Wittenberg field hockey will be led by a new head coach for the fall 2019 season as head coach Kelley Hubbell takes a personal leave of absence. The Tigers will be led by Hannah Lipton, a former field hockey player at Indiana University, former assistant coach at Sacred Heart University and current Associate Director of Field Hockey Life. This is a Columbus based field hockey club competing at the regional and national levels.
Lipton is leading the Tigers into the 2019 season after being named acting head coach by athletic director Gary Williams on July 29, less than a month before the start of play.
“The group has been well-prepared on-and-off the field for the upcoming season, and their understanding and willingness to push forward is indicative of their grit for the 2019 season,” said Lipton of the challenges of a coaching change before the start of the season, adding “one of my biggest priorities will be getting to know the team as a group and as individuals in a limited time period, and learning how to best support each athlete for a successful 2019 season.”
Lipton was a defender at Indiana University and earned four varsity letters in addition to being named team captain for her final two seasons as a Hoosier. She also earned Second Team All-Big Ten Honors as a defender, in addition to earning All-Region Second Team Honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
After her senior year, Lipton earned the Spirit of Indiana Director’s Award, which is presented to two Indiana University student-athletes who best represent the Spirit of Indiana.
“Playing in the backfield at Indiana University built my foundation for the tactical side of the game in terms of organization, pressing and out letting,” said Lipton.
Following Lipton’s time at Indiana, she went to Sacred Heart University in 2014 to join the field hockey coaching staff as an assistant coach in charge of coaching the defense. During Lipton’s first year at Sacred Heart, the field hockey team had a record of 9-9, the most wins in program history since 2006, and earned the first postseason appearance since 2008 for the program.
“I was fortunate to experience a conference tournament berth with the team at [Sacred Heart] and have helped prepare teams with Field Hockey Life for Regional Club Championship titles,” said Lipton.
“Taking that experience and combining it with the knowledge I’ve gained from many coaching mentors along the way will be beneficial as we hope to continue having successful seasons at Wittenberg,” said Lipton of her time at Sacred Heart University and Field Hockey Life.
The field hockey team opened their season this past weekend with a road trip to Washington & Jefferson on Friday where they lost in an overtime shootout, 3-2, before falling to Wooster, 4-2, on Saturday. The Tigers will open their home slate against Sewanee on Saturday Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. at Edward-Maurer Field.
