Coaches and Staff
We’re passionate about your success!
Meet the Coaches –
U19 Lime Coaches
Julie Murphy
Club Director
U19 Lime
About Murphy: A 1999 graduate of Williamsville South, Julie lettered in field hockey, basketball and softball. In field hockey she tallied 73 goals and 29 assists in just 3 seasons. (Freshmen stats not available) ALL WNY and ALL State 1998 and 1999 seasons. Basketball career she scored over 1000 points in her high school career. At Cortland her field hockey team recorded 61 wins and 16 losses and made it to the NCAA Final Four twice, winning the National Championship in 2001, tying for 5th Nationally in 2000, 2002 and 3rd in 1999. She earned three All-America Field hockey honors in 1999, 2001 and 2002. In 2001, she earned NCAA Division III Player of the Year, First team National all American, SUNYAC player of the year and First Team Regional All-American. She ranks second in school history with 63 goals and 37 assists and third with 163 total points. A three-time All-America shortstop, Murphy was a career 402 hitter and ranks first at Cortland with 58 doubles and 139 RBIs and third with 224 hits. In all 4 of her seasons, she led her team in batting average, hits, doubles and RBIs. In 2003, she set a school record with 18 doubles and helped Cortland tie for fifth Nationally at the NCAA Division III World Series. NCAA awarded her Toughest to Strikeout. Murphy was awarded the female athlete of the year for all of Cortland athletics. In 2013, she was inducted to the SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame. The youngest member to ever be inducted. Murphy is the Varsity Softball coach and assistant Field Hockey coach at Nichols. She has led the softball program to (3) Section 6 titles in 2014, 2018, 2022. In just her 3rd season as the head coach in 2014, they captured the NYS Class A Championship with a 23-2 overall record. NYS Coach of the year award in 2014 and ECIC Coach of the year in 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2022. She helped lead Nichols Field hockey to 3 straight Canadian Independent League Championships and the team is currently ranked 2nd in NYS and 6th in the Northeast Region. She is director of the Williamsville Stampede Field Hockey club and also coaches the U19 Lime team. Stampede currently has over 140 young athletes participating in their field hockey club program. Murphy is an accomplished golfer. She finished 2nd in 2012 and 2017 and has qualified and played in the US Women’s Mid-Amateur Golf championship. She’s an eight-time Brookfield Country Club golf champion. Murphy was inducted to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. She has been married for 20 years to Michael Murphy and they have two children, Ella (17) and James Murphy (15).
Kelli Ruchalski
U19 Lime
About Coach Kelli: This is Ruchalski’s second year with Stampede! She is a math teacher at West Seneca West High School and we love her passion for the game. Ruchalski went to Iroquois High School and was a five year varsity starter at forward, 1st team ECIC, 1st team All WNY, All-state team, was second in career scoring, and was apart of Futures (NEXUS) Program, National Futures Tournament, Junior Olympics tournament. Ruchalski’s college experience with field hockey was at SUNY Cortland as a four year starter at forward/midfield, 62 goals, 41 assists, 2nd in career scoring, 1st in career assists, SUNYAC first year player of the year, 2003. Set school record with 22 goals as a freshman, played in the London, England Tour 2004, was in Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd” Feb 9, 2004 edition, tied the NCAA DIII record for goals in a tournament, SUNYAC All-Academic team 2003 – 2006, SUNYAC Commissioner’s Academic list 2004 – 2006, first team SUNYAC all star team, 2004, 2005, 2006, SUNYAC player of the year, 2005, 2006, North Atlantic Region First team 2003 – 2006, National Academic Squad 2003 – 2006, and first team All American, 2004, 2005, 2006. She continues her coaching career with West Seneca Varsity, 2007 – present, Buffalo Blizzard 2023 – present, the founder of Buffalo Hurricanes in 2007 and director and coach until 2023, and coaches at various camps and clinics in WNY.
