Zoe Almquist – Head Coach
Zoe Almquist was hired as head coach of the Davidson field hockey program in March, 2019.
Almquist is a former standout player at Northwestern University, where she also spent five seasons as an assistant coach. The head coaching job is her first at the college level.
“I am thrilled to join the Davidson College Field Hockey family,” she said. “I would like to thank director of athletics Chris Clunie, associate director of athletics Scott Applegate, and the rest of the
search committee for their assistance and trust in me throughout this process. I am anxious to get on campus and begin working with the young women on the team. I know that the future of the program
that we will build together is bright.”
As an assistant at Northwestern, Almquist helped the Wildcats to a 72-33 record, two Big Ten championships (2013, 2014), the program’s first Big Ten Tournament title (2014) and an NCAA postseason bid. She
coached five All-Americans.
Almquist was a four-year letterwinner at Northwestern, where in 2011 she earned her degree in mathematics. She started the final 60 games of her career and served as a senior captain. She played defender, but
finished with 10 career goals, including four game-winners her senior season. Almquist was a two-time winner of the Sannie van Dijck Players’ Player Award, as voted by her teammates, and a three-time Academic
All-Big Ten selection.
“Coach Almquist brings a great balance of both high-level playing and coaching experience to Davidson,” said Clunie. “She understands the importance of academics as well as building a competitive and
winning culture. Additionally, her work with USA Field Hockey has helped her to develop a strong background in recruiting and administration. We are excited that she has joined us, and we are confident she
will lead the women’s field hockey program to future success.”
Almquist was an assistant coach on an interim staff at UMass in 2016, when the Minutewomen won the Atlantic 10 title and beat Monmouth in an NCAA Tournament game before losing to overall No. 2 ranked Maryland
in a shootout.
Almquist has worked with USA Field Hockey since 2011, including selecting and coaching players for the futures program on the local and national levels, and holds USA Field Hockey Level II accreditation.
She has spent the last 10 years as a coach with the Windy City Field Hockey Club, coaching players of all ages and skill levels, including 19U travel athletes and future college players.
Having spent much of her time at Northwestern, Almquist sees many similarities between her alma mater and Davidson and not just because the two programs have Wildcats as their mascot.
“It takes about one minute of being on campus to know that you are in a very special place,” she said. “I was immediately drawn to the close-knit community that Davidson College fosters. The combination
of fabulous academics and high-level athletics sets Davidson apart, and Davidson’s academic environment truly prepares students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and engaged global citizens.
Being a part of the Atlantic 10 Conference allows us to compete against some of the country’s great field hockey programs and will continue to facilitate our work toward becoming a contender on the
national stage. My family and I can’t wait to make Davidson our home, and coming from Chicago, we won’t complain about the change of temperature, either.”
Almquist is a native of Ann Arbor, Mich. She and husband, Keith, have a son, Cyrus, and daughter, Hazel.
Hannah Fisher – Assistant Coach
Hannah Fisher joined the Davidson staff in April, 2022.
Fisher played for the Wildcats from 2014-17 and was a sophomore on the 2015 team that reached the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Fisher spent four seasons at Central Michigan, first as a graduate assistant, then as an assistant coach and, most recently, as interim head coach.
A midfielder, Fisher was a regular in the Wildcats’ lineup for four years, making 56 starts, scoring 15 goals and finishing with 39 career points. She led the Wildcats with seven goals and 14 points as a
senior, after totaling six goals and five assists (17 points) as a junior. She scored a hat trick at Colgate on Oct. 16, 2016 and was an A-10 All-Rookie Team member in 2014.
Fisher’s ties to Davidson go beyond her own academic and playing career. Her sisters Sarah (field hockey) and Becca (soccer) were also Wildcat student-athletes.
Maddie Warfel – Assistant Coach
Maddie Warfel joined the Davidson field hockey staff in July, 2022.
Warfel came to Davidson after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant at Wagner. While at Wagner, Warfel helped the team qualify as the No. 2 seed in the Northeast Conference Tournament and improve
its wins total from two to nine. She coached seven All-NEC selections, two NFHCA All-Region honorees and the NEC Rookie of the Year. While coaching primarily midfield and attacking units, she also completed
her MBA in finance.
A Lancaster, Pa., native, Warfel is a 2020 Hofstra graduate, having earned degrees in sociology and criminology. She was a four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member and was on the Hofstra Athletic
Director Scholars and CAA Commissioner’s honor rolls four times.
Warfel logged more than 4,000 minutes on the turf as a three-year starter and appeared in 70 career games. She played primarily in the midfield, finished with 34 career points (11 goals, 12 assists) and
served as a team captain her final two years.
She was then a volunteer undergraduate coach at Hofstra from November of 2019 until March, 2020.