Tina Mattera Named to NFHCA’s Hall of Fame
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Tina Mattera, head field hockey coach at Tufts University and the leader of the defending NCAA Division III National Champions, will be inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026.
In 21 seasons with the Jumbos, Mattera has amassed 305 wins, two NCAA Division III National Championships, and three NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Her 305 victories rank 11th among active Division III head coaches, and her teams have earned three New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championships and 147 NESCAC wins.
“I am truly shocked, humbled, and grateful to be selected to the NFHCA Hall of Fame,” said Mattera. “To be recognized along with so many outstanding coaches is truly an honor. Field hockey has given me lifelong friendships, the ability to work with so many amazing athletes, the opportunity to travel the world and I truly feel like the luckiest person because I found a job I love.”
Massachusetts Made
A native of Walpole, Massachusetts and two-time field hockey state champion, Mattera chose Boston University (BU) for her collegiate career. There, she played for NFHCA Hall of Famer, Sally Starr, and became a standout player and captain for the Terriers. In her final season, Mattera helped lead BU to an undefeated America East Conference campaign and a 1999 conference championship.
Following her graduation from BU, Mattera joined the College of the Holy Cross as an assistant coach. During her four years with the Crusaders, the program captured the 2000 Patriot League Championship. Mattera was then named the next leader of the Tufts University field hockey program in 2004.
Building a Championship Program
Mattera quickly changed the trajectory of the Tufts program. After finishing 5-10 the season before her arrival, the Jumbos improved to 10-6 in 2004 and advanced to the NESCAC postseason semifinals. From there, Tufts began a steady climb toward becoming one of Division III field hockey’s premier programs.
In Mattera’s fourth year with the program, the Jumbos advanced to the 2008 NESCAC finals and the NCAA Division III Championship game, finishing the season with a 19-2 record. The next year they would take home the NESCAC trophy — the program’s first — and advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
While winning began to seem like a steady tradition in Medford, there was a crown that Mattera and the Jumbos were still after. The breakthrough came in 2012. After steadily climbing up national rankings and navigating one of Division III’s most competitive conferences, Mattera led the Jumbos to the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship. In a 2-1 win over Montclair State, Tufts captured the first women’s national championship in university history.
Thirteen years later, Mattera and the Jumbos returned to the top, capturing the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championship with an overtime victory against Johns Hopkins University.
Across just over two decades, Mattera’s teams have made 14 NCAA tournament appearances, captured three NESCAC titles, and won two NCAA National Championships. Mattera and her staff have earned three NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year awards, six NFHCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors, and two NESCAC Coach of the Year awards.
Her players have earned 34 NFHCA All-American honors, one NFHCA National Player of the Year (Hannah Biccard in 2025) award, two Regional Player of the Year honors (Margaret Scholtes in 2009 and Hannah Biccard in 2025), and more than 60 NFHCA All-Region honors. More than 60 Jumbos have also earned NESCAC All-Conference recognition, five have been named Defensive Players of the Year and Tamara Brown was named NESCAC Player of the Year twice, in 2009 and 2010. Mattera’s 2012 national championship squad was inducted into the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
More Than a Coach
Mattera’s connection to the game extends well beyond the Tufts sideline. From 2003 to 2010, she competed as a member of USA Field Hockey’s Women’s National Indoor Team. She later returned to international competition as a USA Masters Indoor National Team athlete in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Mattera has also consistently given back to the coaching profession and the Medford community. She has served as a clinician and speaker and volunteers as a member of the NFHCA All-American Committee. Locally, Mattera has welcomed Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay to Ounjian Field and partnered with the Eliza J. Norton Foundation to bring a Play With Heart Clinic to the area. The Jumbos also participate in Team IMPACT, which matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams.
Continued Celebration
The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be recognized at the NFHCA Awards Dinner, which will take place during the 2027 NFHCA Annual Convention in Lake Mary, Florida on January 14, 2027. The 2026 class will be inducted alongside 2025 Hall of Famer Tracey Fuchs, who deferred her induction by a year to travel as an assistant coach with the USA Women’s National Team during their 2026 New Zealand tour.
Upcoming features highlighting each individual honoree will be published on NFHCA.org throughout the next week.
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