University of New Hampshire Athletics
Shannon Taylor Joins Field Hockey Coaching Staff
4/20/2026 2:50:00 PM | Field Hockey
DURHAM, N.H. – Shannon Taylor (Syracuse '08) has been hired as a field hockey assistant coach at the University of New Hampshire. The announcement was made Monday by first-year head coach Sarah Mansfield-Lahl.
"I am truly honored to be joining the Wildcat family," Taylor said. "This opportunity means a great deal to me, and I'm excited to invest in the growth of the student-athletes and be part of a program built on passion, hard work, and pride. The future looks bright!"
Taylor, a former U.S. Olympian and All-American at Syracuse University, has more than 10 years of leadership experience in elite athletics, coaching and operations. Part of that was a two-year stint on the UMass coaching staff with Mansfield-Lahl in 2014-15.
"I am excited to coach alongside Shannon again and have her join the UNH field hockey family!," Mansfield-Lahl said. "She brings an incredible and unique mix of experiences playing, coaching, and officiating the game we both love. With an All-American career at Syracuse and Richmond, and more than 100 caps as a Team USA Olympian, her hockey knowledge and winning background are second-to-none. She truly understands all levels of the game and I am thrilled to have her leading our offense."
From 2014-20, Taylor was an assistant coach on the USA Field Hockey men's and women's U21, U18 and U16 teams. She helped prepare those teams for the Pan American Games and Junior World Cup Championship, as well as other international competitions. Taylor was also a student-athlete rep on the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors from 2015-17.
Taylor's most recent collegiate stop was as associate head coach at Saint Joseph's University for two seasons (2016-17). She helped lead the Hawks to a 33-10 overall record that included 15-1 in the Atlantic 10 and an NCAA tournament appearance.
Prior to that, Taylor joined the UMass staff in 2012 before taking a year off the play with the U.S. National Team. After her international retirement with 111 caps, Taylor returned to the UMass staff for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the latter of which saw the Minutewomen claim the A-10 title and a victory in an NCAA Tournament play-in game.
A 2012 Olympian, Taylor was involved with USA Field Hockey as a player for seven years, beginning with her selection to the Under-21 squad in 2006. She played for the developmental squad before being named to the National Team in 2010. Taylor was a key part of the United States team that won gold at the 2011 Pan American Games as she scored three goals in the final tournament, including one in the gold medal match against Argentina. Taylor was then named to the team that participated in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Taylor played her final collegiate season at Syracuse in 2008, when she was named a finalist for the Honda Broderick Award and named to the NFHCA All-America First Team after leading Division I in both goals and points. Those 31 goals and 79 points are both single-season school records that stand today. Her other accolades that season included All-BIG EAST First Team, BIG EAST Championship Most Valuable Player and NCAA All-Tournament Team as she led Syracuse to the NCAA semifinals.
She played three seasons at Richmond, where she led the Spiders to three consecutive regular season and conference tournament titles. Taylor was named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 after leading the conference in both goals and points for two consecutive seasons. She ranked fourth in the nation in both goals per game and points per game, and her 69 points remains the highest single-season total in conference history.
Taylor left Richmond as the program's all-time points leader (139) and that number currently ranks second. Her 58 career goals rank third and 23 assists is tied for eighth on the career leaderboard.
In a total of four college seasons, Taylor amassed 89 goals and 40 assists for a total of 218 points in 89 games.
In addition to her coaching and playing experience, Taylor has stayed involved in the game as a club-level coach and as an NCAA official.
She has been the membership director for the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Hampshire since 2017 and the field hockey apparel and equipment manager at Hagan Sports since 2021.
Taylor graduated from Syracuse with a B.S. in Rhetoric and Communications in December 2008.
The UNH field hockey team earned a share of the 2025 regular-season America East title and won the tournament championship to earn an NCAA tourney berth – all firsts for the Wildcats since 2013. The 'Cats ended the season with 12 wins.
A Wildcat earned All-America Team accolades for the fourth consecutive year, and a 'Cat was named the America East Offensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. UNH also boasted three NFHCA Northeast Region Team and three All-ECAC Team selections.
