Pitch Session

Andrew and Kirstin are back with an offseason edition of Pitch Session where they discuss what's been going on since December both on and off the field. They discuss Saint Francis' move to DIII and what it means for both field hockey and college sports in general. They're then joined by Tara Zollinger, three-time national champion as a head coach (and many more as a player and assistant) and brand new leader of the Delaware Blue Hens and chat about her transition from DII to DI as a head coach and get a first-hand account of life with Shippensburg mascot Shippo the Hippo.

The Pitchies are finally here as Andrew and Kirstin are joined by Rachel from The Maxi Pod to give out their end-of-season awards to several deserving winners.   During The Pitchies, they also discuss important issues in the world of pop culture, current events in the sports world, and welcome Pitchie winners Emma Winther and Gorham, Maine's greatest export Hannah Price to the show.

Andrew and Kirstin put a bow on the 2024 season and are joined by two members of Northwestern's national championship team: Senior midfielder  Maddie Zimmer  and graduate student goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz. Maddie and Annabel both talk about their experience winning the national championship for Northwestern, how it felt being back in class just a day later, and reflected on their dominant seasons that culminated in a title. Also joining the episode is 2023 Bracket Spectacular Champion Caitlin Fredericks who introduces the 2024 champion Kate Ryan. Kate talks about her secret identity with regards to this year's Northwestern team and shares a rule change that we all can get on board with. Andrew and Kirstin also preview next week's season finale episode which will be the first annual Pitchies, celebrating the year that was in field hockey. Suggestions for categories or nominees for the Pitchies are welcome via email or Instagram.

Andrew and Kirstin reflect on Final Four weekend and Northwestern winning its second national championship in four years, knocking off Saint Joseph's 5-0 in Sunday's championship.   They look at the final Bracket Challenge standings and discuss whether this championship means that Northwestern has surpassed North Carolina as the dominant program at the top of the sport.    

Andrew and Kirstin file a dispatch from the front lines of frigid Ann Arbor following Friday's national semifinals that saw St. Joe's upset North Carolina in the first game and Northwestern hold off Massachusetts in the second. They talk about what they saw and heard and look ahead to Sunday's National Championship.  Remember if you're in Ann Arbor to join us Saturday at 7 p.m. at The Brown Jug located at 1204 S University Ave in Ann Arbor.

Andrew and Kirstin prepare for their trip to frigid Michigan this weekend for the Division I Final Four by speaking to all four head coaches involved in Friday's national semifinals.  They're joined by St. Joe's Hannah Prince (18:36), Northwestern's Tracey Fuchs,(31:02), North Carolina's Erin Matson (41:06), and Massachusetts' Barb Weinberg (53:53).   They also take a look back at last weekend's first and second round games including the bracket busting insanity that was the three games in Storrs. Kirstin previews the DIII Final Four in her DIII Corner, and they (sorta) make some predictions for this weekend.   If you're going to be in Ann Arbor for the Final Four this weekend, please join us Saturday night at 7 p.m. at The Brown Jug at 1204 S. University Ave in Ann Arbor.

On the eve of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Andrew and Kirstin are joined on the show by two Massachusetts natives: Boston College head coach Kelly Doton and Michigan head coach Marcia Pankratz. Both coaches talk about their teams emotional conference championship weeks and how they will play into their hope to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. They take a look back at Wednesday's Opening Round games in the tournament including the end of Vermont's Cinderella run, and discuss Friday's Round of 16 clashes.  They also announce that due to popular demand, a Pitch Session meetup will take place during the Final Four in Ann Arbor on Saturday, November 23 at The Brown Jug at 7 p.m. ET.

The bracket is here.  Andrew and Kirstin stay up late awaiting the reveal of the 2024 Division I Field Hockey Championship field of 18.  Don't forget to sign-up today to enter the Bracket Spectacular Challenge!   Sign-up Link League ID: 76955 Password: fhockey

Andrew and Kirstin provide a glance at each conference tournament going on this week and make their picks for each championship.  They take a look back as the NHL made their two ball dream a reality, provide a live look-in for Duke and Boston College's epic semifinal in the ACC Tournament including a dramatic game-winner that wasn't, and the first postscript in the history of the pod. 

The final weekend of the regular season is upon us and Andrew and Kirstin breakdown the conference tournament outlook in each league.  They take another look at the curious case of this week's NFHCA Coaches Poll, have news about an upcoming Pitch Session road trip, discuss a spooky, scary ACC elimination game on Halloween Night in the ACC hotbed of Palo Alto and pick this weekend's Games to Watch (tm).