Entering her seventh year at the helm of the Saint Michael’s field hockey program in 2005, 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 72-40 record in six 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, and last year's squad went 8-11, earning yet another NE-10 playoff berth.

Hesler brought a wealth of field hockey experience with her to Colchester, Vt. She has led her teams to a career record 171-149-8 as head coach in a combined 17 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 1980’s 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 69-62 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.

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