Kaitlyn Wahila was named Ithaca's fourth head coach of the field hockey in the program ahead of the 2017 season. She recently completed her eighth season in charge of the IC program in 2024. She currently has a 90-46 record as head coach on South Hill. Wahila and her assistant, Mo Ordnung, were named Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year in 2021 and 2023.
The Bombers put together back-to-back historic season in 2023 and 2024. During the 2024 campaign, IC claimed its first-ever conference championship and went undefeated in Liberty League play en route to a 15-6 record. Ithaca was one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing less than a goal per game, and finished the year ranked 13th in goals against average. Three players were named all-region, while Bella McCollister repeated as the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year and NFHCA Second Team All-American. Natalie Descalso, Meara Bury and Emma Garver were named all-region.
The 2023 season ended with a 15-7 record. IC posted the third-most wins in school history and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. The Bombers won their first NCAA game against Endicott, 3-2 in overtime, which was the first for the program since 1997. Bella McCollister was named Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Second Team All-American by the NFHCA. Natalie Descalso and Meara Bury were all-region selections.
In 2022, Ithaca finished the year with a 14-4 record and reached the Liberty League semifinals. The Bombers were one of the best defensive units in the nation, as IC only allowed 14 all season to rank eighth in goals against average. The Bombers also possessed the fifth-best save percentage in Division III as Macy Brandwein was named a Second Team All-American by the NFHCA.
During the 2021 season, Ithaca posted a 14-5 overall record and won the Liberty League regular season title, earning hosting rights for the postseason championship. The Bombers were receiving votes in the NFHCA Top 20 Poll for a majority of the year. Five players were named All-Liberty League, while three of those went on to be named NFHCA All-Region. The postseason accolades continued into December, as Jacqueline Mirabile was named a Third Team All-American to become the 29th All-American in program history.
Wahila led the Bombers to a program first during the 2019 season, guiding IC to a 6-1 mark in Liberty League play to earn a trip to the Liberty League Tournament for the first time since becoming an affiliate in 2017. Ithaca finished with a 12-7 record on the year, marking the first time since 2000-02 that IC has logged back-to-back double-digit win seasons. Five players went on to earn All-Liberty League praise, while Wahila was tabbed as part of the Liberty League Co-Coaching Staff of the Year. Headlining the postseason accolades was sophomore transfer Morgan Mullen who became Ithaca's first NFHCA All-American dating back to the 2000 season.
In her second season with the program, Wahila guided the Bombers to one of their most successful seasons in recent memory. The team posted a 13-7 overall record, which included a berth in the ECAC Division III Championships. IC went on to make a Semifinal Round appearance in that event. The program saw significant improvement from the year prior, nearly doubling its win total, and scoring two more victories in Liberty League play.
Individually, Wahila helped four players to earn All-Liberty League recognitions, which included junior goalie Savanna Lenker on the First Team. Lenker went on to earn First Team All-Region accolades, Ithaca's first player to garner that distinction since 2015. Senior midfielder Maddie Keppel also earn All-Region recognition with a Second Team selection.
Wahila led the Bombers to a 7-10 record in her inaugural campaign in 2017, a solid showing considering the team's transition to a largely new staff and IC's jump to ultra-competitive Liberty League. Although the team posted a 1-6 mark in Liberty League action, the Bombers stayed competitive in every game against some of the nation's top competition, while they also posted a 5-4 record at home.
Three IC players garnered All-Liberty League praise at the conclusion of the year, headlined by Amanda Schell '18 taking home All-Liberty League First Team honors. Additionally, Michaela Donohue '18 and Savanna Lenker were Honorable Mention selections. Wahila also maintained the program's strong standing in the classroom, as IC earned NFHCA Academic Squad distinction, while Lenker, Meg Dowd and Arleigh Rodgers were named NFHCA Scholars of Distinction.
Before arriving back on South Hill, Wahila was the head coach of the field hockey program at Susquehanna University, while also serving as Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development. She had been at the helm of the River Hawks field hockey program for six seasons prior to 2017.
While with the River Hawks, she posted a 54-52 record, turning Susquehanna into a power in the Landmark Conference over recent seasons. This past year, she guided Susquehanna to a 15-4 record, which included a trip to the Landmark Conference Championship Game. It was the highest win total the program had posted since joining the conference back in 2007. In total, 17 players earned All-Conference accolades under her guidance, which includes the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year in Hunter Pitman this past season. Wahila was named Landmark Conference Co-Coach of the Year following the 2012 season.
Prior to Susquehanna, Wahila spent four years as an assistant field hockey coach and indoor athletic facility manager at NCAA Division I Siena College. She assisted in all facets of the program including compliance, fundraising, and game-day management. She also oversaw the Marcelle Athletic Complex while with the Saints, managing the practice schedule for varsity and club sports, while also serving as game-day manager for women’s volleyball and women’s basketball.
Wahila has ties to South Hill, as she served as a graduate assistant coach with the IC Field Hockey program during the 2006 season. She graduated from Ithaca College with a Master of Science degree in Sports Management in the spring of 2007. Her familiarity and passion for the IC program was evident throughout the search process.
An accomplished field hockey player in her own right, Wahila was a four-year standout at the University of New Hampshire. She was named to the America East Conference All-Rookie Team as a freshman, while she was an America East Honor Roll selection in 2004. Wahila graduated from UNH with a degree in business administration and a minor in psychology in 2006.
Updated: 1/3/25
