COACHES
CLUB DIRECTOR & OWNER
Benjamin Peters,
At age 12, Ben started playing in his hometown of Sudbury, England and took his England Umpiring Level 1 course when he was 15. In 2008, Ben moved to the USA for a new adventure.
Besides his administration & coaching duties at Venom, Ben is also an FIH international umpire for the USA. He was awarded his International Badge in 2012 & currently sits on the FIH (International Hockey Federation) Centre Panel; he has umpired at many International events on every continent. His tournaments including 3 seasons of the FIH Pro League, 2 Men's Junior World Cups, 3 FIH Nations Cups, 2 Pan American Games, 2 Pan American Cups & many more for a total of 81 international caps for the USA.
Ben also umpires domestically in the NCAA and is a D1 National Championship Umpire.
He holds an England Level 1 & USA Level 2 Coaching accreditations & was the USA Field Hockey 2024 National Umpire Of The Year.
E-Mail: Ben@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
U16 & U19 DIRECTOR
Ciara Calderone,
Ciara began playing field hockey in 5th grade and went on to a standout career as a starter all four years at Allentown High School (NJ), earning All-Colonial Valley Conference First Team, All-Area, All-Group honors, team MVP, team Captain, and Athlete of the Year recognition. She played club field hockey with Jersey Intensity, winning multiple national medals, including gold medals at the National Field Hockey Festival, Disney Showcase, National Indoor Tournament and competing internationally in Argentina.
Ciara continued her career at Division I Hofstra University before transitioning into coaching with Jersey Intensity Field Hockey Club. Ciara played and coached at Jersey Intensity under the leadership of Nigel Traverso for over a decade, gaining extensive experience in elite player development.
As a coach, Ciara has won multiple gold and silver medals and has coached athletes who advanced to the USA Women’s National Teams. After moving to Pittsburgh, she began coaching with North Allegheny Youth Field Hockey, Cranberry Township Field Hockey, and Pittsburgh Venom Field Hockey Club.
Ciara also coaches for USA Field Hockey’s Nexus program and will serve as a Pittsburgh site director this spring. She is passionate about growing and developing field hockey opportunities for both boys and girls in Western Pennsylvania.
E-Mail: Ciara@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
U12 & U14 DIRECTOR
Sandra Zugell,
Sandra began playing field hockey in the 3rd grade. While at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, she was a 3-time State Champion, All-State, MVP in field hockey, and MVP and captain in soccer.
Sandra participated in the USA Nexus Program, was selected for USA Elite regional camps, and for the National Futures Tournament. Sandra went on to become a four-year letter winner and starter for the University of Michigan. While at U of M, she primarily played center back and sweeper. She was selected for the NFHCA Division I All-Big Ten Second Team, All-Region (West) All-American Second Team, the NFHCA Division I Senior All-Star game, and was part of the 1997 Big Ten Championship team.
Sandra has been coaching for Pittsburgh Venom FHC and the Tigers Youth Field Hockey program since 2021, and is also currently coaching for the Cranberry Township Field Hockey program. Sandra is a certified USA Level 2 Coach and a RRCA Level 1 Certified Running Coach.
Sandra is passionate about growing the sport of field hockey in Western Pennsylvania and helping young athletes excel in balancing sports with daily life and academics
E-mail: Sandra@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
ELITE COACH
Courtney Page,
Courtney has played field hockey since the fifth grade at Northwestern Lehigh. At Northwestern, she helped lead the team to their first district playoff appearance in several years. She was a multiple time letter winner in field hockey and track in field. Received several all area recognition awards.
In college, Courtney made the freshman record book for assists, scored two of the three fastest goals in SRU history, named to the NFHCA senior team and was recognized as a NFHCA and PSAC scholar athlete four times. Since college, Courtney was the varsity and jv assistant coach for Northwestern Lehigh High School where they were district champions and colonial league silver medalists in 2022, district semifinalists and colonial league quarter finalists in 2021.
Courtney has been coaching at Venom since November 2023 and in 2026 took over as the Peters TWP High School Head Coach. Courtney is a USAFH Level 1 Coach.
GOALKEEPER COACH / ASSISTANT COACH
Mackenzie Gagliardi,
Mackenzie Gagliardi is the head field hockey coach at Washington & Jefferson College, a position she assumed in June 2025. Prior to W&J, she served as head coach at Dallas High School, where she led the Mountaineers to three consecutive district playoff appearances and the program’s first district championship game in over a decade in 2024, which led to a berth in the Pennsylvania state tournament. She also serves as a Level 1 Nexus Coach with USA Field Hockey, helping identify and train top U14–U19 athletes.
A Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania native, Gagliardi was a multi-sport athlete at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School, earning four varsity letters in softball, swim and field hockey and helping the program capture two Pennsylvania state championships (2011, 2013). She continued her career as a goalkeeper at Cornell University, earning the 2016 Jeff Stenstrom Memorial Award presented to the student-athlete who best exemplifies leadership, dedication and strength of character.
ASSISTANT COACH
Holly Stiller,
Holly’s field hockey career began in 5th grade. She attended Iroquois Central School in New York, where she earned four letters, was a four-time first team All-EOC Section 6 honoree, and a three-time first team All-Western New York selection. During her time at Iroquois and as captain in her senior year, she led her team to four division titles and multiple championships. She also played club field hockey with the WNY Whalers before continuing her career at Slippery Rock University.
