Six student-athletes sign a National Letter of Intent to attend Providence in the fall of 2012.
Diane Madl became the program's sixth head coach all-time on February 4, 2002 and will embark on her ninth season at the helm in 2010. Madl and her staff have helped to rebuild the Friar field hockey program, enjoying some of the most successful seasons in program history.
Since her arrival, she has transformed the field hockey program into a contender in the BIG EAST Conference and put the Friars back on the map at the national level. In what began as a rebuilding process in 2002, Madl has compiled an overall record of 86-77 in eight seasons, including a 54-31 (.635) mark that spans each of the last four campaigns (2006-2009).
During the recent four-year stretch, Madl helped the Friars clinch a berth in the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship each season, and have been mainstays in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches' Poll. The Friars captured the BIG EAST Conference regular-season title in 2006 and advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament twice in the last four years (2006, 2007). Providence College President, Father Brian J. Shanley and Athletics Director Bob Driscoll, recently awarded Madl with a contract extension through the 2013 season.
During Madl's first three seasons on the sidelines, the team still played on a grass surface. During that initial stretch the team posted a 26-33 record, while attempting to change the culture of the program under its new leadership. In 2005, Providence field hockey started a new era with the opening of the Friar Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The "Complex" is a state-of-the-art Astroturf facility that has helped to springboard the program back on to the national scene. After some initial growing pains in the new facility and registering a 6-13 overall record in 2005, the Friars have not looked back.
The Friars' recent run of success began in 2006 in what is described as one of the most celebrated seasons in program history. The Friars posted an 18-4 overall record and captured the BIG EAST Conference Regular-Season title. Providence's 18 victories in 2006 are tied for second most all-time in program history, while the Friars' five league victories marks a program best. The program quickly found itself among the nation's best and was ranked in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches' Poll for nine-consecutive weeks, including seven-straight weeks in the top-15. At season's end, the Friars earned a final ranking of 11th. Madl was honored as the BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year, Dita/NFHCA Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year and Words Unlimited Coach of the Year.
That same year, Lauren Sickel and Rachel Chamberlain became the first Friars since 1997 to claim All-America honors, as both players were named to the third team. Chamberlain was tabbed BIG EAST Conference Goalkeeper of the Year and was one of five players to earn All-BIG EAST honors and NFHCA All-Region honors.
The ride continued in 2007, as the Friars posted a 14-8 overall record, including a 4-2 mark in the BIG EAST. The Friars advanced to the BIG EAST Championship game for the second-straight season, after defeating No. 11 Louisville, 2-0, in the semifinals. The Friars dropped a heartbreaking, 1-0, decision to No. 4 Connecticut in the championship game the next day.
In 2008, the Friars advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament for the third-straight season after posting a 12-9 overall record (3-3 BIG EAST). Four Friars earned All-BIG EAST and/or NFHCA All-Northeast Region accolades at season's end. Nellie Poulin became the ninth Friar in program history, and third player under the direction of Madl, to earn All-America honors as a member of the Third Team. Poulin went on to represent New England for the second-straight season at the U.S. Field Hockey High Performance Women's National Championship (2009), and finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals in six games. Current Friar senior Jaime Lipski joined Poulin on the New England team in 2009 and earned herself an invitation to U.S. Junior National Camp. Lipski is the first player to earn a Junior National Camp invitation under Madl's tutelage.
The 2009 season featured one of the most challenging schedules in the nation and the team finished the year with a 10-10 overall record (3-3 BIG EAST). Of the Friars 10 losses, eight were decided by one goal, including five, one-goal losses to opponents ranked in the top-10 of the national poll. Providence made its fourth-straight appearance at the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, but fell to then-No. 5 Syracuse, 2-1, in the semifinals. The Friars concluded the season ranked 23rd in the NCAA RPI and were ranked as high as No. 19 in the NFHCA National Coaches' Poll. Poulin earned All-America honors for the second-straight season as a member of the NFHCA Second-Team, and became one of just four players in program history to earn All-America honors multiple times. Current Friar sophomore Nicole Fernandez became the second field hockey player from Providence to earn an invitation to U.S. Junior National Camp in the summer of 2010.
During Madl's eight seasons on the sidelines, she has helped to mentor three players, who earned All-America honors a total of four times. She also has helped to develop a total of 26 All-BIG EAST selections and 24 All-Northeast Region honorees. More importantly, her teams have competed just as fiercely in the classroom. Madl has had the privilege of coaching 22 student-athletes who have earned NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad honors a total of 45 times, and 42 players who have been named to the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team a total of 93 times.
Madl, a native of Mountaintop, Pennsylvania, was a three-sport stand-out in field hockey, basketball and softball at Crestwood High School. Upon completion of her high school career, she went on to play field hockey at the University of Connecticut from 1985-88. While at UConn, she helped the Huskies capture the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1985. She was a two-time All-America selection as a junior and senior (1987, 1988) and earned the prestigious Honda Broderick Award upon the completion of her career, as the top collegiate field hockey player in the nation. Madl also earned Academic All-America honors and graduated magna cum laude, with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1989.
Madl went on to play for the U.S. National Team and competed in a multitude of events for Team USA, including the World University Games (1989), World Cup (1990), Inter-Continental Cup (1989 and 1995) and the Champions Trophy (1995). She reached the pinnacle of her playing career in 1996 as a member of the U.S. National Team that competed in the Olympic Games, held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Madl still finds time to give back to U.S. Field Hockey. She remains active with Futures, having coached the U-19 team in the USA/Canadian Challenge Cup (2005) and assisted the U-16 team that participated in the U.S. Olympic Development Select/Futures Elite International Easter Tournament in the Netherlands (2007). Madl also has served as an assistant coach for USA Field Hockey High Performance Women's National Championship New England Team (2006-2008), and assisted the team at the New England Training Center in 2009 prior to the Women's National Championship. In 2010, Madl continued her involvement with HPTC as an assistant for Boston's Senior Team under the new format for the Women's National Championship. Madl recently earned her U.S. Field Hockey Level III Coaching Accreditation in 2009, which is the highest coaching accreditation in the U.S. system. With the accreditation, Madl is eligible to work with the U.S. National Team programs.
Madl's coaching career began at the University of Maine as an assistant in 1993. She remained with the Black Bear program for nine seasons until departing for Providence College.
In addition to her success at Providence College and her activity within the circles of U.S. Field Hockey, Madl served as the camp director for Providence College Field Hockey Day Camps in 2003 and 2004. Since then, she has taken ownership of Circle to Circle Field Hockey Camps, LLC., which came to fruition in 2005. During the summer of 2006, Madl added a Team Camp to her Circle to Circle summer circuit and has flourished, becoming one of the top camp organizations in the Northeast.
Madl was inducted into the Luzerne County (Pa.) Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, and was inducted into the Pennsylvania State Athletic Hall of Fame on May 18, 2008. She is the daughter of Ruth Ann and David Madl.
