Kate Pfeifer was named the head coach of the Vermont field hockey program on January 16, 2014. She is the fourth head coach for the UVM field hockey program since 1979.
"We are thrilled to have Kate assume the leadership of our field hockey program. She is thoroughly prepared for her first head coaching position and her values and vision for the program fit tightly with our own. She is a wonderful addition to UVM and we all look forward to working with her in the coming years," stated Dr. Robert Corran, Associate Vice President and Athletic Director at UVM, upon the announcement of Pfeifer's hiring.
Pfeifer spent seven years working under Cheryl Murtagh at Northeastern. After three seasons as an assistant with the Huskies she was promoted to associate head coach. She worked with all aspects of the team's tactical and technical development, specifically training the NU defensive unit, and was also the program's recruiting coordinator.
"My family and I are thrilled to be joining the University of Vermont community. I look forward to assisting in the development of exceptional student-athletes by creating a winning culture in an environment rich with athletic tradition and academic excellence," said Pfeifer upon accepting the job at Vermont.
During her tenure at Northeastern, the Huskies achieved the top ranking in the Northeast region in 2011 and 2012 and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) finals in 2011, 2012 and 2013. NU earned back-to-back berths to the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and 2012.
Pfeifer coached and recruited four of the last six CAA Rookie of the Year honorees and over the last three seasons 13 players received all-conference honors, while three Huskies also earned All-America honors.
Pfeifer brings a wide range of coaching experience to the Catamounts. Prior to joining the Northeastern staff, Pfeifer was an assistant at Babson College for the 2006 season. In 2005, she coached at Franklin Parker West High School, and the Windy City Field Hockey Club in Chicago, Ill.
She has also worked extensively with the FUTURES program, the U.S. Field Hockey Association's developmental program. This past year she coached the New England Futures Elite Academy, which hosts the best high school players in the region and prepares them for the Olympic development track.
Pfeifer enjoyed a stellar career at Michigan (2000-04) where she was an anchor of one of the strongest defensive units in the country. As a Wolverine, Pfeifer won four Big Ten Championships, made four NCAA appearances, which included a National Championship in 2001, and trips to the Final Four in 2001 and 2003. The Wolverines' 2001 National Championship was the first for any women's team in the history of the Michigan athletic program.
In her senior season, Pfeifer was a team captain and led the Wolverines to a Big Ten Regular Season Championship, a Big Ten Tournament Title, and a trip to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
Pfeifer was the recipient of the Brian Fishman Award at Michigan for exceptional work ethic, passion and pursuit of excellence in 2003. She was also awarded the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2004 and was a three time Academic All-Big Ten Award winner. She was also selected to play in the NCAA Division I North-South Senior All-Star Game.
Pfeifer graduated from Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and earned a master's degree in business administration at Northeastern in 2010. She holds a Level II coaching accreditation from USA Field Hockey.
Kyle Lyons Assistant Director
The 2018 season marks Kyle Lyons' fifth as an assistant coach with the Vermont field hockey program.
Lyons came to Vermont after spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the Bryant University field hockey program. She helped guide the Bulldogs to 17 wins overall, including seven in conference play, in her two seasons with the team.
Lyons is a 2012 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she was a four-year defender and three-year starter for the Wildcats. She was named to the America East All-Conference First Team on two occasions and earned a spot on the all-tournament team as well. As a senior, Lyons was an NFHCA Second Team All-American, an ECAC First-Team All-Star, and was selected to play in the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game. Lyons also earned all-region honors in consecutive seasons in 2010 and 2011.
During her career at UNH, Lyons played in a total of 78 games, making 62 starts and racking up 22 goals and 58 points total. She led the Wildcats to postseason berths in each of her four seasons, including a trip to the NCAA tournament in her junior season after helping guide the team to an America East title, the first for the program since 1998.
In addition to coaching at Bryant, Lyons was also the head coach of the U19 Seacoast United Field Hockey Club, spent time coaching with the Futures Field Hockey organization, and has spent time at various regional camps in the Northeast.
A native of White River Junction, Vt., Lyons graduated from UNH with a degree in psychology.
