East Stroudsburg University Athletics

41st Season •  Career Record: 514-292-11  •  4 PSAC Titles  •  2 NCAA Division II Titles  •  15 NCAA Playoff Appearances•  3 PSAC Coach of the Year Awards

Sandy Miller, who led East Stroudsburg University to three PSAC titles as well as the 2015 & 2022 NCAA Division II championships, enters her 40th season as head field hockey coach in 2024.

ESU continued its national dominance in 2023 as the Warriors finished 18-3 overall and 8-1 in the PSAC while capturing back-to-back conference titles and finishing as the NCAA Division II National Runner-Up. The Warriors had six NFHCA All-America selections, the most in Division II and program history, as Maddy Barbush, Nicole Krozser and Jady van Gils landed on the First Team while Madison Kline, Grace Lesh and Lia Parker were honored on the Second Team. van Gils collected a number of postseason honors including being named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for field hockey, the NFHCA National Player of the Year, the NFHCA Atlatic Region Player of the Year, PSAC Athlete of the Year and PSAC Tournament MVP. 

Additionally, ESU showcased seven All-PSAC selections as Krozser, Parker, Maddy Barbush and van Gils were selected to the First Team, Kline and Amy Supey were honored on the Second Team. Lesh rounded out the selections for the Warriors on the Third Team.  

Despite missing the 2020 season, ESU’s senior class finished with a remarkable record of 54 wins and 10 losses. Kline, Krozser and Parker were a part of the program since 2019, helping the Warriors to 73 wins, the most in a four-year span.

Miller guided ESU to arguably the best season in program history in 2022 as the Warriors captured their second NCAA Division II championship, third PSAC title, while setting the single-season record for wins with a 20-2 mark. For their accomplishments, Miller and her staff were tabbed as the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year and Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year. ESU was a juggernaut defensively, leading the nation in goals against average (0.41), save percentage (0.877) and shutouts (15). The Warriors were the NCAA statistical champions in the categories listed above as well as shutouts per game (0.68) and winning percentage (0.909). Amy Supey, who was a NFHCA First Team All-American, was the statistical champion in goals against average (0.41) and save percentage (0.873). 

Along with Supey, the Warriors had four other First Team All-America selections in senior back Olivia Breen, senior midfielder Nicole Krozser, senior midfielder Lia Parker, and sophomore midfielder Jady van Gils.  Additionally, the Warriors had the most all-conference selections as Breen and Supey were chosen to the First Team while senior Madison Kline, Krozser, van Gils and junior Maddy Barbush were named to the Second Team. Senior Hanna Lewis and Parker rounded out the selections for ESU on the Third Team.

During the opening ceremony for the 2022 Division II Fall Championships Festival, the Warriors were honored with the Team GPA Award for having the top cumulative grade-point average (3.584). Additionally in academics, ESU was recognized by the PSAC for having the top cumulative team GPA out of the 10 schools that compete. 

After missing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Warriors didn’t miss beat as they reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive time and advanced to the semifinal game for the fourth straight year. Miller recorded her 450th career win on Sept. 26 in a 5-0 defeat of Mercyhurst and had five All-PSAC selections headlined by seniors Hannah Barbush and Celeste Veenstra on the first team. Senior Morgan Mesenbrink and junior Lia Parker landed on the second team while junior Nicole Krozser garnered third team honors. Barbush and Veenstra were also each named NFHCA First Team All-Americans.

Academically, Hannah Barbush was honored as the PSAC Champion Scholar, given the Elite 90 award at the 2021 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships and was an Academic All-American after recording a 3.9 GPA while serving as secretary on ESU's 2021-22 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Miller led the program to a fifth-straight national tournament appearance in 2019, as the Warriors finished 19-3 and won the program's second PSAC Tournament title with a 1-0 victory against Kutztown.

ESU was ranked in the top three nationally throughout the season, while sophomore Celeste Veenstra and senior Emily Spangler were each named NFHCA All-Americans. Goalkeeper Maddie Richie finished second in DII in goals against average (0.32) and save percentage (0.865). 

