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Sunday’s NCAA field hockey championship game has a lot of local flair — and it’s not just from St. Joe’s

There's several players with Philly-area ties on Hawk Hill, while Schwenksville native Ashley Sessa headlines the Wildcats' quartet of locals.

Lily DeWan (from left), Tristan Groff, Bridget McCormick, and Ciara Margetich celebrate their 2-1 victory over UMass in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship game on Nov. 9 at Ellen Ryan Field. DeWan, McCormick, and Margetich are from the Philly area.
Lily DeWan (from left), Tristan Groff, Bridget McCormick, and Ciara Margetich celebrate their 2-1 victory over UMass in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship game on Nov. 9 at Ellen Ryan Field. DeWan, McCormick, and Margetich are from the Philly area.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff Photographer

St. Joseph’s pulled off a major upset Friday afternoon, when it topped No. 1-seeded North Carolina in the NCAA field hockey semifinals. It’s the first time in program history that the Hawks will play in a national title game, and they ended the two-time defending champs’ season.

The fourth-seeded Hawks (20-3) will face No. 2 seed Northwestern in Sunday’s final. The Wildcats (22-1) are led by forward Ashley Sessa, a Schwenksville native and an Olympian who’s the team’s leader in goals (24), assists (17), and points (65). She also scored the lone goal against UMass on Friday to send Northwestern to the championship.

As the teams take the field Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich., a handful of local players on each side will look to bring home a national title. The Philadelphia region is well known for its talent in field hockey at the high school level, and many athletes extend those careers to college and beyond.

Here’s a roundup of the locals competing in the NCAA field hockey championship game:

St. Joe’s

  1. Bridget McCormick, a graduate student midfielder, won state titles in 2016 and 2017 with Haddonfield Memorial.

  2. Kate Crist, a grad student back, played for Spring-Ford, where the Limerick native led the team to four district playoff appearances.

  3. Katelyn Cocco, a grad student midfielder, was a three-time All-Suburban One League first-team honoree at Council Rock South.

  4. Ciara Margetich, a sophomore forward, helped Downingtown West to two district and four league championships.

  5. Lily DeWan, a freshman midfielder, was ranked as one of top 100 players in the class of 2024 while playing for Methacton.

  6. Shannon McNally, a grad student goalkeeper, competed for Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where she was named to the Inter-Ac All-League second team in 2019.

» READ MORE: St. Joseph’s one win away from a national field hockey crown following upset of North Carolina

Northwestern

  1. Olivia Bent-Cole, a sophomore forward, led Camden Catholic to its first state title in nearly 40 years in 2022. She also helped the United States earn a gold medal at the 2023 Junior Pan American Championships.

  2. Ashley Sessa, a sophomore who graduated from Episcopal Academy, had her first experience with Team USA at age 14, when she was selected to play on the junior national team. At 19 years old, she competed in the 2024 Paris Games.

  3. Eva Nemeth, a freshman back from Malvern, played for Great Valley and WC Eagles. She won club championships at the U14, U16, and U19 levels.

  4. Nadia Nemeth, Eva’s twin sister and a midfielder, also attended Great Valley and led their high school team with 48 goals and 19 assists as a senior.