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Program Overview The Muhlenberg College field hockey program is in the midst of an exciting period in its history. On one of the finest field hockey facilities in the area, a new AstroTurf field built in the summer of 1998, the Mules are trying to field one of the finest teams in the region. The 1998 season was a good step in that direction, as Muhlenberg went 12-7 and hosted a postseason tournament game. In 1999, the Mules reached double digits in wins again, finishing at 10-7. The 2000 squad achieved a national ranking early in the season and qualified for the Centennial Conference playoffs. The squad, which consists of up to 30 members, begins practice in late August and plays games through the last week of October. Muhlenberg competes in the Centennial Conference, one of the top Division III field hockey leagues in the country. Since 1992, five of the 10 schools in the Conference have appeared in the NCAA Tournament. Non-conference opponents include local Division II rival East Stroudsburg, 1999 NCAA Tournament invitee Susquehanna, as well as Moravian, Scranton, William Paterson, Drew and Montclair State. Included on the schedule are several junior varsity games. The team also competes in indoor and outdoor tournaments in the winter and spring. The Mules traveled overseas for the first time in the summer of 1999, combining three games with great sightseeing on their trip to Ireland and Scotland. |
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Head Coach Kristen Stuckel
Kristen Stuckel was hired as Muhlenberg’s head field hockey and
lacrosse coach in the summer of 2000. She has a record of 17-18 in her
first two seasons and led the
Mule field hockey team to a berth in the 2000 Centennial
Conference playoffs.
A 1995 graduate of Gettysburg College, Stuckel spent the previous three years as a graduate assistant in both sports at her alma mater. Gettysburg won or shared the Centennial Conference field hockey championships all three seasons and captured its first CC lacrosse title in 2000. The Bullets were ranked in the top 10 in Division III in both sports during the 1999-2000 school year.
Stuckel lettered seven times as an undergraduate field hockey and lacrosse player. She was a first-team all-conference midfielder in field hockey and a second-team All-Central Region defensive player in lacrosse.
To contact Coach Stuckel:
Kristen Stuckel
Muhlenberg College
2400 Chew Street
Allentown, PA 18104
(484) 664-3384
kstuckel@muhlenberg.edu
History
Field hockey is Muhlenberg’s oldest and most successful women’s
varsity
sport. Since 1959, Mule field hockey teams have compiled an outstanding
record of 287-160-35 for a winning percentage of .632.
Along the way, Muhlenberg has recorded eight undefeated seasons and has been ranked in the national top 10 numerous times. Between 1980 and 1990, the Mules made five appearances in the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs, winning the championship in 1989 and receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament that year. In 1993, the first season of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg finished in second place and won a Division II Tournament at East Stroudsburg.
Muhlenberg opened a new chapter in its history in 1998, playing its home games on an on-campus AstroTurf field for the first time. The team proved to be worthy of its new home, earning a bid to the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament. The 2000 team was ranked 12th in Division III early in the season.
2001 Season Highlights
• Muhlenberg had a frustrating season, finishing with an overall
record of 8-9 and tying for sixth in the Centennial Conference with a 4-5
mark. Four of their five league losses were by a single goal, two of them
in overtime (one to regular-season champion Washington).
• Among the impressive wins was a 2-1 defeat of Western Maryland when
the Green Terror was ranked 11th in Division III.
• Muhlenberg allowed only 19 goals in 17 games – its lowest
average since 1993.
• Senior midfielder Melissa Eicken had a team-high five assists and
finished her career with 14, good for second place on the program’s
all-time list.
HONORS Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll Melissa Eicken Emily Gargula Kristen Kastner Danielle Kline Amy Yalch All-Centennial Conference Melissa Eicken (first team) Josephine Fasolino (honorable mention)
Questions or comments? Send mail to falk@muhlenberg.edu
Last updated December 27, 2001