Athletics
Field Hockey
| Carla Hesler | |
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Field Hockey - Head Coach
New Hampshire '82 ninth season chesler@smcvt.edu 802.654.2634 |
Entering her ninth year at the helm of the Saint Michael's field hockey program in 2007, Carla Hesler has established herself as the most successful coach in Purple Knights' history.
The 2000 and 2002 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year and the 2000 NFHCA North Regional Coach of the Year has amassed a 94-57 record in eight years.?In 2000 and 2001, Hesler's squads made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Semifinals, failing to reach the national championship by just one goal in both games.?SMC was the Northeast-10 Regular Season Champion in 2000 and were Co-Champions in 2001 and 2002.?Her 2003 team went 13-7 overall and advanced to the NE-10 semifinals, her 2005 team went 10-9 while making the NE-10 postseason and finishing the season ranked 10th in the national poll, and last year's squad went 12-8, advancing to the NE-10 Semifinals.
Hesler brought a wealth of field hockey experience with her to Colchester, Vt.?She has led her teams to a career record 193-166-8 as head coach in a combined 19 years at Colgate, Yale, and Saint Michael's. She has also worked as an assistant coach at Boston College, Old Dominion, Brown, Northeastern and Princeton.
Hesler has been actively involved in the USFHA Developmental programs, including acting as an instructor at the U.S. Field Hockey A, B, and C Camps. She was the head coach of the USA Under-21 National Team that competed in Seoul, Korea, in 1997.
From 1990-95, Hesler was the regional coaching director and head coach for the USFHA Futures Program-Atlantic Region.
A 1982 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Hesler played both field hockey and lacrosse as an undergraduate, and was a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Squad from 1979-82.?She participated in three National Sports Festivals in the early 1980s and was named a collegiate All-American in 1979 and 1981.?On top of all that success, she was named UNH's Female Athlete of the Year in 1982 and was inducted into the University's Hall of Fame in November 2001.
The Lynnfield, Mass., native also brings a strong lacrosse background to the Purple Knights' program. She owns a 76-70 record as a collegiate lacrosse coach, serving as the head coach at Colgate from 1986-89 and now as head coach at Saint Michael's.?Colgate was the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association runner-up in both 1986 and 1987 under Hesler.
| Jim Laskarzewski | |
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Field Hockey - Assistant Coach
Saint Michael's '86 22nd season |
Long-time assistant coach Jim Laskarzewski enters his 22nd season with the Saint Michael's field hockey program in 2007. He assists Coach Hesler during practices and games, and is the squad's goaltender coach.
Laskarzewski began his coaching career in 1985 while an undergraduate at Saint Michael's. Initially filling the role of manager and game videographer, he also assisted the goaltender coach. A 1986 graduate of Saint Michael's with a bachelor's degree in environmental science, "Ski" has filled a variety of roles, including keeping game statistics, team photographer, and using his EMT training to assist the athletic training staff. Eventually, Ski co-coached the "B" team for a few years until the two squads merged their practices.
Laskarzewski is employed by the State of Vermont as the Assistant Chief of Training for the Vermont Air National Guard fire department, and is also an Assistant Chief for Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue.
| Aurelia Davidson | |
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Field Hockey - Assistant Coach
Saint Michael's '00 fifth season |
Aurelia Davidson returns to the Purple Knights for her fifth season as an assistant coach in 2007.
Davidson (formerly Aurelia Simmons) was a three-year standout on defense for Saint Michael's from 1997-99, playing for both Hesler and Okun. She co-captained the 1999 squad, and her sister, Jessica Simmons, played four seasons for the Purple Knights from 2000-03 (another sister, Alexandra, is a junior for the Purple Knights in 2007). Davidson graduated in 2000 with bachelor's degrees in elementary education and psychology, and currently works for Underhill ID Elementary School.
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