(Release taken from UConn Athletics)
STORRS, Conn. – After leading Connecticut to its third Division I national championship in five years, head coach Nancy Stevens and the UConn coaching staff were tabbed as the 2017 Mideast Region Coaching Staff of the Year, as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) on Thursday.
The trio of Stevens, associate head coach Paul Caddy and assistant coach Cheri Schulz guided the Huskies to the program’s fifth national championship and the program’s first undefeated season (23-0) after defeating Maryland, 2-1, in the NCAA championship game on Nov. 19. UConn became just the sixth team in the sport of field hockey to turn in an unblemished record.
Earlier this season, the coaching staff was honored as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Huskies to their six-straight tournament championship and fifth-consecutive conference regular season title. UConn recorded a perfect 7-0 conference clip this fall as its BIG EAST regular season win streak improved to 24 games.
Stevens, the sport’s all-time wins leader in NCAA field hockey, has now been selected as the Mideast Region Coach of the Year on nine different occasions (1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017).
Since coming together prior to the 2001 season, Stevens, Caddy and Schulz own an incredible 318-67 record, including an impressive 83-15 clip in conference action. During that span, the Huskies have made 16-straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, including 10 trips to the Final Four and three national titles. Additionally, UConn has captured 12 BIG EAST Tournament Championships and 11 BIG EAST Regular Season titles.
This season, five Huskies, Charlotte Veitner, Nina Klein, Casey Umstead, Amanda Collins and Karlie Heistand, were honored as All-Americans. All five student-athletes were selected to the Mideast Region First Team while Veitner garnered Mideast Region Player of the Year accolades.