PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team opens the 2026 season against No. 10 North Carolina and No. 18 Old Dominion this weekend in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Quakers will take on the Tar Heels on Friday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m. and the Monarchs on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 10 a.m.
 
GAME 1: PENN (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League) vs. No. 10 NORTH CAROLINA (0-2, 0-0 ACC)
Friday, Sept. 4 | 6 p.m. | Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch on ACC Network | Live Stats 

GAME 2: PENN vs. No. 18 OLD DOMINION (2-0, 0-0 Big East)
Sunday, Sept. 6 | 10 a.m. | Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch on Youtube | Live Stats

Penn vs. North Carolina 
The Quakers and the Tar Heels are meeting for the 10th time, with UNC winning all nine previous matchups. After ending last season in the NCAA semifinal, North Carolina entered this season ranked No. 2 in the NFHCA Preseason Poll. However, after a series of losses in Week 1, the Tar Heels fell to No. 10 in the poll.
 
Penn vs. Old Dominion  
The Quakers and Monarchs square off for the third time in program history Sunday morning. During their first meeting, ODU took down Penn in the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament at Franklin Field on their way to securing a national championship in 1988.
 
Quaker Notemeal 
*The Quakers begin their second year with head coach Scott Tupper at the helm.

*Tupper spent four years serving as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland where he helped lead the Terrapins to four NCAA Championship appearances and a Big Ten title.

*Penn returns eight players who competed in all 16 games last season.

*Senior Honor Roberts returns for the Quakers after finishing second on the team in points (17) and goals (7) a season ago.

*Senior goalie Ruby de Frees returns after starting all 16 games last year. She recorded 79 saves and played all but five minutes in the 2025 season.

*Juniors Reese Czajkowski, Riley Thomson, and freshman Victoria Manzur were named to the NFHCA 2026 Collegiate Watchlist.

Scouting the Tar Heels 
*North Carolina is coming into the weekend with an 0-2 record, after losing to both No. 8 Michigan and No. 4 Iowa at the ACC-Big Ten Challenge this past weekend.
 
*Six starters from the 2025 Tar Heel lineup return with newly elected captains Charly Bruder and Grace Pottebaum at the helm.

*Senior Charly Bruder comes into the season being the only Tar Heel on the Preseason All-ACC team, and she's a three-time All American selection.

*The Tar Heels finished last season with a 21-2 record and ranked third in the country in scoring margin (2.47).

Scouting the Monarchs  
*Old Dominion enters the weekend sporting a record of 2-0 after beating Ohio State and Bellarmine, which moved them to No. 18 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll.
 
*ODU brings back 15 players and eight starters from their 2025 squad and welcomes seven newcomers.

*Josie Painter is ODU's leading scorer with seven points in their first two games, but Serena Langendoen is right behind her with six.

*Langendoen and Painter were also selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

*The Monarchs finished last season with an 8-10 record.

For the latest on Penn field hockey, follow @PennFieldHockey on X and on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.