FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's golf team begins on the 2025-26 campaign on Monday, Sept. 15, at the two-day Battle at the Creek, which the Pios are hosting at the Kings Creek Country Club in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

The Pioneers head into their second season as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the first showing much promise for a young SHU roster. Sacred Heart placed third in its initial MAAC Tournament, matching where the team was picked in the MAAC Spring Preseason Poll. The Pios trailed Quinnipiac, the MAAC champs in four of the last five seasons, and UAlbany, which won the title in 2024. 

For the year, SHU competed in 10 events, finishing in the top three of four of them. The Pioneers took second at the Sacred Heart Spring Invitational and third at MAAC's, the Intercollegiate at Prospect Bay and the Battle at the Creek. 

The Pios return a very young roster, as the team has just two upperclassmen. Jessie Burch will serve as a senior leader as she returns for her fourth collegiate season. The Dublin, Calif., native ranked second on the team last year with a 79.6 adjusted average, recording her first collegiate win at the Intercollegiate at Prospect Bay. Catherine Fennelly also returns as an upperclassman, entering her junior campaign in 2025-26.

Coming back for their second collegiate seasons are Maite Cantu, Nahia Paulerena and Lauren Ogrodowicz. Cantu looks to continue building momentum after finishing a team-best fourth at the MAAC Championship. Paulerena ranked third on the team with an adjusted average of 79.8, tallying two top-10 finishes. Ogrodowicz played in five tournaments and placed a season-high 23rd at the SHU Spring Break Invite. 

Adding to the majority of underclassmen is SHU's incoming first year class of six golfers. Garance Gueubel, Jade Haylock, Una Karen Guðmundsdóttir, Maegan Pungsuwan, Morgan Withington and Shirley Ye will all look to crack the lineup in their debut campaigns. 

The Battle at the Creek is the first of five tournaments for the Pios in the fall. After this week, SHU will head to the Red Bandanna Invitational in Milton, Mass., on Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 22-23. 

In the middle of the fall slate, the Pios will host the SHU Fall Classic at the Great River Golf Club on Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 29-30. Sacred Heart will in the Nutmeg State for the Quinnipiac Classic, which will be hosted by the Bobcats on Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 13-14, at the Farms Country Club in Wallingford, Conn. 

SHU's fall schedule will come to a close at the same place it started, as the Pios head to Rehoboth Beach, Del., to take part in the two-day the Lady Blue Hen Invite. The event will take place at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 18-19. 

The spring slate will feature SHU's second appearance in the MAAC Championship. The date and time of the event are yet to be announced.