Marissa Flynn
U19 Lime
About Coach Flynn: Coach Flynn played high school field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse at Nichols School in Buffalo, NY. She played club field hockey with the Knuckleheads. Flynn went on to play Division ll field hockey at Mercyhurst University. Flynn was a 4 year starter, in the top 3 of point scorers on the team all 4 years as a defender. Flynn played in the NCAA Division II All Start game her Senior Year, Earned Third Team All-PSAC accolade, and was Rookie of the Year Freshman Year. After graduating in 2015, Flynn started her coaching career at Clarence Middle School as a modified field hockey and lacrosse coach. The following season she moved up to the JV level and has been at the Varsity level with Clarence High School for 6 seasons (2017-2022). Coach Flynn is a 3x ECIC Coach of the Year recipient. In her 6 season career as a Head Varsity Coach the team had an overall record of 89-8-1, they competed in 5 Class A section 6 championships, 2x section 6 class A championships, 2x Far West Regional Championships and participated 2x in NYSPHSAA State Tournament. She is also active in growing the game and has been coaching youth clinics in Clarence for over 10 years!. In 2023, Flynn resigned from her coaching position at Clarence as she welcomed her first child with her husband. Coach Flynn has been a coach for the 2022, 2023 and, is currently a 2024 candidate for the, Nexus Selection Camp Staff.
U19 Black
Emily Turton
U19 Black
About Coach Emily Turton: Coach Turton has been with the field hockey sport for 10 years. Turton grew up locally in the Williamsville area and now coaches her high school team. She brings lots of experience and knowledge to the stampede club. In 2017, Turton led her high school team to their first ever division title. Being a captain for two years, her leadership and skills on defense brought the team to have their best season at that point. Turton went on to play field hockey in college at SUNY Brockport, but due to injury she stopped playing. In 2020, she went back to her high school grounds and helped coaching her high school team. Today, Turton is the assistant coach for the Williamsville East Field Hockey team. She also helps out around the area with clinics. Turton coaches for the U19 Black team for stampede. She also coaches junior varsity lacrosse at Williamsville East. Outside of coaching Turton is a teacher.
Abby Vaccaro (formerly Eschen)
U19 Black
Coach Abby: Coach Vaccaro has been involved in field hockey for 20+ years and brings an abundance of experience, knowledge and love of the game to Stampede. Vaccaro’s team was the first in Cazenovia High School’s (CNY) history to win a state title in 2010 with her hat trick in regionals leading them to the title.She then played 4 years of DIII field hockey at Brockport, despite injury and getting surgery, being named top 10 all time points scored, team captain for 2 years, Female Student Athlete of the Year, Player of the Tournament in Springfield Massachusetts, and Brockport Student Athlete of the Week. After college, she continued her field hockey journey as assistant coach at The College at Brockport for 2 years; recruiting, creating practice plans, implementing/demonstrating drills, making substitute changes during games and creating game plans/strategies. After her college coaching journey, she transitioned to an elementary PE Teacher in Virginia while of course still coaching field hockey as a U19 club coach, head freshman field hockey coach with an undefeated season as well as doing virtual training sessions during covid and private lessons. After 5 years in the south, Vaccaro has come back up north and has been assistant coach for Starpoint high school the last two years as well as doing many clinics, personal coaching sessions, and a U19 club coach for Stampede since 2023 while continuing teaching as an elementary PE Teacher.
U16 (2009s)
Kelsey Chubb
U16
Jess Rys
U16
HERD Clinic Director
U14 (2011s)
Francesca Cutrona
U14
About Coach Fran: Coach Francesca Cutrona grew up in Williamsville where she played field hockey and indoor and outdoor track at Williamsville South High School. She was team captain of all three sports her senior year. Coach Fran played club field hockey with the Buffalo Hurricanes Field Hockey Club. She went on to compete at Buffalo State College Division III Track as a thrower (shot put, weight throw, discus and hammer). She earned All Academic Team at Buffalo State College 2014-2016 and Commissioners List in 2016. Coach Fran graduated from Buffalo State College with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education and Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She is currently a Gifted Programming Specialist at Maple West Elementary School in Williamsville, NY. Coach Fran began her coaching career as assistant track coach and coaching Girls on the Run. She then went on to coach JV Field Hockey at Clarence High School and is currently the JV Field Hockey coach at Williamsville East, where she has coached for the last four seasons. She also coaches Modified Track at Williamsville North. She has been with the Williamsville Stampede Field Hockey Club for 5 years, coaching at the U14 and U16 levels, along with the HERD youth clinics.
