Kelsi Lykens was named the first-ever head field hockey coach at the University of New Haven in January 2017 and spearheaded its inaugural season in the fall of 2017. Lykens has helped the Chargers take significant strides forward in each of the first five seasons in program history, including leading the Blue and Gold to the NE10 playoffs in each of the last two years, including advancing to the semifinals in both of those appearances. In her five seasons at the helm of the program Lykens has led the Chargers to 26 wins.
Despite the overall youth of the program, Lykens is credited with leading the Blue and Gold to their first ever postseason appearance, earning the seventh seed in the NE10 Championship in 2021 with a 9-5 record in conference play. The Chargers would repeat that feat a year later, this time earning the fifth seed in 2022 and after again beating Bentley in the opening round, the Chargers would go on to host their first ever postseason game, welcoming Pace to DellaCamera Field for the semifinal matchup.
After opening up their 2021 NE10 scheduled winning their first five games, the Chargers would go on to one-up that performance in 2022, winning its first seven league games en route to its best conference finish in the regular season in program history. The 2022 season concluded with nine wins, while Lykens led a pair of Chargers to the program’s first ever All-America honors with Sophie Schreck and Taylor Geaglone earning Second Team distinction from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Geaglone also earned first team honors from Synapse Field Hockey.
Following the 2022 season, Lykens was also honored by her peers with the NFHCA’s first ever President's Award, which recognizes non-board members who demonstrate exceptional service to the NFHCA and their fellow coaches through committee service and other initiatives. In addition to the All-America honors for Shreck and Geaglone, the pair were also part of five Chargers who were named to NE10 All-Conference Teams, while Geaglone was also tabbed the NE10’s Defensive Player of the Year, the first ever major conference award in program history. Joining Shreck (first team) and Geaglone (first team) on All-Conference teams were Katie Durkee (second team), Keira Integlia (third team) and Erin Smith (All-Rookie team).
The Chargers opened up their 2021 league action winning their first five games and never fell out of contention for one of the eight postseason berths. Not only did her 2021 team make the playoffs, the Chargers earned an upset victory over second seed and nationally ranked Bentley in shutout fashion, using a 3-1 decision in a penalty stroke shootout.
Among the individual honors for the Chargers were four players who earned NE10 postseason honors. Leading the way was seniors Alexis Rider and Taylor Geaglone on the All-Conference Second Team. Transfer Sophie Schreck was named to the All-Conference Third Team while freshman Abby Nixon earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team after leading the Chargers with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. The Blue and Gold also garnered national attention when graduate transfer goalkeeper Keira Integlia received Honorable Mention National Player of the Week accolades after leading the Chargers to a 2-0 week with back-to-back shutouts of Southern Connecticut and Southern New Hampshire.
The 2019 season saw the team more than double its win total from the previous season to win a school-record five games, which included its first-ever shutout with a 1-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State. New Haven also won back-to-back games for the first time in school history and set a new program record with four goals in a win over Molloy. Junior goaltender Natalie Shaker and sophomore defender/midfielder Taylor Geaglone both earned Third Team All-Northeast-10 honors.
In fall 2018, Lykens led the Chargers to the first win in program history on October 2 over Mercy College. As a full member of the NE10 Conference in 2018, Lykens also clinched her first conference win over crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University on October 9. She had two freshman, Taylor Geaglone and Alexis Rider, named to the Northeast 10 All-Rookie Team with Geaglone also being named as a third-team all-conference member.
In 2018, the Chargers earned the NFHCA/Zag National Academic Team Award, landing ten student-athletes on the National Academic Squad. With at cumulative GPA of 3.146, the New Haven field hockey team also landed thirteen student-athletes on the Northeast 10 Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Prior to New Haven, Lykens served as the assistant field hockey coach for two seasons at Division I Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was responsible for recruiting, scheduling, film breakdown, practice preparation, coordinating community service, developing camps and clinics as well as travel planning. Lykens began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at her alma mater, West Chester University in Pennsylvania, where she helped lead the team to a conference championship in 2014.
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Lykens has also coached for a local club field hockey team for the last four years as a U14, U16, and U19 coach. She has also attended various professional development opportunities such as the Women Coaches Academy in 2015, the Women’s Coaches Leadership Forum in 2015 and 2016, and the Women’s LeadHERship Symposium in 2018.
A highly decorated player at West Chester, Lykens earned back-to-back Division II All-America First Team accolades in 2012 and 2013. She was also named the Division II Field Hockey Athlete of the Year following her senior campaign and helped lead the Golden Rams to national championship titles in 2011 and 2012. In addition to her Division II Field Hockey Athlete of the Year accolades, she was also named as the Field Hockey nominee for the Division II Honda Sports Award.
The Mohrsville, Pa. native earned a bachelor’s degree in professional studies with a minor in health and professional education in May of 2014. Lykens closed out her collegiate career ranked first in Division II history at West Chester with 29 career assists as well as third in career goals (33) and second in career points (95).
