Plymouth State University

Molly Bolduc was named head field hockey coach on Feb. 7, 2023, then promptly led the Panthers to the most wins in nearly a decade in her first season.
 
Bolduc's squad raced out of the gates to win six of its first seven games in 2023, including a pair of double overtime thrillers. PSU finished the year 12-6 to match the most wins in a season since 2017 and finished third in the Little East Conference (LEC) – also matching the best finish in seven years. Awarded the #3 seed for the LEC Tournament, Plymouth State blanked WestConn in the first round before the Panthers were nipped in a one-goal setback in the semifinal round.
 
PSU won four straight games in October of 2024 before suffering back-to-back one-goal losses to end the regular season. Claiming the #3 seed in the LEC Tournament for the second straight year, Bolduc guided the Panthers to a 5-4 win over WestConn in the first round before getting nipped by #2 Keene State in the semifinals.
 
Under Bolduc's guidance, Kayla Antonucci '23 '24G was awarded LEC Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2023, becoming the first player in program history to accomplish the feat. Bolduc also helped mentor Taylor Healey ’23 '24G, who ended her career as the program's all-time leader in goals (72) and points (168).
 
Prior to returning to Plymouth State, Bolduc spent three seasons as an assistant at the University of New England from 2016-19, helping the Nor’easters to the second round of the NCAA Tournament twice, while making three straight appearances in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship game, including conference titles in 2016 and 2017. During her time in Biddeford, UNE sported a 50-19 overall record, including a 33-3 mark in conference play.
 
More recently, Bolduc has spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Yarmouth (Maine) High School, helping build up a program that went 4-10 in the year prior to her arrival. She had immediate success as the program improved to 5-5 in her first season, before posting back-to-back eight-win seasons each of the last two years. The 2021 team finished 8-4-2 and advanced to the Class B regional semifinal, while last fall’s squad went 8-6 and advanced to the quarterfinals.
 
In addition to her time on the sidelines, Bolduc spent six years working with club field hockey and summer programs. From 2017-2020 she served as co-director of MAINE STYX Field Hockey Club based in Portland. In addition to her administrative role, Bolduc coached the program’s U16 Elite team.
 
Starting in November of 2020, Bolduc founded the Hit the Turf Field Hockey League, a weekly program for high school players interested in competing at the next level. The small group summer sessions were designed to help prepare collegiate athletes for their fall seasons.
 
The 2013 graduate of Plymouth State played for the Panthers from 2009-10 before having her career cut short due to injury. She was part of Plymouth State’s 2009 team that posted back-to-back upsets in the ECAC New England Tournament, knocking off top-seeded Keene State and fourth-seeded WPI, before falling in the title game to second-seeded UNE in overtime, 3-2.
 
Bolduc appeared in 16 games for the team in 2010, helping the Panthers to a 14-7 record. As the third seed for the LEC Tournament, PSU topped Southern Maine, 2-1, in the opening round, but was nipped in the semifinals by Bridgewater State, 2-1 in overtime. Plymouth State earned the #3 seed for the ECAC New England Tournament, though, and returned the favor with a 2-1 win over the Bears in the championship game to capture the program’s third ECAC title.