Coaching Staff
Elizabeth Saucier
Head Coach
Liz Saucier is in her first season as interim head coach with the Hawks, after serving as the assistant coach for the 2007 season.
Prior to New Paltz, Saucier played four years of field hockey at William Smith College. There, she started in all 84 games of her career recording the most started games for a William Smith field hockey player, and also holds the record for assists (17) in a single season. As a back and midfielder, Saucier was a two time All-North Atlantic Region selection, a three time All-Liberty League selection and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team in the 2004 NCAA Division III National Championship. At the end of her senior year she was presented with the Marion Harrison Greene Award as outstanding senior athlete. During her career, the Herons won three Liberty League Championships and made three NCAA appearances. She was an active member of the William Smith Student Athlete Advisory Committee, serving as president from 2005-2007. She graduated from William Smith College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies. She plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology.
Saucier has coached at field hockey camps for the University of Maine, Syracuse, and began the first field hockey camp at SUNY New Paltz this year. A native of Old Town, Maine, Saucier comes from a family of coaches. Her mother, Dodi Saucier was a UNH Hall of Famer, and her former High School field hockey coach, and her sister Shaunessy Saucier is currently the assistant field hockey coach at Bryant University.
Saucier is a leader in the Rising Stars program, a part of the Leadership Academy for New Paltz student-athletes, and will also serve as assistant coach to the women’s lacrosse team.
Contact Elizabeth Saucier at ext. 3929 or sauciere@newpaltz.edu.
Heather Semelmacher
Assistant Field Hockey Coach
Heather Semelmacher will begin her first season as the assistant field hockey coach. Semelmacher is also the new head coach for women's lacrosse.
Prior to New Paltz, Semelmacher started the lacrosse program at Saugerties high school and has served as the head coach for seven years.
Before Saugerties, she worked as the assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Marist College. For the past seven years, she has worked at Anaconda Sports Inc. as the National Marketing Director for Women’s Sports and Men’s Lacrosse.
Semelmacher was a member of the Lynchburgh lacrosse and field hockey teams. She played three years of field hockey and two and half years of lacrosse before suffering a season ending injury.
Semelmacher earned a degree in Sports Medicine and Sports Marketing from Lynchburgh in 1999.
Contact Heather Semelmacher at ext. 3925 or semelmah@newpaltz.edu.