At Slippery Rock, Holly earned NFHCA All-Academic Squad and PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2021, she started all 16 games and tied for second on the team in assists. In 2019, she started all 18 games, ranked sixth nationally with five defensive saves, and finished her career ranked seventh in program history for defensive saves.
Holly remains passionate about growing the sport of field hockey & has been a Venom coach for the past 2 years and is a USAFH Level 1 coach.
E-Mail: Holly@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
ASSISTANT COACH
Carly Kubacka,
Carly has been playing field hockey since 9th grade at Norwin high school in North Huntingdon Pennsylvania. While there, she was a 4 year varsity player, and team captain for 2 years. She was named a first team all star, and all conference her senior year. During her high school career, she was also a member of Pittsburgh Venoms club teams for 3 years.
After high school she committed to Division ll Seton Hill where she started all games as a midfielder. After her freshman season, she transferred to Division l Central Michigan. While at Central she was named a team captain during her Junior year season. Since her time in college, she has stepped into Norwin high school's Varsity field hockey head coach, where she currently remains. Carly started with Venom in 2025 and is a USAFH Level 1 Coach.
E-Mail: Carly@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
ASSISTANT COACH
Delaney Lentz,
Delaney started her field hockey career in the 7th grade with the local YWCA program, playing against private schools. At Penn Trafford High School, Delaney was a three-year starter and Captain her senior year, winning 4 WPIAL championships. She was a multiple letter winner in field hockey and diving. Delaney is an alumnus from Venom and was on the winning 2022 National Indoor Tournament team and 2021 Shooting Star Thanksgiving Tournament teams.
In college, Delaney played defense for Division 1 teams, Lindenwood University and Mercyhurst University. She was a four-year starter and earned Scholar of Distinction twice and was a three-time National Academic squad athlete.
Delaney started coaching with Venom in the winter of 2025 and is a USAFH Level 1 coach.
E-mail: Delaney@pittsburgfieldhockey.com
ASSISTANT GOALKEEPER COACH
Taylor Page,
Taylor started playing field hockey in sixth grade at Northwestern Lehigh School District in New Tripoli, PA. While at Northwestern Taylor was a four year varsity starter and four year Colonial League All Star. As a senior she made first team all area and second team all state. Her senior year of high school she lead her team to the first appearance in a state playoff game in over a decade while serving as team captain.
Taylor then went on to continue her field hockey career at Slippery Rock University where she was a two time member of the NFHCA All Academic Squad and a two time PSAC Scholar Athlete. Following her college career she started her high school coaching career as the goalie coach at Peters TWP High School and began coaching with Venom in 2024 and is a USAFH Level 1 coach.
E-Mail: Taylor@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
ASSISTANT COACH
Ali Gasperini,
Ali grew up in Lancaster County and attended Ephrata High School, where she earned twelve Varsity letters and All-Star Honors in field hockey, basketball, and softball. She was later inducted into her high school’s Hall of Fame.
Ali continued her field hockey career as a midfielder at the University of Michigan, where she was a Team Captain and NCAA National Champion her senior year and an NCAA runner-up during her sophomore season. She was a two-time Big Ten Conference Champion and a Big Ten Tournament Champion. After her Senior season, Ali was recognized as “M” Woman of the Year and was nominated for the NCAA Collegiate Woman of the Year.
After moving to Pittsburgh, Ali became the head Varsity field hockey coach at Shadyside Academy, followed by four seasons at Mt. Lebanon High School, where she guided her players to the program’s first WPIAL Championship in 2005.
Most recently, Ali helped to start the Pittsburgh Catholic Angels field hockey program and currently coaches the Angels’ youth and middle school teams. She also hosts local clinics and camps to help grow the game in Western PA. Ali joins us Spring 2026 for her first season with the club.
E-Mail: Ali@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
ASSISTANT COACH
Brooke Page,
Brooke began playing field hockey in kindergarten in the Northwestern Lehigh School District. During her high school career, she was a four-year varsity starter and helped lead her team to three district championships and a league championship. She also served as team captain during her junior and senior seasons. In addition to her school experience, Brooke played club field hockey for High Styx.
At the collegiate level, Brooke started her career as a defender at Division I Central Michigan University. Following the spring semester of her sophomore year, she transferred to Division II Slippery Rock University. Brooke recently completed her junior season playing midfield for Slippery Rock and is preparing for her final year of collegiate field hockey.
Brooke joined Venom in the spring of 2026 and holds a USAFH Level 1 accreditation.
E-Mail: Brooke@pittsburghfieldhockey.com
Taylor Geaglone,
Taylor started playing field hockey in 4th grade, originally from Enfield, Connecticut. In her senior year she won Connecticut state High School field hockey player of the year. She went on to continue her career at Division II University of New Haven where she was a five year starter specifically as a center back. In 2018 she was named to NE-10 All- Conference Third Team and All-Rookie Team. 2019 she was named to the NE-10 All Conference Third Team. 2021 named All-Conference Second Team. During her final season as a graduate student, due to COVID, she was named on the All-Conference First team, NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year as well as earning a spot on the NFHCA All-American Second team.
After graduation she accepted an assistant coaching position at Kenyon College for two seasons. She also coached multiple indoor teams U14 - U16 for FHL. After moving back home to Connecticut she was coaching for HTC field hockey club.
She now brings her talents to Pittsburgh and joined Venom in the Spring of 2026 and holds a USAFH Coaching Level 1 accreditation.
