Penn State Nittany Lions field hockey


The Penn State Nittany Lions field hockey team is the intercollegiate field hockey program representing Pennsylvania State University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, although it was also previously a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Penn State field hockey team plays its home games at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on the university campus in State College, Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions captured the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championship twice, in 1980 and 1981, and have won 10 regular-season conference titles as well as eight conference tournament championships. While Penn State has qualified for the NCAA tournament 30 times, and has made seven appearances in the semifinals and two in the championship game, it has never won the NCAA national championship. The team is currently coached by Charlene Morett.

History

Field hockey has been a varsity sport at Penn State since 1964. In 1980 and 1981, the Nittany Lions won back-to-back Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championships. Penn State played in the Atlantic 10 Conference between 1988 and 1990, and has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since 1992. The team has won 10 regular-season conference titles as well as eight conference tournament championships. The Nittany Lions have appeared in the NCAA tournament 30 times, including seven appearances in the semifinals and two in the championship game, but have never won the NCAA national championship. Penn State is currently coached by Charlene Morett, who is in her 28th season as the program's head coach. Before Morett's tenure began in 1987, the Nittany Lions had previously been coached by Pat Seni, Nancy Bailey, Tonya Toole, and Gillian Rattray.

Season-by-season results

YearHead CoachOverallPct.Conf.Pct.Conf.
Place		Conf.
Tourn.		Postseason
1964Pat Seni4–0–––––
1965Pat Seni1–3–1–––––
1966Pat Seni1–2–1–––––
1967Pat Seni3–2–––––
1968Pat Seni2–2–1–––––
1969Nancy Bailey3–3–––––
1970Tonya Toole1–5–1–––––
1971Tonya Toole5–3–––––
1972Tonya Toole4–3–1–––––
1973Tonya Toole3–2–3–––––
1974Gillian Rattray5–2–2–––––
1975Gillian Rattray6–4–2–––––
1976Gillian Rattray9–3–2–––––
1977Gillian Rattray8–8–––––
1978Gillian Rattray13–1–3–––––
1979Gillian Rattray18–3––––AIAW Runner-Up
1980Gillian Rattray20–0–2––––AIAW Champions
1981Gillian Rattray19–2–1––––AIAW Champions
1982Gillian Rattray14–6––––NCAA Final Four
1983Gillian Rattray14–3–5––––NCAA 2nd Round
1984Gillian Rattray14–8–1––––NCAA 1st Round
1985Gillian Rattray16–4–1––––NCAA 1st Round
1986Gillian Rattray18–5–2––––NCAA Final Four
1987Charlene Morett14–5–2––––NCAA 1st Round
1988Charlene Morett15–6–12–01st 2ndNCAA 2nd Round
1989Charlene Morett18–3–14–0–11st1stNCAA 1st Round
1990Charlene Morett21–44–1T1st1stNCAA Final Four
1991Charlene Morett18–3–1––––NCAA Final Four
1992Charlene Morett16–5–18–22nd–NCAA 2nd Round
1993Charlene Morett20–29–11st–NCAA Final Four
1994Charlene Morett13–7–26–3–12ndT3rdNCAA 2nd Round
1995Charlene Morett15–96–4T2nd1stNCAA 2nd Round
1996Charlene Morett14–96–4T2nd1stNCAA 1st Round
1997Charlene Morett18–67–3T1st1stNCAA 2nd Round
1998Charlene Morett18–58–21st1stNCAA 2nd Round
1999Charlene Morett17–58–22ndT3rdNCAA 1st Round
2000Charlene Morett17–65–12nd2ndNCAA 1st Round
2001Charlene Morett12–73–3T4thT5th–
2002Charlene Morett19–54–23rdT3rdNCAA Runner-Up
2003Charlene Morett18–73–34th2ndNCAA 2nd Round
2004Charlene Morett10–103–34thT5th–
2005Charlene Morett17–46–01stT3rdNCAA 1st Round
2006Charlene Morett16–64–2T2nd2ndNCAA 2nd Round
2007Charlene Morett16–83–34thT3rdNCAA Runner-Up
2008Charlene Morett13–75–11stT3rdNCAA 1st Round
2009Charlene Morett7–131–5T6thT3rd–
2010Charlene Morett14–64–23rdT3rdNCAA 1st Round
2011Charlene Morett17–64–23rd1stNCAA 2nd Round
2012Charlene Morett18–45–11st1stNCAA 2nd Round
2013Charlene Morett13–65–1T1stT3rdNCAA 1st Round
2014Charlene Morett16–65–34thT3rdNCAA 2nd Round

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

Awards and accolades

National championships

Before the advent of NCAA field hockey, Penn State won two AIAW national championships, in 1980 and 1981. Since the NCAA has sanctioned field hockey, the Nittany Lions have appeared in the NCAA tournament 30 times, including seven appearances in the semifinals and two in the championship game, although they have never won the NCAA national championship.
YearCoachOpponentScoreRecord
1980Gillian RattrayCalifornia Golden Bears2–120–0–2
1981Gillian RattrayTemple Owls5–119–2–1

Conference championships

Penn State has won 10 conference titles, three in the Atlantic 10 Conference and seven in the Big Ten Conference.

