student Alaina McVeigh is back in a Blue Devil uniform for her final season of collegiate field hockey. After missing her freshman season to injury, McVeigh had a breakout 2023 season that culminated in ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors and a spot on the NFHCA All-America First Team. A three-time NFHCA All-American and All-ACC First Team pick for her career, McVeigh has been exemplary in her three full seasons on the turf and heads into 2026 looking to close her Duke career with a bang.
The Lansdale, Pennsylvania, standout has paced the Blue Devils in scoring and accumulated at least 20 points in each of the past three seasons. She has netted a goal in 35 of 64 career games, including 11 multi-goal outings.
McVeigh has already etched her name in the Duke lore, with a higher climb up the program charts inevitable. The two-time team captain and ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year is just the fourth Blue Devil all-time to net double-digit markers in each of her first three seasons at Duke and one of only six players to accumulate at least 20 points in each of their first three years at Duke. McVeigh is also one of just 13 players in Duke history to reach the century mark.
McVeigh was named to the 2026 USA Field Hockey Women's National Team back in May, joining former Blue Devils and USAFH veterans Leah Crouse and Jillian Wolgemuth.

OFFENSIVE DEPTH ON FULL DISPLAY IN WEEK 1:

Week 1 of the 2026 field hockey season saw Duke display its incredible offensive depth as five different players landed on the scoresheet. Julia Schulten and Ashley Stockdale both netted a career-high two goals in the season opener against William & Mary, with Maggie Kondrath, Kyle Massey and returning leading goal scorer Alaina McVeigh also finding the back of the cage in the 7-0 win. Stockdale added the lone goal in the Blue Devils' 1-0 win at Richmond to give her three for the weekend.
Five individuals tallied assists across the two games, led by McVeigh with two. Sofia Fidalgo Schioppa and Lily Soldan tallied their first career assists while transfer Callie Rogers dished her first helper as a Blue Devil. Senior Madison Beach rounded out the group of playmakers with an assist of her own.

A WIN FRIDAY WOULD:

Be Pam Bustin's 191st at Duke and 353rd overall
Give Duke its first ranked win of the season
Be the Blue Devils' first victory against a No. 1 team since Nov. 22, 2013, when they beat Maryland, 3-2
Give Duke its fourth win over a No. 1 ranked opponent under Bustin and just the ninth overall in program history

A WEEKEND SWEEP WOULD:

Secure Pam Bustin's 192nd win at Duke and the 354th of her career
Give the Blue Devils their 12th 4-0 start to the season all-time and the first since 2019
Make Duke 14-8 all-time in the ACC/B1G Challenge
Give the Blue Devils two ranked wins on the year

UP NEXT:
Duke returns home for a two-game weekend set against James Madison and VCU Sept. 11 and 13, respectively. Opening hit between the Blue Devils and Dukes is slated for Friday at 5 p.m., while the Duke-VCU matchup is set for a 1 p.m. start time.

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