Kelsi Lykens

Kelsi Lykens is the Head Field Hockey Coach at the University of New Haven.

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 four seasons in program history.

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 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).