Kate Stopford is in her 11th season as the Mighty Macs' head field hockey coach in 2025.
Stopford competed her tenth season as Head Coach in 2024, leading the Mighty Macs to a 10-9 overall record, and a 3-1 record in Atlantic East Conference play. This was the program's first winning season since 1989. As a team Immaculata had eight team shutouts this season. In the Conference Tournament, Immaculata defeated Gwynedd Mercy 1-0 in the Semifinals to advance to their first Atlantic East Conference Championship Game. This was the program's first championship game appearance since 1982.
Julia Levase was named the 2024 Atlantic East Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and Alexis Andrada was named the 2024 Atlantic East Conference Rookie of the Year. Alexis Andrada, Madalyn Bonner, Della George, and Julia Levase were all named to the All-Atlantic East Conference First Team. Abby Fekete, Kaitlin Gale, and Kailey Mayoros were named to the 2024 All-Atlantic East Conference Second Team.
Stopford completed her ninth season at the helm in 2023, leading the Mighty Macs to an 8-11 overall record, and a 4-2 record in the Atlantic East Conference play. The Macs made their second consecutive Atlantic East Conference Semifinal appearance. The season included snapping Immaculata’s 14 game losing streak to Cabrini defeating the Cavs 1-0 in the final meeting between the long-time rivals. In Atlantic East Quarterfinals, the Macs defeated Gwynedd Mercy 1-0 in OT to advance to the Semifinals.
Lauren Vandenbraak and Madalyn Bonner were named to the All-Conference First Team, while goalkeeper Julia Levase was named to the All-Conference Second Team. The team had 15 players named to the Atlantic East Conference All-Academic Team, and Julia Levase, Lauren Buckel, and Gabrielle O’Brien were named to the College Sports Communicators All-District At-Large Academic Team.
In 2022, Stopford led the Mighty Macs to a 7-10 overall record, and a 3-3 record in Atlantic East Conference play. In the Atlantic East Conference Quarterfinals, the Macs defeated Gwynedd Mercy 1-0 in a shootout to advance to the Conference semifinals for the first time since 2010, earning the program’s first victory over Gwynedd Mercy. Lauren Buckel and Gianna Gatto were named to the All-Conference Second Team. The team had 18 players named to the Atlantic East Conference All-Academic Team, and 13 players named to the NFHCA All-Academic Team.
Stopford in her seventh season in charge in 2021, leading the team to another Atlantic East Conference Quarterfinal birth. She coached four Mighty Macs to the All-Conference Team. Freshman goalkeeper Julia Levase was named All-Conference First Team while Nicole Vigna, Lauren Buckel, and Lauren Vandenbraak were each named to the All-Conference Second Team. She also had 18 players be named to the Atlantic East Conference All-Academic Team.
Coach Stopford in her sixth season as head coach of the Mighty Macs field hockey team in 2020, the Mighty Macs won one of their four games during the shortened season, going 1-3 on the year. The victory came on March 12 at home, a 3-1 victory over Wesley College.
Kate Stopford in her fifth season as the head coach, the Mighty Macs appeared in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic East Tournament in the 2019 season. Stopford coached three first team all-conference members, the first time in 10 years the Macs had three first-team selections in the same season. Colleen Bradley, Layne Kennedy, and Shannon Lozier each collected distinctive honors while Bradley was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer All-Academic Team. With four years under Stopford, Bradley finished atop the record book and ended her career in a tie for first all-time with 18 assists. Kennedy capped a stellar career by finishing tied for third in program history with 25 goals and fourth with 54 total points. 13 players were also named to the NFHCA National Academic Team for maintaining aa 3.3 GPA or higher.
Immaculata made its second consecutive conference playoff appearance in 2018 - the Macs' first season in the Atlantic East Conference - and fell to Marywood in the quarterfinals, 3-2. Stopford had two players receive All-Atlantic East recognition at season's end, as sophomore Willa Thompson was named First-team All-Atlantic East while junior Colleen Bradley earned Second-team accolades.
The Macs made their first CSAC playoff appearance under Stopford in the 2017 season. They were defeated by eventual CSAC champion, Gwynedd Mercy, in the CSAC Semifinals. She saw two players make First Team All-CSAC in Megan Donegan and Cayla Williams, and saw Colleen Bradley make Honorable Mention All-CSAC and the Philadelphia Inquirer All-Academic Team.
In her second season, the Macs went 7-12 overall and 3-4 in CSAC play, missing the postseason on a tiebreaker. She helped the Macs get off to a red-hot start with three consecutive shutouts to earn goalie Sarah Pasternak national recognition on the NFHCA Weekly Honor Roll, and regionally as the Philadelphia Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Week.
Stopford helped senior Haley O’Donnell and junior Megan Donegan earn Second Team All-CSAC, and seniors Sarah Pasternak and Meredith Katona Honorable Mention All-CSAC accolades.
Academically, the team excelled as they earned the NFHCA National Team Academic Award, had 10 athletes named NFHCA Scholar Athletes, and 13 were named to the CSAC Fall All-Academic Team.
Stopford completed her first season at the helm of the program in 2015. Stopford guided sophomores Megan Donegan and Cayla Williams to Honorable Mention All-CSAC recognition. The Macs succeeded in the classroom as 11 student-athletes were named to the CSAC Fall All-Academic Team, 10 were recognized on the NFHCA National Academic Squad, and one was named a Scholar of Distinction. Additionally, the squad earned the National Team Academic Award for a cumulative GPA over 3.0.
Stopford was an assistant on the 2014 Immaculata field hockey team, which finished fourth in the CSAC with a 7-13 record overall. She helped the Macs reach their second consecutive CSAC Semifinals and assisted in having five players earn All-CSAC honors.
Stopford is the founder and director of the Shock Field Hockey Club.
Stopford graduated from Widener in 2011 where she was a member of the field hockey.
