On Friday, the Lock Haven University field hockey team did something that it often does. The team, led by head coach Pat Rudy, won.
 
Winning goes hand-and-hand with LHU field hockey and a big reason why, is Rudy. After all, Friday's 2-0 win at Davidson marked the 600th in her Hall of Fame head coaching career.
 
Collecting 600 career wins didn't come overnight for Rudy, who is in her 23rd season coaching at The Haven, her alma mater, and this 2018 season marks her 41st overall season coaching at the collegiate level.
 
Rudy entered the 2018 season with 593 wins which already served as the third-most in the history of college field hockey. Now, at 600 wins on the dot, she remains at No. 3 all-time. Prior to Rudy, just two field hockey coaches in the history of NCAA field hockey had reached, and surpassed that elusive 600-win mark.
 
Earlier this season, Rudy claimed her 350th win at LHU and she's now 600-219-21 all-time. Her career win percentage to date is .727, which ranks among the top-25 all-time and has her listed among the top-five for active head coaches.
 
On the way to 600, Rudy has built quite the resume. She has coached three teams to NCAA Championships, including the 2000-LHU team that won the Division II title. Rudy led SUNY-Cortland to DIII back-to-back national titles in 1993 and 1994.
 
She's coached nearly 40 All-Americans and countless All-Region and All-Conference players.
 
It's also safe to say field hockey at The Haven today, wouldn't be what it is without Rudy, a former standout player at LHU, who scored 65 goals from 1973-76, before graduating in 1977.
 
One of Rudy's most notable accomplishments has been the guidance of Lock Haven back to NCAA Division I play and into the prestigious Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10).
 
Since returning to DI play, Rudy has led Lock Haven to over 200 wins. Back in 2004, LHU's return season at the Division I level, the Bald Eagles went 19-1 and they've never looked back. Entering this season, Lock Haven was 202-89 at DI, and currently Rudy and the Bald Eagles are 209-94 vs. NCAA Division I opponents since that return-season in 2004.
 
National titles, a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame honor in January (2018) and 600 wins highlight an already remarkable career for Rudy.
 
There is no doubt however, Rudy is focused on the next game, and with that in mind, the future is extremely bright for LHU field hockey.


From the desk of the SID: This is a feature story written by LHU Director of Athletic Communications & Marketing, Doug Spatafore.