National Player of the Year winners

All-Americans

SeasonPlayerRemarks
1977Charlene Morett
1978Chris Larson
1978Charlene MorettSecond first-team selection
1979Candy Finn
1979Jeannie Fissinger
1979Charlene MorettThird first-team selection
1979Jan Snyder
1980Candy FinnSecond first-team selection
1981Brenda Stauffer
1982Tracy Houston
1982Judy Mahaffey
1982Brenda StaufferSecond first-team selection
1985Mary McCarthy
1985Chris Vitale
1986Mary McCarthySecond first-team selection
1987Tami Worley
1988Lisa Bervinchak
1988Tami WorleySecond first-team selection
1989Kristen Winters
1990Chelle Frates
1990Eleanor Stone
1990Kristen WintersSecond first-team selection
1991Susann Bisignaro
1991Michelle Brennan
1991Stacy Gilburg
1991Christine McGinley
1991Jen Stewart
1991Eleanor StoneSecond first-team selection
1992Becca Main
1992Christine McGinleySecond selection
1992Amy Stairs
1992Jen StewartSecond selection
1993Kristie Benedict
1993Chris Blais
1993Becca MainSecond selection
1993Christine McGinleyThird selection;
Second first-team selection
1993Shelly Meister

SeasonPlayerRemarks
1994Chris BlaisSecond selection
1994Sharon Kuntz
1994Jill Pearsall
1995Jen Coletta
1995Meghann Spratt
1996Heather Gorlaski
1996Tara Maguire
1997Heather GorlaskiSecond selection
1997Kim Hicks
1997Dawn Lammey
1997Sonje Volla
1998Traci Anselmo
1998Heather GorlaskiThird selection;
Second first-team selection
1998Dawn LammeySecond selection
1998Jamie Smith
1998Sonje VollaSecond selection
1999Traci AnselmoSecond selection
1999Maegan Gaile
1999Tracy Larson
1999Mandy Robinson
2000Traci AnselmoThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2000Kiley Kulina
2000Jill Martz
2001Kiley KulinaSecond selection
2001Timarie Legel
2001Jill MartzSecond selection
2002Kelly Concini
2002Heather Conroy
2002Timarie LegelSecond selection
2002Jill MartzThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2003Heather ConroySecond first-team selection
2003Timarie LegelThird selection
2003Neilye Stoner

SeasonPlayerRemarks
2004Amanda Eckert
2004Bekah Hostetler
2005Natalie Berrena
2005Sara Cahill
2005Kiersten Wood
2006Jen Beaumont
2006Annelise Legel
2006Jen Long
2006Kiersten WoodSecond selection
2007Jen LongSecond selection
2007Allison Scola
2007Mallory Weisen
2007Kiersten WoodThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2008Jen BeaumontSecond selection
2008Jen LongThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2008Allison ScolaSecond selection
2010Kelsey Amy
2010Ayla Halus
2010Jessica Longstreth
2011Kelsey AmySecond selection
2011Laura Gebhart
2011Ayla HalusSecond selection
2012Kelsey AmyThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2012Laura GebhartSecond selection
2012Brittany Grzywacz
2013Laura GebhartThird selection
2013Brittany GrzywaczSecond selection
2014Laura GebhartFourth selection
2014Taylor Herold

Olympians

Individual honors through the end of the 2014 season

Stadium

Penn State has played its home games at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex since its opening in 2005. The complex has a seating capacity of 750, and boasts an advanced field watering system as well as floodlights that allow for the playing of night games. Built adjacent to Bigler Field, the former home of the Nittany Lions field hockey program, the Penn State Field Hockey Complex has witnessed success both on the field and in the stands; in both 2005 and 2006, Penn State did not lose a home game all season, while in 2006 the school finished fifth in the country in home attendance. Before the Nittany Lions field hockey team moved to the complex in 2005, it had previously played at four other venues: Pollock Field, Lady Lion Field, Holuba Hall, and Bigler Field.