Northwestern Wildcats field hockey


The Northwestern Wildcats field hockey team is the intercollegiate field hockey program representing Northwestern University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Northwestern field hockey team plays its home games at Lakeside Field on the university campus in Evanston, Illinois. The Wildcats have won six regular-season conference titles, one conference tournament championship, and have appeared in the NCAA tournament 13 times, advancing to the Final Four on four separate occasions. The team is currently coached by Tracey Fuchs.

History

Field hockey has been a varsity sport at Northwestern University since 1980, although the school has fielded intercollegiate teams since 1975. From 1981 to 1988 and again since 1992, the Wildcats have played in the Big Ten Conference. Between 1989 and 1991, Northwestern was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Field Hockey Conference. The university also considers its 1977 and 1978 teams to have competed in the Big Ten, although field hockey was not a varsity sport at Northwestern for either of these seasons. As a Big Ten member, the Wildcats have won six regular-season conference titles as well as one conference tournament championship. Four of these Big Ten regular-season titles were won under the guidance of head coach Nancy Stevens, who lead the team from 1981 to 1989. Northwestern qualified for the NCAA tournament every year between 1983 and 1994 except for 1992, and it has reached the Final Four on four separate occasions. The Wildcats are currently coached by Tracey Fuchs. Prior to her tenure, Northwestern has been coached by Mary Ann Kelling, Mary DiStanislao, Sharon Drysdale, Stevens, Marisa Didio, Debra Brickey, Diane Loosbrock, and Kelly McCollum.

Season-by-season results

YearHead CoachOverallPct.Conf.Pct.Conf.
Place		Conf.
Tourn.		Postseason
1975Mary Ann Kelling5–3–1–––––
1976Mary DiStanislao6–2–3–––––
1977Mary DiStanislao8–7–21–4–––
1978Mary DiStanislao13–5–11–2–––
1979Sharon Drysdale8–10–1–––––
1980Sharon Drysdale18–6–3–––––
1981Nancy Stevens14–5–47–2–3rd–
1982Nancy Stevens17–54–12nd––
1983Nancy Stevens20–59–1T1st–NCAA Final Four
1984Nancy Stevens17–2–19–0–11st–NCAA 1st Round
1985Nancy Stevens20–29–1T1st–NCAA Final Four
1986Nancy Stevens15–4–26–2–22nd–NCAA 2nd Round
1987Nancy Stevens14–6–36–2–22nd–NCAA 2nd Round
1988Nancy Stevens17–2–18–01st–NCAA 1st Round
1989Nancy Stevens18–4–18–1–1––NCAA Final Four
1990Marisa Didio15–3–17–1––NCAA 1st Round
1991Marisa Didio12–7–15–3––NCAA 1st Round
1992Marisa Didio6–113–7T4th––
1993Marisa Didio12–6–16–43rd–NCAA 2nd Round
1994Marisa Didio15–4–28–1–11st2ndNCAA Final Four
1995Debra Brickey13–66–4T2ndT3rd–
1996Debra Brickey9–123–7T4thT3rd–
1997Debra Brickey7–133–7T5thT5th–
1998Diane Loosbrock7–132–86thT5th–
1999Diane Loosbrock4–140–106thT5th–
2000Marisa Didio6–132–4T5thT5th–
2001Marisa Didio2–131–56thT5th–
2002Marisa Didio6–131–56thT5th–
2003Marisa Didio9–91–56thT5th–
2004Kelly McCollum7–131–5T5thT5th–
2005Kelly McCollum7–110–66thT5th–
2006Kelly McCollum7–121–56thT5th–
2007Kelly McCollum4–140–67thT5th–
2008Kelly McCollum7–131–56thT5th–
2009Tracey Fuchs12–81–56thT5th–
2010Tracey Fuchs11–93–3T4thT5th–
2011Tracey Fuchs12–91–5T6thT5th–
2012Tracey Fuchs16–44–2T2ndT5th–
2013Tracey Fuchs15–55–1T1stT5th–
2014Tracey Fuchs16–76–2T2nd1stNCAA 1st Round
2015Tracey Fuchs13–84–4T4thT3rd–
2016Tracey Fuchs13–85–3T3rdT3rd–
2017Tracey Fuchs15–76–2T2ndT3rdNCAA 2nd Round
2018Tracey Fuchs9–103–57thT5th–
2019Tracey Fuchs14–75–34thT5thNCAA 1st Round

Season-by-season results through the end of the 2014 season

Awards and accolades

Conference championships

Northwestern has won six conference titles, all in the Big Ten Conference. Four of their championships were won during the tenure of head coach Nancy Stevens in the 1980s.

[Honda-Broderick Cup] winners

All-Americans

SeasonPlayerRemarks
1982Kathleen Kochmansky
1983Jennifer Averill
1983Kathleen KochmanskySecond first-team selection
1984Kathleen KochmanskyThird first-team selection
1985Robin Clark
1985Amy Kekeisen
1986Jennifer AverillSecond first-team selection
1989Antoinette Lucas
1989Kim Metcalf
1990Natalie Beckerman
1990Kathy Halley
1990Antoinette LucasSecond first-team selection
1990Tami Neuhause
1990Colleen Senich

SeasonPlayerRemarks
1991Kathy HalleySecond selection
1991Colleen SenichSecond first-team selection
1991Kathleen Sullivan
1992Kathy HalleyThird selection;
Second first-team selection
1992Amy Vail
1993Gretchen Scheuermann
1993Shannon Small
1994Donna Barg
1994Amy Borneman
1994Gretchen ScheuermannSecond first-team selection
1994Betsy Vance
1995Amy BornemanSecond selection
1995Linda Formosi
1995Betsy VanceSecond selection

SeasonPlayerRemarks
1996Ellie Karvoski
2004Candice Cooper
2010Chelsea Armstrong
2011Chelsea ArmstrongSecond selection
2012Chelsea ArmstrongThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2012Tara Puffenberger
2013Nikki Parsley
2013Tara PuffenbergerSecond selection
2014Lisa McCarthy

Olympians

Awards and accolades through the end of the 2014 season

Stadium

Northwestern has played its home games at Lakeside Field since its construction in 1997. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, the field is part of the university's $3.5-million Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex on the north end of its main campus in Evanston. Lakeside Field features an AstroTurf playing field that was installed in 2015 and a seating capacity of 300, as well as a permanent scoreboard, a sound system, and lighting that allows for the playing of night games. The venue has hosted the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament three times, in 2002, 2004, 2018. Lakeside Field is located adjacent to Lenny and Sharon Martin Stadium, previously also known as Lakeside Field, which is home to Northwestern's women's lacrosse, men's soccer, and women's soccer teams.