Colgate women’s soccer tabs Georgetown assistant Lyndse Hokanson as head coach

HAMILTON – Colgate Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Nicki Moore announced Friday the hiring of Lyndse Hokanson as the new women’s soccer head coach. She becomes the sixth head coach in Colgate Women’s Soccer history.

Hokanson comes to Colgate after serving five seasons as an assistant at Georgetown. She guided the Hoyas to five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, three straight Big East championships, and two trips to the College Cup Semifinals.

Hokanson was formally introduced as the next head coach at a press conference Friday afternoon at the Class of 1965 Arena. Click here to view an archive of the press conference.

“I am truly excited to welcome Lyndse Hokanson as the newest addition to our Colgate community,” Moore said. “Coach Hokanson is an outstanding young professional; a demonstrated winner; and a person with great integrity, who does the right things on and off the field every day.”

“We have worked especially hard this past month to find the very best person to lead our Women’s Soccer program into its next era. Lyndse is that person who will advance our program competitively, while developing our soccer student-athletes holistically, and supporting their sustained academic excellence.

“Her track record coaching at Georgetown and Valdosta State, and playing at George Mason, illustrate that model of competitiveness; and the many professional development opportunities she has pursued undergird her drive to continually learn. We are extremely excited for the future of Colgate women’s soccer under Lyndse’s leadership.”

During Hokanson’s tenure, Georgetown set multiple team records, including most wins (20 in 2016, and then 21 in 2018), most shutouts (17 in 2016 and 2017), and fewest goals allowed (10) in a season. She helped lead the Hoyas to a 79-17-17 overall record and a 31-4-9 conference mark in five seasons.

“From the instant I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Nicki Moore‘s vision for both the Colgate women’s soccer program and the athletic department, I knew this was the place I wanted to be,” said Hokanson. “I am overwhelmingly humbled and grateful that she, Steve Chouinard, and the entire hiring committee saw in me someone who could lead this team toward that vision.

“Though I will miss my family at Georgetown immensely, I know they will believe me when I say I wouldn’t be standing here without everyone there who helped form the coach and person that I am today. The list is too long to mention everybody by name, but to Dave Nolan, Kristen Meier, the administration, staff, and of course every single amazing student-athlete I had the opportunity to work with – you have watched me grow from a bright-eyed beginner to this exact moment of my journey. I thank you from the deepest depths of my heart for helping to show me the way.

“I look forward to making you proud as I take this next step at the incredible institution that is Colgate University. I could not be more grateful and I am excited to become a part of the Raider family.”

Primarily working with the goalkeepers, Hokanson guided freshman keeper Anna Leat to All-Big East Second Team and All-Rookie Team honors with 10 shutouts in 2019. Goalkeeper Arielle Schechtman was a United Soccer Coaches All-American in 2018 and broke the NCAA shutout percentage record (.809). Under Hokanson’s tutelage, Schechtman earned back-to-back Big East Goalkeeper of the Year honors and was a Mac Hermann Semifinalist with 49 career shutouts.

Georgetown finished the 2018 campaign as the most successful team in program history. The Hoyas posted an impressive 21-1-3 record with their only loss coming to No. 1 North Carolina in the College Cup Semifinals. That NCAA tournament run included shutout wins over Washington State and No. 2 Baylor.

Hokanson has been part of a staff recognized twice as the United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year and Big East Coaching Staff of the Year.

Prior to her five-year stint at Georgetown, Hokanson spent the 2014 season as a graduate assistant coach at Division II Valdosta State, where she worked in all aspects of team operations. In 2014, Valdosta State finished No. 23 in the country, won its first ever Gulf South Conference championship and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

A three-year starter and team captain from 2012-14 at George Mason, Hokanson graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Hokanson garnered All-Atlantic 10 Second Team and All-Academic honors in 2013. She finished her career among the top 10 all-time in saves, save percentage, goals-against average, and shutouts as a three-time Provost Scholar-Athlete and United Soccer Coaches Scholar-Athlete.

Hokanson earned her United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “C” License in 2018 and an Advanced National Diploma from the United Soccer Coaches in January 2016.

Outside of her work on the pitch, Hokanson was a graduate of the 44th class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy that was held in Denver in 2018. The NCAA Women Coaches Academy, hosted in partnership between the Alliance of Women Coaches and the NCAA, is a four-day educational training available to NCAA coaches of all experience levels. It is designed for women coaches who are ready to increase their individual effectiveness by learning advanced skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success.

Hokanson was selected to the 2018-19 WeCOACH Coaches Council in September 2018. The Coaches Council is a selected group of individuals who will help ensure WeCOACH is strategically serving women coaches from all sports and levels. In May 2019, she received the Cecile Reynaud Coaching Mastery Award from WeCOACH.

Originally from Crofton, Maryland, Hokanson earned her Master’s Degree in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies in 2017.