Saint Anselm Head Coach Carolyn King-Robitaille Headlines 2019 Spiideo/NFHCA East Region Coaching Staff of the Year
GILBERT, Ariz. – Saint Anselm Field Hockey Head Coach Carolyn King-Robitaille and her coaching staff was named NCAA Division II East Region Spiideo/NFHCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year on Monday.
King-Robitaille, assistant coach Alyssa Scott and goalkeeper coach Renee Crawford guided nationally-ranked Saint Anselm to 20-3 overall record, setting an NCAA Division II record with 20 shutouts on the season. After claiming the team's third Northeast-10 Conference Regular Season Championship with a 13-1 mark against league foes, the Hawks won their first-ever NE10 postseason title in 2019.
Saint Anselm advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship game for the first time in team history, doing so after downing No. 2-ranked East Stroudsburg in the NCAA Semifinals in double-overtime. The Hawks roster featured the NE10 Defensive Player of the Year in senior Anna Drakeley as well as the NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year, junior Julia Hand.
Against NE10 programs in conference, non-conference and postseason play, the Hawks owned an 18-1 record and outscored league foes by a 63-to-1 margin, thanks to a shot differential of 327-to-75. Saint Anselm finished as the NCAA divisional leader in goals-against average (0.26), save percentage (0.870) and shutouts per game (0.87).
Saint Anselm was ranked as high as third by the NFHCA in 2019, matching an all-time record. The win over No. 2 East Stroudsburg was also the highest-ranked opponent that Saint Anselm has ever defeated.
Prior to King-Robitaille's hiring at Saint Anselm in 2012, the Hawks were a combined 49-139 (.261) since the team's debut as a varsity offering in 2001. She won her 100th career game to cap the regular season with a 6-0 blanking of Saint Thomas Aquinas and her all-time win/loss record on the Hilltop is 104-54 (.658).
The leader of the 2016 NFHCA East Region Coaching Staff of the Year, King-Robitaille has mentored 32 NE10 All-Conference selections and each of the program's 12 NFHCA All-America picks. She was also honored as USA Field Hockey's National Coach Award honoree in March 2018 in recognition of her dedication to the sport. This year, she picked up her third NE10 Coach of the Year award.
Scott, wrapping up her first season on the Hilltop, played collegiate field hockey at Southern New Hampshire prior to joining Saint Anselm. She was awarded a Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching grant from the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), representing Saint Anselm at the 40th Annual Salute to Women in Sports gala in New York City in mid-October.
Crawford played four years of varsity field hockey at NCAA Division I Siena, winning a statistical championship after leading the nation with 11.94 saves per game in 2009. She volunteers her time working with the Hawks goaltenders while serving the campus community at large as the Executive Director of Budget and Planning.
- Information provided Saint Anselm athletic communications
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The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
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