University of Connecticut Athletics
Nancy Stevens Inducted Into Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame
9/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
STORRS, Conn. (September 10, 2006) – University of Connecticut head field hockey coach Nancy Stevens was inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame in ceremonies on Sunday afternoon at the Aquaturf Club in Southington, Conn.
Stevens is currently in her 17th season at UConn and her 28th overall as a collegiate head coach and she has secured the tradition of UConn field hockey among the nation’s best.
Entering the 2006 season, she had compiled an impressive 421-145-24 record for a .734 winning percentage over her previous 27 seasons. Overall, she ranks second among Division I coaches in overall wins and ranks first in games coached. She became the fourth coach in NCAA field hockey history to reach the 400-win plateau when the Huskies defeated Cornell 6-0 on October 24, 2004.
Other honorees were: umpire Marie Sampson, honorary member Linda Wooster, college player (Southern Connecticut) Loretta DiPietro, high school player Maureen O’Brien Mashek and high school coaches Lorraine Splain and Carrie Mahoney.
Past inductees into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame with UConn ties include: former head coach Diane Wright, who led UConn to the 1981 and 1985 national championship; former student-athletes Heidi Papoosha (1989-92) and Rose Aspelin (1993-96); and former student-athletes Cindy Dysenchuck (1980-83), Sally Edson Custer (1986-89) and Tara Morris (1992-95) – who were honored for their high school careers.
Stevens has taken two Division I programs to a No. 1 ranking (Connecticut in 1999 and Northwestern in 1985). Her record at UConn over the first 16 years stood at 241-96-8 (.710). Under Stevens, the Huskies have qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament in 15 of her 16 seasons, with a league record eight different squads (2005, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996 and 1992) winning the conference tournament title. The 2005 team, which captured both the BIG EAST Tournament and Regular Season crowns, was the 10th UConn squad under Stevens that earned a berth to the NCAA Division I Championship. Since beginning BIG EAST play in 1989, the UConn field hockey team has captured eight of the 17 BIG EAST Tournament titles, including three in a row (1998-2000). The Huskies have played in the championship game 13 times. She is a six-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year.
Before taking over at Connecticut, Stevens served as the head coach at Northwestern University for nine years. She led the Wildcats to eight consecutive NCAA Division I Championship quarterfinal appearances (1982-89), three NCAA semifinal games (1983, 1985 and 1989) and four Big Ten Championships (1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988).
Stevens has developed 19 first team All-Americans, 10 at Connecticut and nine while at Northwestern. She has been a part of the U.S. Field Hockey National Coaching Staff, serving in that capacity from 1982-1990.
Originally from Lancaster, Pa., Stevens received her bachelor’s degree in education, summa cum laude from West Chester University in 1976. She captained the 1975 field hockey team at West Chester that won the AIAW National Championship. She was also a 2003 inductee into the West Chester University Hall of Fame.