U14 (2012s)
Zoe Wagner
U14
Chey Stillwel
U14
Cassie DiodateK
U14
About Coach Cassie: Coach Cassie is a part-time coach with Williamsville Stampede and is a college student at Niagara University. Cassie played Division III field hockey at Medaille University in the fall of 2022. She was named captain of the team in her freshman season, as well as having started and played every game for the Mavericks. She was a defender, but also had her share playing midfield and even spurs of attack that season. She was ranked 6th in the Empire 8 for defensive saves. Through her time at Medaille, Cassie maintained her leadership role and was a team player. Due to Medaille University’s closure, she transferred to Niagara University where she is now playing on the club field hockey team. Additionally, Cassie is a Williamsville Stampede alumni! She joined in her freshman year of high school and was on the U16 team, then continued to play on U19 Lime. Cassie began her interest in coaching after her knee injury put her on the sidelines in her high school junior year lacrosse season. She was still an active team member, showing up to games and helping keep the book. The following fall, Cassie played her senior season of field hockey on her torn ACL. She was a captain and did not want to miss her final season with Williamsville North. She went through surgery in the winter and in the spring became the lacrosse team manager. From then on, she got more involved in coaching with helping Williamsville Stampede and Williamsville North field hockey clinics. Currently, Cassie is a volunteer assistant coach for North’s Girls’ Junior Varsity Lacrosse team. She is in the process of receiving her New York state certification for coaching as well.
U12
Nicolette “Nico” Tomani
Social Media Coordinator
U12
About Coach Nico: Coach Nico played softball, ice hockey and field hockey at Nichols. She started playing field hockey her freshman year and was placed on the varsity team for the following three years where she was selected captain her Junior and Senior year. Coach Nico loves the sport of field hockey and was offered a dual scholarship to Mercyhurst University (MU) for Field Hockey and Softball. Once at MU she ended up playing three sports (field and ice hockey, and softball) with her primary sport being field hockey. Coach Nico played four years of DII field hockey at MU where she was selected team captain her senior year. She was named to the NFHCA Division II National Academic Team and was a PSAC Scholar-Athletes in 2017 and 2018. She was also selected for the NFHCA Senior Games. After graduating from MU with a Criminal Justice degree, she continued her education to obtain her Master’s degree in Intelligence Studies and helped coach at Williamsville North. She was head coach for the Williamsville North JV team where she planned, prepped, and helped teach the players about the game. The junior varsity team went undefeated. She was then asked to be an assistant coach on the Williamsville North Varsity field hockey team and contributed to the team’s preparation for practices and games. Coach Nico has been helping the Stampede Club grow and she continues to help players and parents fall in love with improving themselves and the game! She serves as the JV Field Hockey coach at Nichols School in Buffalo and assists for Varsity Nichols field hockey.
U10
Kelli Ruchalski
U10
Goalie (GK) Coaches
Samantha Mallare
GK Coach
Erin Morris
GK Coach
About Coach Morris: Coach Morris joined the Stampede Field Hockey Club coaching staff in winter of 2023. Erin played her high school field hockey at Williamsville North High School from 1995-1999. She played on the offensive line her freshman through junior year and transitioned to goalkeeper her senior year. After high school, she played Division III Field Hockey from 1999-2002 as a goalkeeper at Cortland State University. During that timeframe, the Cortland Red Dragons made four NCAA tournament appearances, placing 3rd in the nation in 1999, 5th in the nation in 2000 and 2002, and placing 1st in the nation, winning the NCAA Division III National Championship, in 2001. Following college, Erin returned to her high school alma mater as a goalie coach for the Williamsville North Varsity Field Hockey team from 2004-2007. From 2004-2010 she was the goalie coach for the Western New York site for the USA Field Hockey Futures (now Nexus) program. From 2010-2013 she was the goalie coach for the Hurricanes Field Hockey Club. In 2014, she joined the coaching staff for the Western New York Field Hockey Club (formerly WNY Whalers), where she remained through summer of 2023. Overall, Erin has been coaching and mentoring goalkeepers from the WNY area for 20 years. Erin’s primary career is in the New York Army National Guard. She is a Logistics Officer by military occupational specialty, but she is currently an Assistant Professor of Military Science at the Canisius University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Her primary degree is in Professional Writing and she is currently working towards a Masters in Higher Education Administration.
Contact Us
Send a message to our club Director Julie Murphy by using the button below.
