Columbia University Women's Field Hockey

Nichols as a coach and mentor for our field hockey student-athletes, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Senior Womens Administrator Jacqueline Blackett said. Carolines experience as a player at the national and international level, coupled with her ability to teach the game, makes her an excellent choice to lead our Columbia field hockey program. During her time as an assistant, Nichols worked with the Columbia backfield. The Lions defense has seen players such as Bridget DeSandis, Katie DeSandis and Lauren Skudalski earn All-Ivy League and All-Region honors. As a team, the Lions have ranked in the top 15 in defensive saves in each of Nichols three seasons with the program. I am thrilled for this opportunity to lead the Columbia Field Hockey program, Nichols said. I want to thank Director of Athletics Peter Pilling, Jackie Blackett, and the search committee for their support throughout this process. I am excited to continue to drive the standard of Columbia field hockey forward. With our returning players, incoming class, and alumnae support there is no limit to what we can achieve. Nichols wrapped up a brilliant seven-year international field hockey career in the summer of 2014. A pivotal piece of Team USAs backfield, Nichols compiled a total of 165 impressive caps to her name. A solid force on penalty corners and penalty strokes, her skillset was greatly utilized most recently at the 2014 Champions Challenge and Hockey World Cup where the United States made an impressive fourth place finish. Nichols was a member of the 2008 Beijing Olympics team, the 2008 Olympic Qualifier team and the 2010 World Cup Qualifier Team. She earned a gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games when the U.S. defeated top-ranked Argentina in the Championship game. In 2006, she was named to the USA World Cup Training Squad and was a member of the Netherlands Tour team in 2007. She competed with the 2012 London Olympics team in June 2012 and was re-selected for the National Squad in June of 2013. Nichols, who an assistant coach at Iowa in 2010, has worked with the USA Field Hockey Futures program since 2008. She has been a certified site director and head coach since 2008 and the Regional Coaching Director for San Diego, Calif., since 2009. Nichols had an outstanding collegiate playing career at Old Dominion as a four-year letterwinner from 2003-06. She was a national all-academic team selection and an all-conference honoree from 2004-06. As a junior, she was named a NFHCA second team All-South Region selection and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) all-tournament team. In 2006, Nichols was recognized as a NFHCA first team All-American and an NFHCA first team All-South Region honoree. Additionally, she was named the 2006 CAA Player of the Year and CAA Defender of the Year, marking the first time in CAA history someone swept both honors in the same season. Nichols earned her bachelor of science in biology with honors from Old Dominion University.  

Summers is the founder and owner of Beyond Sticks LLC, an organization that aims to empower women through sport with sports leadership camps. From 2011-14, Summers was the Head of Field Hockey Programming at the Potomac School in Northern Virginia. She ran programs ranging from sixth to 12 grade at the elite private school and helped the team to its first conference playoff win in over five years, first state tournament appearance in eight years and multiple winning seasons for the first time in over a decade. While earning her masters degree in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown in 2012, Summers served as a volunteer assistant coach for the field hockey program. Summers played field hockey at Vassar College from 2004-07, earning her degree in Anthropology with a minor in Latin American studies in 2008.

Bell came to Columbia from Manhattanville College, where she served as an assistant coach for two seasons. While there, she worked with the forwards and helped Manhattanville emerge as one of the top offenses in the country. Bell also was the recruiting coordinator and film analyst for the program. Bell works with USA Field Hockey as a coach for the U16 Hudson Blue, a position she has held since 2009. Previously, she has had coaching stints at Rye High School, Bates College and her alma mater, Kent State. As a player, Bell is the Kent State record holder with 97 career goals and was a third team All-American in 2010 to go with three All-Mac first team selections. A native of New Zealand, Bell earned her undergraduate degree in 2012.

Carr helped the Lions finish above the .500 mark in all three seasons on the sidelines. She also aided in guiding a talented Lions squad in 2011 that produced six All-Ivy League selections and tied for the program record for best conference record in school history at 5-2. Carrs previous coaching spot was at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where she was the head field hockey coach during the 2013 campaign. Carr initially came to Morningside Heights after working as an assistant coach at Harvard in 2009.  Prior to her time with the Crimson, Carr was an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of New Hampshire from 2006-2008. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University. Carr was also an assistant coach for the USA Field Hockey Junior High Performance Program (New England Region) and director of field hockey operations for the Seacoast United Soccer Club in Hampton, New Hampshire. While an undergrad at UNH, Carr was an America East first team all-conference selection in 2003 and was a National Field Hockey Coaches Association second team all-region honoree.  That same season she was named to the America East All-Tournament Team and America East Academic Honor Roll.  She helped the Wildcats reach the America East Championship final and NCAA tournament in 2000 and the America East semifinals in 2002 and 2003. Carr earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from New Hampshire in 2004. She completed a master's degree in kinesiology and sports administration at Michigan State two years later.