Field Hockey Coaching Staff Wins NFHCA Regional Honor

MEDFORD, MA (December 6, 2024) - The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) has announced that the Tufts University coaching staff is its 2024 Region II Coaching Staff of the Year.

Jumbo head coach Tina Mattera and assistant coaches Megan Caveney, Katie Weber and Troy Zirbel were one of seven Division III staffs recognized by the NFHCA today. They are now eligible for the 2024 NFHCA Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year award, which will be announced on January 16, 2025 at the NFHCA Hall of Fame reception sponsored by AstroTurf® at the 2025 NFHCA Annual Convention.

Mattera and her staff directed the Jumbos to a 19-3 record this fall which tied the Tufts program's record for victories in a season. It was a six-win improvement over last year's 13-6 record and was the Jumbos' best mark since 2018.

During the season the Jumbos ended Middlebury College's 43-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory against the Panthers on October 19. That was part of a 13-game winning streak by the team that also included a remarkable four straight wins by shootout late in the year.

The Jumbos won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship - with each victory coming in a shootout - for the first time since 2016. They were also one of four teams in the nation selected to host the NCAA Regional weekend, also for the first time since 2016.

Tufts advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Game for the fifth time, falling to Middlebury 2-1 in Lexington, Virginia.

The Jumbos placed four players on the NFHCA All-Region team, and had two top-10 national rankings statistically with their 0.81 goals against average (ninth) and .864 winning percentage (third).