GILBERT, Ariz. — Five staffs have been recognized as their region’s 2019 Spiideo/NFHCA Coaching Staff of the Year.
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) officially recognizes each institution’s field hockey coaches but acknowledges all of the important staff members that make each program successful.
Mid-Atlantic Region
Princeton University
Carla Tagliente, Sam Carlino, Hannah Prince, Dina Rizzo
- Tagliente named 2019 Ivy League Coach of the Year
- Sammy Popper named 2019 Ivy League Rookie of the Year
- Clinched outright Ivy League title, the 26th in program history
- NCAA National Championship runners up
- Recorded the second-longest winning streak in program history, with 13 consecutive wins
- Clara Roth was named 2019 First Point USA/NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year
- This is Princeton’s second Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year award and the first for Tagliente’s staff
Mideast Region
Fairfield University
Jackie Kane, Dani Brown, Steve Dennis
- Named 2019 Northeast Conference (NEC) Coaching Staff of the Year
- 2019 Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament champions
- Kane secured her 200th career win
- Set school record for most wins in a season (19-3)
- Recorded longest winning streak in program history, with 12 consecutive wins
- Recorded the first NCAA tournament win in program history
- This is Fairfield’s first Mideast Region Coaching Staff of the Year award
Northeast Region
Boston College
Kelly Doton, Mark Foster, Jill Gambino, Maggie Reddecliff
- Doton named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach of the Year
- Margo Carlin named ACC Freshman of the Year
- Earned the second seed in the ACC Championships, the highest in program history
- First ACC Championship game appearance
- First team to post two shutouts in ACC Championship history
- Advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinal for the first time in program history
- This is BC’s second Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year award and the first for Doton’s staff
South
University of North Carolina
Karen Shelton, Jackie Briggs, Grant Fulton, Robbert Schenk
- Erin Matson named NCAA Tournament’s Most-Valuable Player, First Point USA/NFHCA South Region Player of the Year, and ACC Offensive Player of the Year
- Yentl Leemans named ACC Defensive Player of the Year
- 2019 ACC regular-season and tournament champions
- Abby Pitcairn presented the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 Award for field hockey
- Earned second-consecutive National Championship as 2019 Division I NCAA National Champions
- Recorded second-consecutive undefeated season with 23-0 record
- This is UNC’s third-consecutive South Region Coaching Staff of the Year award and ninth overall
West
University of Iowa
Lisa Cellucci, Michael Boal, Roz Ellis
- Cellucci named Big Ten Coach of the Year
- Won both the Big Ten Conference regular-season and tournament championship for the first time in program history
- Katie Birch named Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player and 2019 First Point USA/NFHCA West Region Player of the Year
- Advanced to the NCAA tournament quarterfinal for 18th time in program history
- Five Hawkeyes were named to the 2019 Longstreth/NFHCA West All-Region Team
- This is Iowa’s second-consecutive West Region Coaching Staff of the Year award and fourth overall
The 2019 Spiideo/NFHCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year will be announced at the 2020 NFHCA Awards Dinner sponsored by AstroTurf.