Miller became the fourth head coach in PSAC and DII history with 400 career wins during the 2017 season. She has coached ESU to 17 PSAC Tournament and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.

The 2015 season delivered the program's first-ever PSAC and NCAA DII championships. The Warriors have followed their national title with three more NCAA Tournament trips, and they have a 67-18 record over the last four seasons.

The Warriors have been DII runner-up twice (2000, 2018) and have been PSAC runner-up three times (2000, 2010, 2017) during Miller's tenure.

Ally Roth, the second 3-time first team All-America selection in program history, scored the game's only goal with a penalty stroke in overtime in a 1-0 win vs. Merrimack in the 2015 national title game. ESU advanced to the final with a 6-2 win vs. West Chester in the semifinals.

In 2016, ESU won a share of its second straight PSAC regular season title and Miller was named PSAC Coach of the Year for the second time in her career (also 1996). The Warriors went 15-3 in the regular season (15-5 overall). Emily Howell was named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year, and she and Desiraye Mack were first team All-America for the second straight year.

The 2017 team received a first-round bye to the national semifinals, played in Louisville, Kentucky, and finished 17-5 overall. They were the PSAC runner-up, knocking off Millersville 3-1 in the semifinals before falling 3-0 to West Chester in the final. ESU fell 2-1 to eventual national champion Shippensburg in the DII semifinals. Sydney McCarthy was PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year and first team All-America.

van Gils (2023), Howell (2016), McCarthy (2017) and Ashley Kocis (2006) have been recognized as the Honda Broderick Award nominee for DII field hockey.

ESU had four All-America selections on the 2015 national championship team, including three on the NFHCA first team in Roth, Howell and Mack. Rebecca Snyder was named to the Synapse Sports second team. Roth finished her career with ESU records for goals (74) and points (172), both ranking in the top 10 in PSAC history.

The Warriors were named the DII statistical champion in winning percentage (0.864) and scoring margin (+2.25), outscoring its opponents 67-17 to earn the scoring margin title among the 31 schools that sponsor field hockey at the DII level. ESU was also fourth in DII in goals per game (3.05) and second in goals against average (0.77).

ESU's 19 wins were a school record, surpassing the previous mark of 17 wins in 1995 and 2010.

Miller is a five-time NFHCA DII Coach of the Year (1993-94, 2001, 2015, 2022) and two-time PSAC Coach of the Year (1996, 2016). The Warriors had a streak of 24 straight seasons with at least a .500 record from 1987 through 2010.

ESU had one of its top seasons in 2010, advancing to the NCAA Playoffs for the second straight season and playing in the PSAC championship game for the second time in school history. The Warriors went 17-6 and had a 2-1 upset over No. 1-ranked Shippensburg in the PSAC semifinals. ESU rose to the No. 1 ranking in Division II for the first time in school history on October 12.

The Warriors had four All-Americans, including Jessica Frantz, a member of the first team and the top scorer in Division II with 32 goals. Kayla Cilenti, Brittany Kocis and Joanna Reckley were also named to the All-America team.

In 2009, ESU finished the campaign with a 14-7 record and was ranked as high as No. 3 in Division II. The Warriors were selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.

The Warriors previously qualified for the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2001, when they upset Lock Haven 1-0 in the semifinals before falling to Bentley in the national championship game. They were also the PSAC runner-up that season. Other NCAA Playoff appearances came in the Division III tournament in 1987, 1988 and 1990.

The Warriors have also qualified for nine ECAC Division II field hockey championships and won six titles (1989, 1993-96, 2002).

The team has enjoyed success in the classroom as well. ESU has had the top GPA among NCAA Tournament teams in 2010, 2016 and 2022. The Warriors have had nine Academic All-America selections in Michelle Knapik (1987), Katie Horst (1997-99), Roth (2015), Howell, Danielle Ard (2016), McCarthy (2017), Hannah Barbush (2022), Nicole Krozser (2023, 2024) and Jady van Gils (2024) and they have had the NCAA DII Elite 90 honoree three times. 

