ANNVILLE, Pa. – All-conference honorees Claire Weidenhammer and Ella Weidenhammer headline a group of 10 returning players who hope to lead the Lebanon Valley College field hockey team to a fourth straight postseason appearance this fall. The Dutchmen also start a new chapter, welcoming Head Coach Sophie Popp as she begins her career at The Valley.
Lebanon Valley enters the year ranked third out of nine teams with two first-place votes in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Field Hockey Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Dutchmen finished 2025 with an 11-8 overall record and a 4-3 mark against conference opponents.
Popp was announced as the program's 11th Head Coach in May 2026, after spending the past two seasons as a Graduate Assistant at DeSales University. Popp also played collegiate field hockey at The College of New Jersey, where she was a three-year starter and five-year team member as a forward, midfielder, and defender.
"I want to continue where the team left off last season," Popp said. "The goal is to give ourselves an opportunity to win a conference championship. We always have winning the MAC Freedom and making the NCAA Tournament in the back of our minds. This team definitely has the potential. To get there, though, we have to take it one practice and one game at a time."
Claire Weidenhammer was named the MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Year and recognized on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-Region IV Team in 2025, after leading the conference with 43 points and 19 goals. The senior forward ranked 15th in the nation with 1.056 goals per game and 17th in the nation with 2.39 points per game. Senior goalkeeper Ella Weidenhammer, a former MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Year and NFHCA All-Region selection, led the conference and ranked 15th in the nation with an .838 save percentage, while finishing 10th in the country with a 0.94 goals against average. The sisters, who were listed on the NFHCA Division III Watchlist, will serve as captains this year along with senior midfielder Abby Rodenberger (five assists).
Sophomore midfielder Danika Setlock (five goals, two assists) will join Rodenberger as a key contributor on both ends of the field. The Dutchmen expect sophomore midfielder Lilah Shaub (five goals, two assists), junior forward Lauren Foster (six goals, three assists), and junior forward Jillian Tait (seven goals, one assist) to also factor into the offensive mix. Junior midfielder Reese Arnold will help anchor the defense after starting all 19 games and helping the team post 11 shutouts with a 0.79 goals against average. Additionally, 10 newcomers are joining the team this fall.
Lebanon Valley will open the season on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m., at Haverford College. The Dutchmen will then host Simmons University on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m., for the first of eight home contests at Arnold Field.
LVC will begin its MAC Freedom schedule on Saturday, Oct. 3, at noon, against Arcadia University in Glenside. Another key matchup is when the squad hosts Delaware Valley University for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m., at Arnold Field. The Flying Dutchmen will hold Senior Day against FDU-Florham on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m., at Arnold Field. Lebanon Valley's full 2026 schedule can be found here.
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