The four field hockey teams in the LocalNews1.org coverage area — Greencastle-Antrim, Waynesboro, Chambersburg, and Fairfield — have been starving for wins in recent years.
But one of those squads went against the status quo last fall by posting a winning record and qualifying for the postseason.
That team, of course, was none other than coach Keara Allshouse’s Blue Devils, who ended an area-wide playoff drought that dated back to 2016. And with the return of several key starters — including one of the Mid-Penn Conference’s premier scorers in senior forward Natalie Medina — Greencastle could be even better when it takes the field this fall.
While the Blue Devils are projected to be our area’s top squad this fall, don’t count out our other teams, who all have reasons to be optimistic for the upcoming season.
Stick with LocalNews1.org in the days and weeks to come as we continue to preview the fall sports season before it kicks off next month.
Below are team-by-team preview capsules for the 2026 field hockey season:
Waynesboro Maidens
Coach: Becky Steele
Division: Mid-Penn Colonial
Last season: 1-17, 0-12 division
Top projected returners: Shay Trumpower (Sr., M), Savannah Hammond (Sr., F), Morgan Kaiser (Sr.), Trinity Martinez (Jr.)
Meet the Maidens: Spearheaded by senior midfield player Shay Trumpower, Waynesboro will be trying to build up a program that has won three games over the last two seasons … Trumpower, an All-Colonial Second Team selection, is the Maidens only projected returning All-Star … Clementine Quesada and Madilyn Kennedy, two Colonial All-Stars, have graduated, as has starting goalkeeper Katie Baker, who was a 2024 All-Star selection … The Maidens won one game last season, which came by a 7-0 score over Greencastle-Antrim … Waynesboro has qualified for districts 14 times in program history, with the most recent appearance coming in 2005.
Opener: Saturday, Aug. 29, at Middletown
Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils
Coach: Keara Allshouse
Division: Mid-Penn Colonial
Last season: 8-7, 6-6 division
Top projected returners: Natalie Medina (Sr., F), Rowan Shubert (Sr., F), Serenity Goodman (Sr., M/F), Caroline Barnes (Jr., M), Emily Fowler (Sr., M), Sydney Russell (So., F/M), Katy Bream (Jr., GK), Ava Linka (So., D), Maggie Spidel (So., D).
Meet the Blue Devils: Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Greencastle-Antrim after the program graduated seven seniors, but something much different happened when the team took the field … The Blue Devils put together a winning record and qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2016 … Greencastle was eventually eliminated in the opening round of the District 3-2A Championships with a 9-0 loss to Warwick, but that couldn’t dampen a campaign that saw the Blue Devils take a big step forward from a five-win season in 2024 … This fall, Greencastle once again has to deal with graduation losses, this time with the departures of Acacia Long, an All-Colonial First Team defender, and goalkeeper Rebecca Jones, a Second Team pick who posted 114 saves … Luckily for the Blue Devils, they should be able to put in plenty of goals this fall with the return of senior forwards and team captains Natalie Medina and Rowan Shubert … Medina was selected as Greencastle’s 2025 Team MVP and rightfully so. She totaled 27 goals and eight assists on her way to earning All-Colonial First Team honors. Medina posted hat tricks in three consecutive games and slammed home the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Chambersburg to end the regular season … Opponents will want to gang up on Medina, which opens the door for Shubert, the Blue Devils’ Most Improved Player in both 2024 and 2025. Shubert notched 11 goals and 13 assists last fall and made the All-Colonial Second Team … Greencastle is projected to return several others with point-scoring experience, including Serenity Goodman, Caroline Barnes, Emily Fowler, and Sydney Russell … The Blue Devils do have a hole to plug at goalkeeper. Several players got chances at the position last fall, including Katy Bream (3 saves), Barnes (1 save), Ava Linka (4 saves), Fowler (4 saves), and Maggie Spidel (8 saves).
Opener: Monday, Aug. 31, at Biglerville
Chambersburg Trojans
Coach: Rachael Sanders
Division: Mid-Penn Commonwealth
Last season: 2-16, 0-14 division
Top projected returners: Reagan Barrett (Sr.), Alex Bender (Jr.), Natalie Fitz (So.), Addyson Brubaker (Jr., M), Liberty Leonard (Jr., M), Brooke Mickey (Sr.)
Meet the Trojans: Under second-year head coach Rachael Sanders, Chambersburg will be aiming to turn the corner this fall after back-to-back two-win seasons … Taking a step forward will be easier said than done following the graduation of forwards Jaxin Frazer and Julia Elhajj, both of whom were multiple-time selections to the All-Commonwealth squad … Casie Vanaman, a Third Team pick, and Kendall Flory have also been lost to graduation … To counter these losses, Chambersburg will be turning to senior Reagan Barrett — a Shepherd University lacrosse recruit — for leadership … Natalie Fitz, a proven goal scorer, is expected to return this fall after cracking into the lineup as a freshman … Addyson Brubaker, a star sprinter for Chambersburg’s track squad, should be an asset in the midfield … The Trojans return a number of others with varsity experience, including Alex Bender, Liberty Leonard, and Brooke Mickey … Chambersburg is a 17-time postseason qualifier that won a District 3 title in 1996. The Trojans will be aiming to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Opener: Monday, Aug. 31, at home vs. Red Land
Fairfield Knights
Coach: N/A
Division: South Central Athletic Conference Division III
Last season: 0-13, 0-12 YAIAA III
Top projected returners: Reagan Gass (Sr., M/F/D), Aubree Eichenlaub (Sr., M/D/F), Aubrey Arvin (Sr., D/M/GK), Lily Novonty (Sr., D), Rylee Fitzgerald (Sr., D), Bella Richard (Sr., D/M)
Meet the Knights: As of this writing in mid-July, Fairfield was still on the hunt for its third field hockey coach in as many years … Carolyn Bieber leaves behind a program that went winless last season, but produced a quartet of All-Stars … The Knights will be led by do-it-all senior Reagan Gass, a YAIAA Division III First Team All-Star who can impact the game from the midfield, forward, and defender positions … Lily Novonty, a senior, is projected to anchor the Fairfield defense after earning First Team honors last fall … Novonty will be flanked on the back line by Rylee Fitzgerald and Bella Richard, two seniors who earned Honorable Mention honors in 2025 … Fairfield, a three-time district qualifier, most recently made a postseason appearance in 1997.
Opener: Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Waynesboro
