A group of women athletes in brown and blue jerseys stand in a circle and cheer

“It’s the pinnacle of my sport to get here. I’m honored and a little overwhelmed by it," said Tina Mattera (center), head coach of the Tufts field hockey team. Photo: Michael Last for Tufts University

Sports

Field Hockey Coach Reaches Pinnacle of the Sport

With two NCAA titles and 305 victories, Tina Mattera enters the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame 

For 22 years, field hockey coach Tina Mattera hasn’t taken a day off between August and November—but that dedication has paid off.

Under her direction, the Jumbos have won a pair of national titles, once in 2012—Tufts’ first ever in the sport—and again in 2025. They’ve earned a trio of NESCAC titles, and Mattera has a stellar 305-90 record. 

For all of her efforts, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association selected Mattera for the 2026 Hall of Fame class. She is one of the youngest inductees ever and will be honored at the NFHCA Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in January.

“It was so humbling, and a little bit shocking because I feel like the caliber of coaches that have been selected before is so high,” Mattera said. “It’s the pinnacle of my sport to get here. I’m honored and a little overwhelmed by it.” 

    A group of people pose for a photo with the man and woman in the center holding up a trophy Photo: Dave Green for Tufts University
    Celebrating Tufts' Second Field Hockey National Title The 2025 Tufts field hockey team poses for a photo with Tufts President Sunil Kumar during a reception on April 17, 2026 honoring their second NCAA Division III National Championship title.
    A group of men and woman stand on a green field in a line for a photo Photo: Michael Last for Tufts University
    2025 National Champion Tufts Defeats Bates on Senior Day Tina Mattera, fourth from right, stands with the seniors and coaches of the 2025 NCAA Division III Champion Tufts field hockey team on senior day, Oct. 11, 2025. The Jumbos defeated Bates College 3-1 in the contest.
    A woman in a pink dress looks on as a man in glasses dons a baseball hat Photo: Dave Green for Tufts University
    Tufts President Sunil Kumar Honors National Championship Tufts Teams Tina Mattera, left, looks on as Tufts University President Sunil Kumar dons a hat recognizing the field hockey team's 2025 national title. President Kumar hosted a reception to honor the national champion Tufts field hockey and men's soccer teams on April 17, 2026.
    A group of field hockey players pose for a photo in front of a net alongside officials and coaches Photo: USA Field Hockey
    Mattera Competes in 2025 Masters Indoor World Cup Tina Mattera, standing fourth from left, won a bronze medal with the United States over-45 team which competed at the Masters Indoor World Cup in Nottingham, England in April.
    A woman wields a field hockey stick on a pitch Photo: Kevin Ma
    Mattera Inspires Tufts Alum to Pursue Coaching Taylor Dyer, A12, became an assistant coach at Tufts the year she graduated. Coach Tina Mattera's leadership inspired her to make coaching her career. “She modeled and instilled in me a deep love for the team and the game, and a trust in myself,” Dyer said.
    A group of athletes stand in a semi circle on a field hockey pitch and listen to instruction from a coach in the center of the image Photo: Anna Miller
    Mattera Leads Jumbos to Trio of NESCAC Titles Coach Tina Mattera, twice selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year, talks to the team during halftime of the NESCAC Field Hockey Finals between Tufts and Middlebury on Nov. 6, 2016. The Jumbos defeated the Panthers, 3-1, to capture the conference championship title, one of three earned in her tenure.
    Three women celebrate with a trophy hoisted above the middle woman's head Photo: Michael Okoniewski for Tufts University
    Tufts Clinches First National Field Hockey Title From left, former Tufts midfielder Rachel Gerhardt, A13, coach Tina Mattera, and former Tufts forward Lia Sagerman, A13, celebrate Tufts' NCAA Division III Field Hockey National Championship win over Montclair State at William Smith College on Nov. 18, 2012.

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Mattera, who has played the sport since she was 10, often works out with her team. “I think it’s good for them to see that I’m doing similar workouts and that I have no patience for not being fit,” she said. 

In April, Mattera traveled to Nottingham, England, to compete in the World Masters Hockey Indoor World Cup. She started all five games for the United States Over-45 team, scored a goal, and helped take home the bronze medal. 

“When I play, I know if I make a bad pass. I don’t need a coach to tell me that,” Mattera said. “So as a coach, instead of saying something about how a player made a mistake, I’ll encourage them to try something new instead. The way I coach is how I would want to be coached.”

After four years on the Jumbos field hockey roster, Taylor Dyer, A12, became an assistant coach under Mattera after graduating in 2012 and helped coach the Jumbos to their first national title that year. She pursued other coaching opportunities before returning to Mattera's staff from 2015–2016. She credits that period, and the lessons she learned playing on that first national championship team, for inspiring her to pursue a full-time coaching career. 

“What I loved and respected most about Tina was her ability to be incredibly demanding and to hold us to a high standard, while always making sure we felt cared for and valued within the program,” said Dyer, now the head coach at Trinity College. “She modeled and instilled in me a deep love for the team and the game, and a trust in myself.” 

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