There are so many great representatives of UConn Athletics...that includes it's very successful Field Hockey Program. Melissa Gonzalez is as decorated as an alum as you can find in the program. Not just All Conference and All American Status, but as a member of the National Program for 8 years that earned her 2 trips to the Olympics.
Gonzalez was a great player at Lakeland High School in Peekskill, NY...In her four years, the team's record was 85-5-2 with a perfect 24-0 year in her Senior Year of 2006 that led her team to a State Championship, career team records in goals, assists and points and a two time High School All American. Nancy Stevens and her staff at UConn had a knack for finding the best regional talent...Gonzalez stayed close to home and played her college field hockey in Storrs...
She joined the Huskies at a good time, a veteran team went 22-3 in 2007..that won both Big East Regular Season and Tournament Titles and reached the Final Four for a second straight season...Gonzalez, a forward, finished 4th on the team in scoring with 9 goals and 4 assists in 25 games. Three of those 9 were game winners and Gonzalez was named a 2nd Team All Big East and 2nd Team All Mideast selections...The Huskies lost to North Carolina in the Final Four...
Prior to the 2008 season, Gonzalez played on the U.S. U-20 Team that played in the Pan American Games that took home a gold medal...And as the top returning scorer, Gonzalez in a 17-4 season for the Huskies, scored 10 goals and had 4 assists with three game winners. Including her first multi-goal game against Michigan and the game winner against then #1 Syracuse...Gonzalez was named to the All Big East First Team, while earning 3rd Team NFHCA All American Honors. The Huskies would be one of the 16 teams selected to play in the postseason. but Duke beat the Huskies 2-1 in the first round...
In Gonzalez's junior year of 2009, another trip with the National Team's Junior World Cup Team....it lead to another strong year as Gonzalez, a midfielder, made 22 starts with six goals and a pair of assists as the Huskies went 19-3 and won the Big East Tournament, beating both Louisville and Syracuse to take the crown...But Drexel surprised the Huskies 3-2 in the NCAA's...Gonzalez again named to the Big East First Team, and earned the first of consecutive Defensive Player of the Year Honors. However in 2009, the NFHCA named Gonzalez a First Team All American....
2010 would see Gonzalez again anchor the Midfield Spot...as the Huskies had the third best Goals Against Average in the Country....UConn posted a 16-6 record with 8 shutouts in 2010 as UConn lost the Big East Championship Game to Syracuse, before beating American and losing to Maryland in the NCAA's. Gonzalez with a 4 goal, 2 assist season again was named the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to once again earning NFHCA First Team All American Honors....
That's usually where the career ends for a majority of college field hockey talent, but not for Melissa Gonzalez. She started a successful 8 year run with the U.S. National Senior Team from 2011-18. That included 2 more Pan American Gold's and two trips to the Olympics in 2012 and 16'. Today, Gonzalez is an assistant coach at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in her third season....
A regional star in High School, an All Conference and All American Performer in Storrs and a two time Olympian. Melissa Gonzalez, a UConn Legend