Ithaca College Athletics

Karen Hollands, a member of the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame, has enjoyed a successful run as head coach at her alma mater. Hollands, who was named head women’s lacrosse coach and assistant field hockey coach at Ithaca in 2002, led the Bombers to the Empire 8 title and a spot in the NCAA playoffs in her first year. She earned Empire 8, NYSWCAA and IWLCA New York Region coach of the year for her efforts. The 2004 team repeated as Empire 8 champions and made the program’s seventh trip to the NCAA playoffs with the 2005 team finishing as conference runner-up. Ithaca's 2007 team recorded a 5.5-game improvement from 2006’s record, marking the fourth-best turnaround ever for a Division III program. The Bombers returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 after winning the Empire 8 Championship Tournament with a dramatic 12-11 victory over Stevens in the championship game.

Hollands a 1994 Ithaca graduate, had served as head coach of the field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams at Hamilton College for four years.  She coached Hamilton’s women’s lacrosse team to quarterfinal appearances in the NCAA playoffs in 2000 and 2001. She earned Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association, IWLCA New York region and NYSWCAA coach of the year honors in 2000 after leading the Continentals to the UCAA title and the NCAA playoffs for the first time.

Before working at Hamilton, Hollands spent two years at Hartwick College as an assistant coach with the field hockey and women’s lacrosse programs. The Hawks reached the NCAA semifinals in field hockey (1996) and women’s lacrosse (1998) during her tenure.

A goalie for the Ithaca field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams, Hollands helped both teams to NCAA playoff berths (including quarterfinal appearances in 1991 and 1992 for the field hockey team). She was a two-time first-team all-American in field hockey and set school records with 550 career saves and a career save percentage of .896. Hollands participated in the 1994 U.S. National Field Hockey Team tryouts. She graduated in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and received her master’s degree from Cortland in 2002.