Stonehill Field Hockey Welcomes New Coaching Staff
By Emma McGrory
Stonehill’s field hockey team has started its 2026 campaign off in a different light this year; a whole new coaching staff led by Jessica Kennedy.
Kennedy, the team’s eighth head coach, joined the program in the spring of 2026. At the start of the season, she was joined by assistant coach, Lily Daly, and assistant athletic trainer, Stephen Woods.
Kennedy played at Adelphi University from 2008 to 2012 when the program returned after its shutdown in the eighties. She also was an indoor and outdoor track athlete.
Following her playing career, she found a position as an assistant coach at Limestone University, then the Head Coach position at Adelphi, where she led a very successful program with one conference championship and four conference tournament appearances.
Kennedy built her new team here at Stonehill, bringing in Daly and Woods. Daly also has had a fair share of success in her career; with one NE10 conference championship, and three tournament appearances as a player at Assumption University (formerly College). Daly then started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Regis College.
Woods additionally brings experience to the team, following an internship with the Denver Broncos and AT student internships at Saint Anslem College, Boston College, and Harvard University.
The three-person team values communication, according to Mulhern and Woods. The opportunity to be a part of a new core of the program is important and almost preferable to Woods. “It has its challenges,” said Woods. “But it’s nice to come in with two other new people and adjust on the fly and do it how we want to together.”
Woods said the team seems to be adjusting well to the new staff, with little-to-no push back. “It’s awesome to have mutual respect and see it with the coaches as well,” said Woods. He believes the coaches have set a good standard going into the season.
The two new coaches both bring experience and skills to the field hockey program here, and they are working together to lead this team to their first Division 1 NEC tournament weekend. Both shared the common goal of not only making the tournament but winning it. “It’s so attainable; the buy in and talent is here,” said Kennedy.
The 2026-27 team has started their season facing challenging out-of-conference opponents, resulting in three losses. According to Kennedy, playing stronger teams shows what her team needs to fix. “They aren’t weaknesses, they’re breakdowns,” she said.
With the brand-new slate that is the coaching staff of this program, they aim to make NEC tournament appearances nothing but the standard, then ultimately obtaining a better NCAA tournament seed.
To do that, there are new traditions that Kennedy has brought to the team to help build the focus and buy-in. The new staff believes that the acceptance of roles, attention to detail, and a positive atmosphere are key to fostering a championship team.
Kennedy has her team line up their sticks every day before and after practice and games, but this demonstrates those values for the head coach. “We are a team together. It’s so small, but it means so much more than it is,” said Kennedy. This act gives responsibility to everyone on the team, and builds routine, according to Kennedy.
She said she aims to improve her team by facing harder programs and learning from each game. Daly said that they “need to focus and take every game one at a time,” to help progress towards the desired championship run.
Although building the standard is a long-term goal for these new coaches, there is one goal that holds more value; creating relationships that last after their players’ careers. Kennedy reflected on how she has been fortunate enough to create long-lasting relationships with her coaches and some of her former players, and she hopes to do the same thing with the program here at Stonehill. “I love winning, but that’s what it’s actually about. Seeing where people go and that they’re still connected,” said Kennedy.
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