Frostburg State University Women's Field Hockey

The 2023 season saw continued growth for the program, with another eight-win season under Thompson's belt. FSU won its first three games of the season, the best start to a campaign for the program since 2005, while also beating #6 Mansfield on the road in midseason. Senior defender Emily Hughes became the first Bobcat to be named an NFHCA All-American since 1988.  In the 2022 season, Thompson led the Bobcats to eight wins. Two of those wins were earned by beating ranked teams: #7 IUP and #4 Millersville. Nine players, Mariana Day, Emily Hughes, Macy Layfield, Morgan Mathews, Natalie Palmer, Rachael Rallo, Zoe Reading, Ava Schmidt, and Skylar Slimmer,  were named to NFHCA  Academic squad and Mathews was also named Scholar of Distinction.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was moved to the spring of 2021. The team was only able to play scrimmages in the shortened season.   Thompson, the 16th coach in the 50-year history of the program, led Frostburg to their first CAC Tournament appearance since 2012 during the 2018 campaign. Under her guidance, Gabby Rachuba earned All-CAC Second Team honors. The team also secured a number of NFHCA Division III academic awards, including four athletes being named Scholars of Distinction. Last fall, the Bobcats collected a pair of wins in their first season at the NCAA Division II level with victories over Converse and Mercyhurst. The Bobcats scored 16 goals and finished with six defensive saves. In 2018, Frostburg collected two wins, both via shutout with an 8-0 win over Ferrum and a 4-0 blanking of Hood. The Bobcats advanced to the CAC Tournament for just the second time during their nine-year run in the CAC. She led the Bobcats to five wins, including two shutouts and a victory in the FSU Tournament in the fall of 2017. Frostburg, which just missed out on the CAC Tournament that year, collected all five wins at Bobcat Stadium and finished seventh in the nation with 22 defensive saves. Savannah Neubert was named NCAA Statistical Champion at 12 defensive saves. FSU also finished 21stin the country in saves per game (10.79).   Thompson came to Frostburg after serving as an assistant coach at the Catholic University of America in 2016. The Cardinals won 10 games, advanced to the Landmark Conference Tournament semifinals, placed five players on the all-conference teams and finished with one All-American.   For two years prior to CUA, Thompson served as the graduate assistant coach at McDaniel College and served as the interim head coach for a five-month stretch in 2014-15.   During those two years, the Green Terror won a combined 17 games, including eight in the Centennial Conference with an appearance in the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament in 2014. She served as the program’s lead recruiter and was promoted to the interim head coach from November 2014 through March 2015.   For the 2013 season, Thompson made her first stop at Frostburg and helped the Bobcats to seven wins with five shutouts. She worked specifically with the goalkeepers and defensive unit and FSU led the Capital Athletic Conference in saves (204) and finished second with 30 defensive saves.   She also served as Frostburg’s top recruiter and assisted with the video assessment of upcoming opponents and postgame scouting.   Prior to Frostburg, Thompson was an assistant coach at Moravian College for two years (2011-13), helping the Greyhounds to 17 total wins.   Outside of her collegiate experience, Thompson has coached the Green Turtle Fells Point Field Hockey Club since November 2014, served as the USA Field Hockey Futures Site Coordinator since February 2017 and coached at the Nike Field Hockey Camp for seven years (2009-16).   She earned both her bachelors and masters degrees from McDaniel. She earned her bachelors in exercise and sport science in 2011 and her masters in exercise science in 2016.  

