Field Hockey

Carla Hesler, who completed her 11th year at the helm of the Saint Michael's field hockey program in 2009, has established herself as one of the most successful coaches 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 118-90 record in 11 years, including an 11-8 mark in 2008. 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. Saint Michael's was the NE-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 2004 team earned yet another NE-10 playoff berth, and her 2005 team went 10-9 while making the NE-10 postseason and finishing the season ranked 10th in the national poll. Both her 2006 and 2007 squads advanced to the NE-10 Semifinals and in 2008, she guided the program to an 11-8 record.

In 2009, Hesler coached the 300th win in program history, a 3-2 win at Assumption on Oct. 17, and she coached her 200th field hockey game for the Purple Knights versus Southern Connecticut on Sept. 26.  

Hesler brought a wealth of field hockey experience with her to Colchester, Vt. She has led her teams to a career record of 206-193-8 as head coach in a combined 23 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. She also is a 2007 graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches' Academy, and on Nov. 1, 2009, was inducted into the New Agenda: Northeast Women's Hall of Fame, an award that honors those who have promoted sport for girls and women in New England as a coach, official, and/or advocate.

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 93-83 record as a collegiate lacrosse coach, serving as the head coach at Colgate from 1986-89 and as head coach at Saint Michael's since 2001 (where she holds the program record with 61 victories). Colgate was the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association runner-up in both 1986 and 1987 under Hesler.

Hesler's Year-By-Year Results