Miller has produced All-American players in 36 of the last 39 years, including 19 straight from 1992 through 2010. Overall, Miller has coached 66 individual All-Americans in her 39 seasons at ESU. A total of 19 players have been multiple-time All-Americans, with three 3-time All-Americans - Stacie Fritz and Kim Singleton in the mid-1990s, and Roth from 2013-15.

Kocis led the nation with 29 goals and 59 points and was also the first ESU player to be named PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Year. Jessica Frantz also led the nation in scoring with 32 goals in 2010.

Miller is also involved in many national organizations. She has been the chairperson on the NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad, the chair for the North-South Division II All-Star team and North-South Coach of the Year Award Committee.

She was formerly on the NCAA Field Hockey Sports Committee and is a past chair of the NFHCA All-America Committee and Division II Regional Advisory Committee. She was also the Division II representative on the NFHCA Board of Directors.

She has USFHCA Level II certification, the second-highest national level coaching certification in field hockey.

Miller has been involved in the development of ESU student-athletes for three decades in three different sports – field hockey, women’s lacrosse and women’s basketball.

In addition to being the head field hockey coach since 1984, Miller also coached the women’s lacrosse team for 20 years from 1985-2004 and was an assistant women’s basketball coach from 1984-95.

In lacrosse, Miller was named the PSAC Coach of the Year in 2000 after ESU set a school record for wins with an 11-4 record and placed second in the conference. She coached three lacrosse teams that reached the PSAC championship game (1985-86, 2000).

An outstanding athlete at Lock Haven University, Miller earned 11 varsity letters in four sports and was chosen as the school’s outstanding senior female athlete in 1983. In field hockey, she was an All-American and a two-time All-PSAC first team selection while playing on two national championship squads. Miller was inducted into Lock Haven's Athletic Hall of Fame in October, 2018.

She is still an active athlete and is regarded as one of the area’s top female golfers.

The Lebanon, Pa. native earned a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven in 1983 and a Master’s degree from ESU in 1988, both in Health and Physical Education.


Sandy Miller By the Numbers
• 497 career wins (3rd all-time in Division II)
• 795 games as head coach
• 14 NCAA Tournament appearances
• 2 NCAA DII championship (2015, 2022)
• 5 NCAA DII finalists (2001, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2023)
• 20 PSAC Tournament appearances
• 4 PSAC championships (2015, 2019, 2022, 2023)
• 7 PSAC finalists (2001, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023)

• 24 consecutive seasons with .500 record from 1987-2010
• 66 All-Americans (at least one in 19 straight years from 1992-2010)
• 19 multiple-time All-Americans
• 10 multiple-time 1st team All-Americans
• 1 NFHCA National Player of the Year (Jady van Gils, 2023)
• 3 PSAC Athletes of the Year (Ashley Kocis - 2006, Ally Roth - 2014, Jady van Gils - 2023)
• 2 PSAC Defensive Athletes of the Year (Emily Howell - 2016, Sydney McCarthy - 2017)
• 9 Academic All-Americans (Michelle Knapik - 1987, Katie Horst - 1997-99, Ally Roth - 2015, Emily Howell - 2016, Danielle Ard - 2016, Sydney McCarthy - 2017, Hannah Barbush - 2022, Nicole Krozser - 2023, 2024), Jady van Gils (2024)
• 3 NCAA DII Elite 90 Winners (Sydney McCarthy - 2015, 2017, Lexi Hartmann - 2018, Hannah Barbush - 2021)
• 5 NFHCA Division II Coach of the Year awards (1993, 1994, 2001, 2015, 2022)
• 2 PSAC Coach of the Year awards (1996, 2016)

NCAA Division II, Career Victories (Active Coaches in bold) (entering 2024)