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.

Over the span of seven seasons, head coach Katie Grabiec has maintained 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 2009 campaign marked one of continued growth for the field hockey team. The Blazers advanced to the semifinals of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship tournament.

The Blazers placed three players on the 2009 All-NECC team, including senior midfielder Danielle Boyer (South Hadley, Mass.), senior defender Danielle Gero (Holyoke, Mass.) and freshman goalkeeper Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) who were all named Honorable Mention.

Boyer finished with a pair of goals and four points, while Gero captained the Blazers’ backfield with stellar play all season and added a defensive save. Bonavita was tremendous between the pipes in her debut season, collecting 253 saves and was named NECC Player of the Week three times.

Senior forward Tomie Lafond (Hatfield, Mass.) was the team’s leading scorer with four goals, three of which came in a 4-2 victory over Regis College in the season opener. In addition to its victory over Regis, Elms swept the season series with conference rival Bay Path College, claiming a 3-1 decision and earned a 2-1 win over the Wildcats.

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).