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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.
The 2011 season started a new era for Blazers field hockey and
marked the first campaign under head coach Kim
Cosenza.
With a roster that featured 17 newcomers, Elms made significant strides both offensively and defensively. Three games into the season, Meghan Goodrow (Sunderland, Mass.) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 61st minute of play to give the Blazers their first victory over Smith College since the 2000 season.
Goodrow was named New England Collegiate Conference (NECC)
Rookie of the Week following her heroics as was goalkeeper
Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.) who turned away
12 shots against the Pioneers to seal the shutout win.
Bonavita, who was named NECC Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team
All-NECC, tallied 152 total saves during the 2011 season and has
notched 618 saves for her career and is third nationally among
active saves leaders. Her career save percentage of .773 is also
tied for 23 nationally. In 2011, Bonavita allowed just 13 goals to
league opponents and registered a 2.44 goals against average
against NECC competition en route to her second straight
all-conference first team selection. Bonavita is currently ranked
second on the program's all-time saves list.
The Blazers narrowly missed the NECC championship tournament but
posted a 3-1 victory over conference foe Bay Path College in the
penultimate contest. Elms received scoring strikes from
Rachel Schrutt (Chicopee, Mass.), Ashleigh
Lamoureux (Stafford Springs, Conn.) and Kayla
Narey (South Hadley, Mass.) to secure the win.
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).
