(Story Courtesy of Babson Athletics) 

NFHCA Release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Babson College field hockey coach Julie Ryan and assistants Meghan Evans, Lindsey O'Coin and Tori Roche '20 were selected as the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Region I Coaching Staff of the Year on Friday morning. 

Ryan and her staff are one of six finalists for the NFHCA Division III Coaching Staff of the Year, which will be announced on January 15. 

Ryan and her assistants earned NFHCA Region I Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the fifth consecutive season, the seventh time since 2016 and the eighth time overall after advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals and finishing the year with an overall record of 22-2. The Beavers went unbeaten in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play for the ninth year in a row and claimed their 10th straight regular season title and fifth consecutive conference tournament crown back in November. 

Under Ryan's tutelage, Babson is one of just two Division III programs to win at least 19 games in each of the last six seasons. The Green and White ranked 13th nationally in goals against average (0.89) and 18th in shutout percentage (0.46) while going 11-1 in games decided by one goal and went 8-2 against teams ranked in the final NFHCA poll. 

The Beavers' 22 wins matched the single-season program record set back in 2023 after reaching the national semifinals, and their 18-game winning streak from September 17-November 16 is the longest in school history. 

Babson outscored NEWMAC opponents 34-3 in 11 games and defeated No. 16 Bowdoin 2-1 and No. 7 Wesleyan 1-0 to reach the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, where it suffered a 2-1 double-overtime loss to No. 2 Johns Hopkins. Ryan has now led the Green and White to eight NCAA Tournament wins while advancing to at least the second round of the last six championships dating back to 2019. 

Additionally, the Beavers have been ranked among the top 10 in the NFHCA Division III poll for 48 straight weeks, going back to October 5, 2021. This includes finishing third in this year's final poll, second in 2023, and third in 2021. 

In 19 seasons at Babson, Ryan has amassed a 290-100 career record and ranks 13th among active Division III coaches in both wins and winning percentage (.744). Since 2016, she has guided the Beavers to the NCAA quarterfinals five times (2016, 2021-23, 2025) and the national semifinals on three occasions (2016, 2023, 2025). Evans is in her second season as the program's full-time assistant, while O'Coin, who is in her 13th season at Babson, has helped the team's goalkeepers earn eight all-conference and seven all-region awards since 2015. 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.