Coaching Staff
Margaret McConnell | Head Coach
Margaret McConnell enters her eighth season as head field hockey coach at Geneseo in 2025.
McConnell and the Knights had another banner year in 2024, winning the program's first Empire 8 championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. With a final record of 18-3, McConnell and her coaching staff was named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The Knights had eight All-Conference honors, including Katrina Clare and Hailey Roethel being named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Clare and Roethel's postseason honors weren't finished yet, as they were both named NFHCA All-Americans, marking the first time in program history that the Knights had two student-athletes earn All-American status. Geneseo's regular season was highlighted by a 12-game win streak from Sep. 18 through Oct. 29. In the Empire 8 playoffs, the Knights shined shutting out their opponents in both games, defeating St. John Fisher in the semifinals 2-0 and then Hartwick in the championship game 4-0. Geneseo drew Bryn Mawr in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately fell 1-0 in a hard fought battle.
In 2023, the Knights recorded an 11-7 overall record, including 4-2 in SUNYAC play. The Knights came up short in their hopes for a SUNYAC Championship, falling to New Paltz in thesemifinals 2-1. The regular season was highlighted by a four-game win streak, defeating Oswego, Houghton, Oneonta, and Keuka in consecutive games. Geneseo earned five All-SUNYAC honors for their efforts, while Katrina Clare and Hailey Roethel went on to earn All-Region recognition. Also highlighting the Knights season was goalkeeper Sarah Quinlan, who set the new program record for career shutouts.
In 2022, Coach McConnell led the Knights to a 15-4 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark in the SUNYAC regular season. Geneseo earned a SUNYAC Championship appearance, its first since 2019, after defeating New Paltz, 4-2 , in the SUNYAC Semifinal round. The Knights battled back from a one-goal deficit in the SUNYAC Championship to force overtime, but fell in the extra period, 2-1, to Cortland . Geneseo allowed just 16 goals in 19 games, the third-fewest allowed in a season in program history and the fewest allowed by the Knights since 2010. Goalkeeper Sarah Quinlan and the Geneseo back line posted a program record six-consecutive shutouts from Sept. 21 to Oct. 5, as the team did not allow a goal in 411:12 consecutive minutes. Hailey Roethel '26 was named SUNYAC Rookie of the Year and SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year while Maggie Phipps '23 was named All-SUNYAC First team and Katrina Clare '24, Olivia Hernick '24 and Sarah Quinlan '23 were eached named All-SUNYAC Second team. McConnell and her assistants - Marissa Kocher, Meg Reitz and Julia Kim '20 - earned SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second time in her tenure.
The 2019 season marked the Knights best in program history as McConnell led the team to a program-record 19 victories, the team's third SUNYAC Championship and first since 2016. The squad earned an NCAA Tournament berth, reaching the second round for the first time in program history before falling to MIT, 3-2. The Knights completed the regular season with an unbeaten conference record for the first time since 2010, outscoring SUNYAC opponents, 27-5. Geneseo defeated Oneonta, 5-1, in the SUNYAC semifinals and earned a 4-3 overtime victory against second seed Cortland in the conference championship game. Erin Nolan '20 notched the game-winning tally to lift the trophy. Haley Clark '21 was named SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Year while Maggie Phipps '23 earned SUNYAC Rookie of the Year. Jordan Penkitis '21 earned First Team All-Region honors while Julia Kim '20 earned her second All-America nod.
McConnell and her staff were named Spiideo/NFHCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year while McConnell also earned SUNYAC Coach of the Year.
In 2018, McConnell finished her first season on the Knights' sidelines with a 9-7 record, including a 4-2 SUNYAC mark to lead the squad to its ninth-consecutive postseason berth. Seeded fourth for the SUNYAC Tournament, Geneseo fell in the semifinals, 3-2 , at eventual champion New Paltz. The Knights allowed a conference-low 20 goals and a 1.24 goals against average, including six shutouts, while finishing in the top-30 nationally with a 1.75 scoring margin.
Under McConnell's watch, defender Julia Kim '20 earned Third-Team All-America honors , becoming only the third All-American in program history and first since 2013. Kim also landed SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition, leading four Geneseo all-conference selections.
McConnell joined the Knights after serving as the top assistant at the University of Rochester for the previous two seasons. Part of the winningest two-year stretch in Rochester history, McConnell helped guide the Yellowjackets to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a program record-tying 18-4 mark and the first Liberty League Championships in team history last fall. Rochester finished the regular season with a spotless 7-0 league mark before defeating perennial powers William Smith and Skidmore to claim the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament berth. The squad followed up a first round bye with a 2-1 victory over visiting Husson (Maine), before falling to eventual national champion Middlebury (Vt.) in the Elite 8. For their efforts, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) named McConnell and the Rochester coaching staff, under head coach Wendy Andreatta, the Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
In 2016, McConnell and the Yellowjackets finished with an 18-5 record, including a runner-up finish in the Liberty League Championship that yielded an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Rochester defeated visiting Shenandoah (W.Va.), 2-0, before coming up short to Middlebury in the regional semifinals.
McConnell enjoyed a standout playing career at William Smith, totaling 24 goals and 11 assists (59 points) in 79 career matches, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. Her senior campaign culminated with First-Team All-America honors after being tabbed the Liberty League and ECAC Mid-Atlantic Defensive Player of the Year. A two-time Liberty League All-Star, McConnell was also a three-time NFHCA Academic Squad and Liberty League All-Academic Team honoree before graduating with a degree in psychology and women's studies in 2014.
