The Monarch field hockey team started a rush of new women’s sports at King’s when the program completed its first varsity season in 1992. Since then the field hockey program has steadily grown into one of the most successful in the region.
Consistency has been the theme as King's has won at least 10 games 16 of the past 18 seasons (1999-2016)
The Monarchs made their debut in the Middle Atlantic Conference in 1993 and remain a highly competitive team under the direction of Martha Kerrick who completed her first season at the helm after servings as the lead assistant coach for 15 years under long-time coach Cheryl Ish.
In her first season as head coach in 2016 Kerrick led King's to its third Freedom Conference championship and a third berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The Monarchs have won Freedom Conference titles in 2006, 2007, and 2016 and received national tournament berths all three years. King's field hockey has also had second-place finishes in the conference tournament in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2012.
In 2006, King's enjoyed its finest season ever when the Lady Monarchs posted a school-record 19-3 mark and reached the Division III national tournament. The 2007 squad followed up with a 15-5 record and won its second straight Freedom Conference title. In 2005, King's posted a 15-5 mark and concluded the season ranked 20th nationally by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). The 2016 squad finished second in the Freedom Conference
In its short history, the program has developed a long list of recognized players. In 1998, Maria Ulicny became the program’s first NFHCA Regional All-American and then repeated in 1999. Courtney Coyle would then earn the honor in 2000, followed by Kelly Poncheri in 2002. Lindsay Sabo earned back-to-back Regional All-American selections in 2005 and 2006. Both seasons she was also named the Freedom Conference "Player of the Year". In 2007 and 2008, Christina Glenn became King's eighth all-region choice, while Jenera Quinones was the program's ninth all-region pick in 2009. Quinones was selected as “Player of the Year” in 2010 along with a second straight all-region nod. In 2011 Quninones repeated as Freedom Conference "Player of the Year" and became the programs first All-American in addition to her second "Player of the Year" selection. That same year Quinones and defender Holly Mannucci became the first King's players selected to compete in the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game. In 2012, Callie Berryman became the third Lady Monarch to play in the national senior contest.
The Lady Monarch program is also highly regarded for its academic excellence as 188 players have been named to the MAC All-Academic Team from 1993 to 2016. Sabo was named a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in 2007 after earning third-team national honors in 2006. As a team, King’s earned numerous NFHCA Academic Honors. Most recently, the 2016 King's team placed 12 players on the NFHCA National Academic squad.
King's competes for an opportunity to qualify for the Freedom Conference Championships as the top four teams from within the conference earn post-season berths. In 2004, the NCAA began awarding the Freedom Conference winner an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championships, increasing King’s chances of competing at the national level.
The Lady Monarchs traditionally play approximately 18 regular-season games schedule which includes spirited local rivalries with Wilkes, Scranton, Misericordia, and Marywood.
King's typically plays in at least one tournament each season. Since its inception, the program has risen to one which has developed tremendous pride. This is also evident by the large number of former players who return for the Alumni Game. Lady Monarch field hockey has formed a successful tradition which stands proud among the college's athletic program.
King’s plays its home contests at the beautiful Robert L. Betzler Athletic Complex. The team plays its home games at McCarthy Stadium, a multi-purpose synthetic turf field constructed in 2008.
Last updated 6/1/17
Back to Field Hockey Home
