Kelly Blackhurst returns for her third season as head coach of the Field Hockey program.
In her first year at RWU, she led the team to its best season in program history. Roger Williams set a single-season record for wins with 12, in addition to winning its first-ever Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament game. She coached three of her players to All-CCC team honors, in addition to senior Alex Coppinger becoming the first NFHCA All-Region player in program History.
Blackhurst came to Roger Williams from Misericordia University, where she spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach. She helped lead the 2017 team to the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. She was instrumental in developing the 2017 MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Year and the 2017 MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year.
Prior to Misericordia, she served as the assistant coach at Denison University for three seasons. In her time at Denison, the program produced 16 All-North Coast Athletic Conference student-athletes, six National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-Great Lakes Region players, one NCAC Midfielder of the Year, and one NFHCA All-American.
Blackhurst is a 2014 graduate of Skidmore College, where she ended her career as one of the most decorated field hockey players in NCAA Division III history. She was a two-time Liberty League Player of the Year, a three-time Longstreth/NFHCA All-American, and was the 2013 NFHCA Division III Player of the Year. In addition, she ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division III history with 264 career points.