Sweeney enters her sixth season at the helm of the Frostburg State University field hockey program in 2016.   Over the last five seasons, Sweeney has steered the Bobcats to 33 wins and has turned a program around that saw just three wins in the 2010 season, prior to her arrival in 2011.   Sweeney continued the upward trend of her program last fall as the Bobcats posted the most wins (8) since the 2009 campaign. Frostburg collected five wins at Bobcat Stadium, two via shutout, and finished second in the CAC in saves per game (7.72). FSU also collected a Second Team All-CAC honoree in Alex Darrow as she finished with 22 goals, good for second on the single-season scoring list in program history.   Sweeneys team also boasted nine Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad honorees, the most since 2004 and the Bobcats as a team were honored by the NFHCA as a National Academic Team for the second-straight season.   In 14, Frostburg finished 6-12 overall and led the CAC in saves (182) and finished fourth in defensive saves (13). For the second-consecutive year, Frostburg placed five on the 2014 NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad, while two were again named NCAA Division III Scholars of Distinction. As a team, the Bobcats carried a 3.227 GPA and were named a Division III Academic Team.   Sweeney guided Frostburg to a 7-13 season in 2013. FSU led the league in shot on goal percentage (71%) while finishing second in the league in defensive saves (30), for the second-straight year. Academically, five Bobcats were named to the 2013 NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad, while two were honored as NCAA Division III Scholars of Distinction. In 2012, Sweeney led the Bobcats to the CAC Tournament behind a 7-14 overall record. Frostburg finished 5-4 at Bobcat Stadium, including the FSU Tournament championship in early September. The Bobcats again led the league in saves (247), finished second in defensive saves (27) and fourth in scoring (44 goals). In 2011, FSU finished 5-15 overall and 1-5 in the Capital Athletic Conference. Despite the record, the Bobcats showed signs of improvement throughout the season, posting shutout wins over Sweet Briar (9-0), Shenandoah (4-0) and St. Vincent (6-0). The Bobcats led the league in saves (312) and save percentage (80%), finished fifth in scoring (42) and fourth in defensive saves (15). Sweeney, the programs 14th coach, came to Frostburg after serving as the head field hockey coach at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Ca. since 2009. She led the Mavericks to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Playoff Quarterfinals in each season while guiding her 2010 team to a 19-8 record and the Serra Tournament Championship. Prior to La Costa, Sweeney was the top assistant coach at NCAA Division III Keene State College in Keene, N.H. During her four years (2005-09) with the program, she helped guide the team to a 68-26 overall record with four NCAA Tournament appearances and four Little East Conference (LEC) Titles. Sweeney graduated from Keene State in 2004 with her bachelors degree of arts in film. She was a four-year recipient of the Talent Scholarship for Film (2000-04) and won the Lefty Lablanc Award for Academic and Athletic Achievement in 2000. She also enjoyed a four-year playing career for the Owl field hockey team. She helped the squad to a 61-31 overall record and a 34-6 record in the LEC. In her final season, she led the team to a 19-6 overall slate, a perfect 10-0 LEC record and an ECAC Tournament Championship. She was awarded All-West Regional Field Hockey Honors and was named to the All-LEC team in 2004. Sweeney was a Site Director for the USA Field Hockey Futures Program.  

Tafro enters her second season as a graduate assistant for the Frostburg State University field hockey team in 2015.   Last fall, she helped lead the team to a 6-12 overall record, while the Bobcats led the CAC in saves (182) and finished fourth in defensive saves (13)   Tafro comes to FSU after serving as an assistant coach at the Quik Stik Elite Field Hockey Club for the last two years. She worked specifically in introducing skills, creating drills and managing travel for the team to showcases and tournaments while arranging accommodations, dinners and team activities.   Prior to Quik Stix, she worked as an assistant at the USA Field Hockey Futures Olympic Training Program. She introduced the rules of the game while teaching the correct form of basic skills and ideas to new and inexperienced players. She also had coaching stints at Revolution Field Hockey Youth Camp and at the Montclair High School Training Clinic.   As a student-athlete, Tafro was a four-year member of the Montclair State University field hockey team from 2010-2013 leading the team to two NJAC Championships and a national runner-up finish in Division III in 2012. She was a three-time First Team All-NJAC selection, two-time NFHCA Division III South Atlantic First Team All-Region, two-time Snyapse Sports All-American and was named an NFHCA Division III Second Team All-American following her junior season. As a junior and senior she led Montclair in scoring, was named the NJAC Midfielder of the Year following her senior season and earned a spot in the NFHCA Division III Senior All-Star Game. Tafro is also second all-time in MSU history in scoring.   She was a four-time NFHCA Division III Academic squad selection and helped the Red Hawks earn the NFHCA Collegiate National Academic Team Award three times.   Tafro graduated from Montclair in 2014 with a bachelors degree in justice studies with a double concentration in justice systems and international justice.  

Jacober enters her second season as the top assistant coach with the Frostburg field hockey program in 2016.   Jacober helped the Bobcats to eight wins last fall, the most since the 2009 season, including five victories at Bobcat Stadium. After dropping its first two games of the season, Frostburg collected six-consecutive wins including two shutouts. FSU finished second in the CAC in saves per game (7.72).   Jacober came to Frostburg after serving as an assistant coach at Elmira College for two seasons in 2013 and 2014. Jacober was the programs recruiting coordinator and goalkeeper coach, while helping with the breakdown of film and developing game and practice plans. The Soaring Eagles were twice named an NFHCA National Academic team and two players garnered All-Empire 8 honors.   Prior to Elmira, Jacober was a four-year standout field hockey player for Delaware Valley College. A four-year starter, Jacober helped the Aggies to three appearances in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) playoffs, including a total of 30 wins. She earned All-MAC honors and was the DVC Team Offensive Player of the Year as a senior and was a three-time NFHCA and MAC All-Academic selection.   She earned her bachelors degree in education from Delaware Valley in 2013 and her masters in general education from Elmira in 2015.   Jacober has served as the primary coach of the U12 and U14 teams of the Field Hockey Sports Club in Hatfield, Pa. for the last two years and she has been the Co-Site Manager/Counselor for the World Camp USA (Field Hockey) at Swarthmore College since 2012.