Coaches with Goucher Ties Shine on National Stage

TOWSON, Md. — Ange Bradley and Katharine DeLorenzo may not have crossed paths on Goucher's alluring campus, but each of them have meaningful ties with the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.

And just last week, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced that the two were among the latest recipients of the organization's National Coach of the Year award. Bradley, at the helm of Syracuse University's program (2007-present), was named Division I's top coach for 2015; DeLorenzo followed that up with the Division III honor as head of Middlebury College's program (2001-present).

Though, when it came to Goucher field hockey, one was a coach, while the other was a player.

After a 2-11 record in 1990, a coaching change was made. Bradley accepted the position as head coach of the Gophers which, officially, began her collegiate coaching career.

Improvement occurred fast under the new coach, as Bradley, in her second season, was acknowledged as the NCAA Division III South Region Coach of the Year. Two seasons later, Bradley led Goucher to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. In her four years as head coach of the Gophers, she posted a 39-25-2 record. 

Prior to Bradley's 1991 season, DeLorenzo graduated from Goucher. In her four-year collegiate playing career from 1986-1989; she mastered the game from both sides: scoring goals and defending the cage.

Offensively, DeLorenzo is sixth all-time for the Gophers in goals scored (25) and seventh all-time in total points (59). As a goalkeeper, she ranks third all-time with a .866 save-percentage and is fifth all-time with a 2.41 goals-against average.

In the spring of 2013, DeLorenzo was inducted into Goucher's Athletics Hall of Fame.

Fast forwarding to the 2015, both, Bradley and DeLorenzo, had eerily similar seasons.

Bradley led Syracuse to a 21-1 record with the only loss coming from the University of North Carolina, 2-1, in the Atlantic Coast Conference finals. Though, Bradley's squad returned the favor when it mattered most — in the National Championship — as the Orange came away with a 4-2 victory over the Tar Heels. The win marked the field hockey program's first-ever NCAA national title.

DeLorenzo found Middlebury in its third matchup against Bowdoin College. This time, it was in the National Championship. After two losses to the Polar Bears — once in the regular season and another in the New England Small College Athletic Conference finals — the Panthers played to the "third time's a charm" tune and finished 20-2 on the season with a 1-0 victory. This was Middlebury's second Division III national championship since 1998. 

Combining so far for 601 total career wins, Bradley and DeLorenzo have manufactured a plethora of success in their coaching careers.

And there's a Goucher connection to it all.