About The Team
The field hockey program at Elms College was the first
intercollegiate team established by the college's Athletic
Department in 1981. The Blazers were especially dominant from 1986
to 1991, when they recorded a winning percentage of better than
.670, including a 15-4-1 record in 1989. That same year, the
program claimed the school's first-ever state championship by
winning the MAIAW (Massachusetts Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics for Women) title.
Head coach Katie Grabiec maintains the program's strength with an emphasis on recruiting and a highly competitive schedule that traditionally includes games against local rivals Smith College and Westfield State College.
The 2008 season marked one of continued growth for the field hockey team. The Blazers were 4-4 in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play, and they advanced to the championship game of the inaugural NECC Tournament.
Elms College players have routinely been named to all-conference
and all-academic teams throughout the years. Last season, a
program-record six players were named All-NECC for the Blazers,
including First Team All-NECC selections, sophomore midfielder
Denise Perks (Blackstone, MA) and senior
midfielder Ellen Silva (Palmer, MA). Perks was
third in the conference in both goals (7) and points (15), while
Silva added a pair of goals and six points.
Sophomore forward Courtney Gilmore (Mansfield, MA), junior midfielder Kaitlyn Graham (Paxton, MA), senior forward Sarah Lapolice (West Springfield, MA) and junior defender Danielle Gero (Holyoke, MA) were all named Honorable Mention All-NECC.
In addition to competing in the NECC, the Blazers are also members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).





