D3 Field Hockey: Braren, Babson Carry Momentum Into NCAAs
Ashley Braren’s four years at Babson College have been filled with a wealth of D3 field hockey memories. The Westwood, Mass., native has also come to embody something head coach Julie Ryan believes is at the heart of the Division III experience.
She [Braren] is probably the most coachable athlete I’ve had at Babson … You tell her to do something, and she will just run through a brick wall to get it done for me. She is extremely driven in everything she does.
— Ryan, an 11-time NEWMAC Coach of the Year, said in an interview with yd3
On Saturday, Braren added another championship moment to her resume, scoring the game-winning goal with 6:12 remaining in Babson’s 2-1 victory over MIT. The win secured the Beavers’ sixth consecutive conference tournament title, a fitting reward for a senior who has made the most of every opportunity along the way.
D3 Field Hockey: A Championship Built on Commitment
Ryan reached 300 career victories this fall, becoming the 32nd Division III field hockey coach to achieve the milestone. In 20 season with the Beavers, she’s guided them to three NCAA Final Fours, including their 2025 appearance.
The former National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) president has never been shy about challenging her team. Babson’s 2026 schedule featured seven opponents from last year’s NCAA tournament field, including four in its first five games. The early stretch included trips to Williams and Middlebury, two of the country’s most established D3 field hockey programs, as well as a home matchup with Christopher Newport, which reached the national semifinals alongside Babson in 2025.
The Beavers answered one of their toughest tests with a 1-0 victory at Middlebury on Sept. 13, a result that offered an early indication of their long-term potential.
“To have that type of fight and grit … is definitely a characteristic that makes this team really dangerous,” Ryan said.
But the road back to the national stage wasn’t without setbacks. Babson later fell to defending national champion Tufts, Bowdoin and Trinity (Conn.) before MIT handed the Beavers a 1-0 defeat on Oct. 6, ending their remarkable 80-game NEWMAC regular-season winning streak dating to 2015.
They got another crack at the Engineers, and two senior leaders capitalized on it. Helen DiGiovanni drove toward the net and forced a save by goalkeeper Alexia Ninios.
Braren then pounced on the rebound, using her speed to fire a spinning shot past the trailing defender.
She wasn’t done. With MIT earning penalty corners in the final minutes, the 5-foot-4 forward repeatedly disrupted the Engineers, using her quick feet and low stick to deny any quality looks. Ryan called her defensive work just as important as the goal itself.
After stepping into a starting role late in the regular season, Braren capped her final NEWMAC tournament run by claiming Most Outstanding Player honors for the first time.
I was very upset after our regular-season loss, but we were very lucky to get a second chance to play that team again and finish the job. We really wanted that win.
Braren’s accolades | Babson D3 Field Hockey
- Two-time NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad
- Two-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference
- 2026 NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player
A Full Student-Athlete Experience
Braren, a double major in business analytics and computational finance, has tackled her professional development with the same intensity. With both parents Babson alumni, she understood the strength of the college’s network, but her own experiences brought that mindset to life.
Internships with ASICS, venture capital firm Bullish and PwC gave her exposure to marketing, brand strategy and consulting. She eventually found her focus in mergers and acquisitions, securing a return offer from PwC’s Deals Delivering Deal Value (DDV) team ahead of graduation.
Babson has such a great culture of people who want to connect with you, have been in your shoes … and just want to help you out. I wouldn’t be where I am without those people who have helped me.
Meanwhile, Braren studied abroad in Paris last spring and has continued contributing in the classroom this fall as a teaching assistant for courses on predictive business analytics. That balance between academics and athletics is, Ryan believes, central to the Division III experience.
To be able to fill her [Braren’s] four years with two Final Four trips … study abroad and all of these internship opportunities, I think Division III is doing it right. It’s the best model out there right now.
The Beavers (15-6), ranked No. 14 in the final NCAA Power Index (NPI), open NCAA tournament play Wednesday at home against No. 25 Union. The winner travels to face No. 2 Middlebury on Saturday.
After making the most of her time in Wellesley, Mass., away from the pitch, Braren still has more to accomplish on MacDowell Field before her collegiate career comes to a close.
She and her teammates have another more milestone in mind: the first national title in program history.
Babson takes on Union tomorrow, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m. ET, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
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