A year can make a big difference for a team, especially for the Neumann University field hockey team. Last season, the team finished with a record of 4-12, which wasn’t just a disappointment, it was a wakeup call. This year, the field hockey team made a complete 180 and finished their season with an 11-7 record and reached the AEC Championship.
What went on behind the scenes wasn’t just simply team bonding and some athletic
improvement, it was the rebirth of this field hockey team. Powered by new leadership, trust, and a team belief that they could build something bigger than themselves.
To understand the transformation, NeuPress talked to players from every class year—from seniors to freshman—as well as captains and transfers. Together, they paint a picture of the changes.
New Day, New Culture, New Goals
Before the team even played a game, something felt different. Determination and purpose filled every practice, and players approached every practice and game, or anything related to their sport with a new focus and more positive energy.
Junior captain Jess Silver credits the new coaching staff, who set the tone right from the start. Rather than pointing out the mistakes, the new coaching staff encouraged ownership and collaboration.
“From the very first day, they made it clear that the way things had been done in the past would no longer be accepted. Instead of calling people out, they focused on calling us in, holding us accountable while supporting us.” Silver said.
That approach changed everything. It created a space where the players weren’t afraid to fail, instead they were determined to learn and improve.
Senior Kortney Kaelin saw the entire mentality of the team shift.
“The biggest change was our overall mindset. This year our team seemed more determined and locked in,” said Kaelin.
Sophomore Casey McGee believes that learning from the past losses became a team strength.
“The biggest mental change for this team was the mindset. We were able to learn from the loss last year and use it to grow the program.” McGee said.
Senior captain Molly McGee emphasized how the new cultural shift changed the team’s approach to every practice and game.
“Last year, we lost many winnable games, and often it felt like we went into it with the mindset that we already lost. This year, we played to win, making a huge difference,” McGee said.
That mindset shift became the spark that pushed this team into one of their strongest seasons yet.
Leadership That Changed Everything
The arrival of head coach Dana Ott marked the beginning of a new era for the program.
Hired on April 9, 2025, Ott brought years of experience with her. Ott played at the Division 1 level for Villanova University, where she was recognized as an All-Big East player in 2008 and 2009, giving her both the experience and the insight of what it truly feels like to be a student-athlete.
Before Neumann, she built up the program at Kingsway Regional High School, leading the
program to seven consecutive conference championships wins. She also took on the role of being a graduate assistant at Cabrini University, allowing her to gain the collegiate coaching experience and the style of coaching players gravitated towards.
For freshman Rachel Roane, the season began with unexpected faces. The coaching staff was entirely new, but she quickly realized that Ott would help build the program.
“She was going to be phenomenal. She has won a lot of championships and played at the Division 1 level, so I knew she was going to bring energy to Neumann,” Roane said.
Transfer Leany Santana was adjusting not just to an unfamiliar team but to a coaching staff as new to campus as her.
“When I first met Dana, I felt this relief. She listened and understood my story, and
having familiar faces from Cabrini made coming to Neumann felt right,” Santana said.
Junior Jacki Connolly echoed that the new coaching staff transformed the daily environment.
“I felt a strong connection with Dana and the assistants. They all have a genuine love and passion for the sport, which makes me confident in our success,” Connolly said.
Part of the program’s transformation not only came from the new head coach but the two new assistant coaches, Sarah Hussey and Cortney Keith. Both were recent graduates who had experience and knowledge, giving the players the confidence to ask questions and absorb the feedback that was given to them.
Structure, Strength, Success
There were many changes the players noticed but the biggest one was the training. Practices became more demanding, faster and more structured.
“From day one we had out foot on the gas and didn’t let up,” Kaelin said.
Increased strength gave the Knights the ability to compete.
“Last year, we ran maybe once. This year we really focused on the endurance aspect,” McGee said.
Structure had become a crucial part of the daily routine, starting with fundamentals, and progressing into playing and ending with game-like scenarios.
“Every run, every drill, and even every team meeting had a purpose,” McGee said.
The balance of intensity and structure had a big impact on this team and their season this year.
Mottos That Defined a Season
The team entered the season with a new motto “Relentless.”
It wasn’t just something they would say, it was a mindset, guiding everything the team did.
“We had heart-to-heart talks and increased team involvement. We chose the word relentless as our team motto,” Connolly said.
Roane connected the motto to the team’s theme “The New NU.”
Both of these sayings motivated the team and changed their mindset for the season.
New Faces, Big Impact
The start of a new season can feel intimidating, with new teammates, new coaches and
navigating a whole new school. Yet, both freshman and transfers found themselves valued,
supported and challenged the right ways.
“There was a lot of positivity on the team that made the transition smooth. No matter what grade you are in, you are welcomed and encouraged to be your best,” Roane said.
For transfers like Santana, coming into a new team often comes with doubt. However, “Everyone was open minded and were willing to express how they feel about everything.” Santana said.
Veteran players helped newcomers’ transition smoothly, allowing them to feel valued and wanted.
A Season Defined by Growth
When the final whistle blew in the AEC Championship, players were filled with pride and
disappointment both at the same time. All their growth and success ended in a loss.
“People treated us like a joke, but we took that personally and went to work.” Silver said.
Kaelin reflected with gratitude, recognizing it was the end of her long field hockey career.
“I was grateful for all the experiences I had over the past 13 years of playing the sport I loved,” Kaelin said.
Rachel Roane felt sadness of her first college season ending. Others processed the moment differently.
“My first thought was, this isn’t going to be the last time, we should be proud of what we did to get to this moment.” Santana said.
Even though the loss hurt, the accomplishment of making it to the championship was a huge step in the right direction.
Shaping the Future
After the AEC Championship loss, the emotional weight was heavy, especially for the captains.
“It mattered to me that everyone understood how much we accomplished, even without the ending we wanted,” Silver said.
Silver explained that even though it wasn’t the ending they wanted, she was confident in what the younger players would bring for the years to come.
“To reach the championship was a huge accomplishment that we never thought we would reach last year. It’s very rewarding to see hard work paying off, ” McGee said.
Both captains expressed how they saw the younger players not just as the future of the program but as an essential aspect for the future of Neumann Athletics.
“This is only the beginning,” said Silver.