"I am truly honored to be joining the Wildcat family," Taylor said. "This opportunity means a great deal to me, and I'm excited to invest in the growth of the student-athletes and be part of a program built on passion, hard work, and pride. The future looks bright!"
Taylor, a former U.S. Olympian and All-American at Syracuse University, has more than 10 years of leadership experience in elite athletics, coaching and operations. Part of that was a two-year stint on the UMass coaching staff with Mansfield-Lahl in 2014-15.
"I am excited to coach alongside Shannon again and have her join the UNH field hockey family!," Mansfield-Lahl said. "She brings an incredible and unique mix of experiences playing, coaching, and officiating the game we both love. With an All-American career at Syracuse and Richmond, and more than 100 caps as a Team USA Olympian, her hockey knowledge and winning background are second-to-none. She truly understands all levels of the game and I am thrilled to have her leading our offense."
From 2014-20, Taylor was an assistant coach on the USA Field Hockey men's and women's U21, U18 and U16 teams. She helped prepare those teams for the Pan American Games and Junior World Cup Championship, as well as other international competitions. Taylor was also a student-athlete rep on the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors from 2015-17.
Taylor's most recent collegiate stop was as associate head coach at Saint Joseph's University for two seasons (2016-17). She helped lead the Hawks to a 33-10 overall record that included 15-1 in the Atlantic 10 and an NCAA tournament appearance.
Prior to that, Taylor joined the UMass staff in 2012 before taking a year off the play with the U.S. National Team. After her international retirement with 111 caps, Taylor returned to the UMass staff for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the latter of which saw the Minutewomen claim the A-10 title and a victory in an NCAA Tournament play-in game.
A 2012 Olympian, Taylor was involved with USA Field Hockey as a player for seven years, beginning with her selection to the Under-21 squad in 2006. She played for the developmental squad before being named to the National Team in 2010. Taylor was a key part of the United States team that won gold at the 2011 Pan American Games as she scored three goals in the final tournament, including one in the gold medal match against Argentina. Taylor was then named to the team that participated in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Taylor played her final collegiate season at Syracuse in 2008, when she was named a finalist for the Honda Broderick Award and named to the NFHCA All-America First Team after leading Division I in both goals and points. Those 31 goals and 79 points are both single-season school records that stand today. Her other accolades that season included All-BIG EAST First Team, BIG EAST Championship Most Valuable Player and NCAA All-Tournament Team as she led Syracuse to the NCAA semifinals.
She played three seasons at Richmond, where she led the Spiders to three consecutive regular season and conference tournament titles. Taylor was named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 after leading the conference in both goals and points for two consecutive seasons. She ranked fourth in the nation in both goals per game and points per game, and her 69 points remains the highest single-season total in conference history.
Taylor left Richmond as the program's all-time points leader (139) and that number currently ranks second. Her 58 career goals rank third and 23 assists is tied for eighth on the career leaderboard.
In a total of four college seasons, Taylor amassed 89 goals and 40 assists for a total of 218 points in 89 games.
In addition to her coaching and playing experience, Taylor has stayed involved in the game as a club-level coach and as an NCAA official.
She has been the membership director for the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Hampshire since 2017 and the field hockey apparel and equipment manager at Hagan Sports since 2021.
Taylor graduated from Syracuse with a B.S. in Rhetoric and Communications in December 2008.
The UNH field hockey team earned a share of the 2025 regular-season America East title and won the tournament championship to earn an NCAA tourney berth – all firsts for the Wildcats since 2013. The 'Cats ended the season with 12 wins.
A Wildcat earned All-America Team accolades for the fourth consecutive year, and a 'Cat was named the America East Offensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. UNH also boasted three NFHCA Northeast Region Team and three All-ECAC Team selections.
UNH Athletics Introduces Sarah Mansfield‑Lahl as New Field Hockey Head Coach
Monday, March 16
UNH Field Hockey vs UAlbany Semifinal Highlights 11-4-25
Tuesday, November 04
UNH Field Hockey vs. UC Davis Highlights (9.26.21)
Sunday, September 26
UNH Field Hockey vs. California Highlights (9.19.21)
Friday, September 24