Laura-Ann Lane became the 13th head coach in the history of the Nichols College field hockey program in the summer of 2020. The Bison won seven games during Lane’s first complete season in Dudley in 2021, often times playing with only 10 student-athletes on the field. Eight student-athletes were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III National Academic Squad, two of which – Mackenzie Doran and Emily LeBlanc – garnered National Academic Squad honors.
The 2020 campaign was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring, the Bison played four scrimmages games as Lane began implementing her style of play and system which has made her one of the most successful field hockey coaches in the nation for two decades. Off the turf, five Bison received both Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) and NFHCA Academic honors. Doran was named an NFHCA Division III Scholar of Distinction.
A three-time Colonial States Athletic Conference (
CSAC) Coach of the Year (2007, 2015-16) and the 2018 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Coach of the Year, Lane came to Nichols from Gwynedd Mercy University, where she spent the last 13 years as the head field hockey coach, Senior Woman Administrator, Athletics Work-Study Coordinator, and Student Athlete Advisory Committee (
SAAC) Mentor. Lane guided the Griffins to nine consecutive championship games – including four-straight
CSAC Championships (2011-14) – and six NCAA Tournament appearances.
Competing annually against opponents which increased the program’s SOS and RPI ranking, Lane mentored 89 all-conference student-athletes (45 first team selections) during her time in Gwynedd Valley with seven earning Player of the Year nods and two receiving Rookie of the Year accolades. She also coached one CSAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. Lane saw 13 student-athletes grab National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) South Atlantic All-Region honors to go with four NFHCA Senior All-Stars and one NFHCA All-American.
The field hockey program at Gwynedd Mercy recorded the highest grade point average (GPA) in the conference three times (2017-19) and the highest at the college the past two years. The Griffins received three-straight NFHCA National Academic Team Awards (2017-19) and over 140 student-athletes were recognized by the NFHCA for their academic prowess under Lane, 17 of which were Scholars of Distinction.
Off the field, Lane wore many hats for Gwynedd Mercy. She oversaw all aspects of game management and student employment within the athletic department, and also established the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society Chapter at the university. Lane created and produced an annual student-athlete talent show which raised money for the Sunshine Foundation, the results of which provided 12 children the opportunity to go to Walt Disney World.
Lane arrived at Gwynedd Mercy following three years as the head coach at Roanoke College (2004-06). The Maroons qualified for the conference tournament in each of Lane’s three seasons at the helm of a program which saw nine student-athletes receive Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Conference honors; she also coached the 2004 ODAC Rookie of the Year. Nine student-athletes were Academic All-America selections while five were named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Team.
Lane began her coaching career at her alma mater, Beaver College (now Arcadia University), where she guided the field hockey program to the postseason in five of her six seasons in Glenside, Pa. Named the 2002 Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year, a total of 23 student-athletes received PAC All-Conference honors under Lane’s watch while three grabbed STX/NFHCA Regional All-America status. In the classroom, a total of 55 student-athletes were named to the PAC Academic All-Conference squad – 17 of which later received STX/NFHCA Academic All-America status.
Lane has served as an NCAA Field Hockey Championship site representative on four occasions (2010, 2015-16, 2019) as well as on the NCAA Regional Rankings Committee (2009-12, 2019) and the NFHCA Regional All-America Committee (2008-12). She coached at the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game four times (2013-14, 2017-18) and was a speaker and presenter at the NCAA Division III Senior Woman Administrator Program in 2020.
A four-year member of the Beaver College field hockey program, Lane earned three Philadelphia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (PAIAW) All-Conference nods and guided them to a pair of conference championships. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology before snaring her Master of Education in 2002.
Career record at Nichols
|
W |
L |
| 2020 |
1 |
3 |
| 2021 |
7 |
10 |
| Total |
8 |
13 |
