WEST HAVEN, Conn. – After starting the program in 2017 and leading the Chargers to the Northeast-10 Conference semifinals in each of the last two seasons, head field hockey coach Kelsi Lykens has stepped down to accept the head coach position at Lehigh University. A national search for a new head coach will commence immediately.
Named the first-ever head field hockey coach at New Haven in January 2017, Lykens has helped the Chargers take significant strides forward in each of the first five seasons in program history, leading the program to 26 wins during her time at the helm.
"A true pioneer of New Haven field hockey, Coach Lykens has built our field hockey program from the ground up," said Interim Director of Athletics Jon Mays. "We are incredibly proud of the work that Coach Lykens has done to get our program noticed both regionally and nationally. We wish her all the best in this next step in her career."
Despite the overall youth of the program, Lykens is credited with leading the Blue and Gold to their first ever postseason appearance, earning the seventh seed in the NE10 Championship in 2021 with a 9-5 record in conference play. The Chargers would repeat that feat a year later, earning the fifth seed in 2022 and after again beating Bentley in the opening round, the Chargers would go on to host their first ever postseason game, welcoming Pace to DellaCamera Field for the semifinal matchup.
After opening up their 2021 NE10 scheduled winning their first five games, the Chargers would go on to one-up that performance in 2022, winning its first seven league games en route to its best conference finish in the regular season in program history. The 2022 season concluded with nine wins, while Lykens led a pair of Chargers to the program's first ever All-America honors with Sophie Schreck (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) and Taylor Geaglone (Enfield, Conn./Enfield) earning Second Team distinction from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Geaglone also earned first team honors from Synapse Field Hockey.
Following the 2022 season, Lykens was also honored by her peers with the NFHCA's first ever President's Award, which recognizes non-board members who demonstrate exceptional service to the NFHCA and their fellow coaches through committee service and other initiatives. In addition to the All-America honors for Shreck and Geaglone, the pair were also part of five Chargers who were named to NE10 All-Conference Teams, while Geaglone was also tabbed the NE10's Defensive Player of the Year, the first ever major conference award in program history. Joining Shreck (first team) and Geaglone (first team) on All-Conference teams were Katie Durkee (Salem, Conn./East Lyme) (second team), Keira Integlia (Branford, Conn./Branford) (third team) and Erin Smith (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) (All-Rookie team).
Overall during her tenure, eight different Chargers earned All-Conference honors from the Northeast-10, while off the field she has maintained a quality of excellence in the classroom with her teams earning NFHCA Team Academic Awards in each of the last five years. Additionally, 10 Chargers have earned the NFHCA's highest academic honor, being named Scholars of Distinction for maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher through the Fall semester.
Prior to New Haven, Lykens served as the assistant field hockey coach for two seasons at Division I Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was responsible for recruiting, scheduling, film breakdown, practice preparation, coordinating community service, developing camps and clinics as well as travel planning. Lykens began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at her alma mater, West Chester University in Pennsylvania, where she helped lead the team to a conference championship in 2014.
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Lykens has also coached for a local club field hockey team for the last four years as a U14, U16, and U19 coach. She has also attended various professional development opportunities such as the Women Coaches Academy in 2015, the Women's Coaches Leadership Forum in 2015 and 2016, and the Women's LeadHERship Symposium in 2018.
A highly decorated player at West Chester, Lykens earned back-to-back Division II All-America First Team accolades in 2012 and 2013. She was also named the Division II Field Hockey Athlete of the Year following her senior campaign and helped lead the Golden Rams to national championship titles in 2011 and 2012. In addition to her Division II Field Hockey Athlete of the Year accolades, she was also named as the Field Hockey nominee for the Division II Honda Sports Award.
The Mohrsville, Pa. native earned a bachelor's degree in professional studies with a minor in health and professional education in May of 2014. Lykens closed out her collegiate career ranked first in Division II history at West Chester with 29 career assists as well as third in career goals (33) and second in career points (95).
