Kristina Foster, a two-time national champion as a player at Maryland and former assistant coach at Yale, enters her seventh season on the La Salle staff as an associate head coach after spending six years as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and one year as the program's graduate assistant.
In 2016, Foster helped the team to a 4-4 conference record, a one game turnaround from the year prior. Alongside Marks, she helped three players to Second Team All-Conference honors and saw two Academic All-Conference players.Â
Foster posted a 9-9 overall season and 3-5 record in the Atlantic-10 alongside head coach Marks in her fourth season at the helm. The team was also recognized for it's strength in academics with 11 players elected to the NFHCA National Academic Team for the second year and two named to the Academic All-Atlantic 10 team. She saw two Atlantic 10 Players of the Week in the 2015 season and one named to the All-Atlantic 10 Second Team.
Foster helped guide the 2014 squad to its best overall and conference season since joining the Atlantic 10, with an 11-7 overall record and 5-3 league record. Four Explorers earned All-Conference honors, with two being named to the All-Conference Second Team and two more to the All-Rookie Team. Foster helped the squad maintain its tradition of academic excellence, with two Academic All-Conference picks, a Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area honoree, an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction, 11 players on the NFHCA National Academic Squad and 10 on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
Three Explorers earned Atlantic 10 postseason honors in 2013, including two All-Conference Second Team picks and an All-Rookie Team honoree. In addition, La Salle placed a player on the Longstreth/NFHCA All-Region Second Team while seeing the program's single-season points record shattered.
La Salle placed four players on the All-Atlantic 10 teams in 2012 and just missed out on the conference tournament.Â
In 2011, the Explorers qualified for the Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time since 1997. La Salle also tied a program record for most A-10 wins.
The Blue and Gold finished among the national leaders in several categories, including placing fourth in save percentage (.803). La Salle was 13th in defensive saves and 17th in saves per game.
A program record tying four players earned all-conference honors with goalkeeper Lisa Shaffer earning all-region honors.
A Tabernacle, N.J. native, Foster spent the 2010 season as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs. She helped Yale to a 11-6 record and a second place finish in the Ivy League with a 5-2 mark.
Foster was a four-year letter winner for Maryland and was part of the Terps’ 2006 and 2008 NCAA Championship teams. Maryland also won ACC titles in 2008 and 2009. A midfielder, she started all 24 games in 2009 and helped the team to a program-best 23-1 record.
In addition to earning a pair of NFHCA National Academic Squad selections, and a pair of ACC Academic Squad selections, Foster was also on the Dean’s List at Maryland twice, and won the Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education Academy of Excellence Award. She earned her B.S. in psychology in 2010.
Foster took part in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life for three straight years at Maryland, and also participated in National Student-Athlete Day twice, teaching middle school students the value of education and teamwork. She was part of her team winning the Champs Cup Award, which goes to a female team for academic, athletic and community achievement.
Foster has worked for the USA Field Hockey Futures Program since 2006, providing consultation to athletes throughout the recruitment process to maximize their abilities. While in high school, Foster played in the National Futures Tournament four times, winning the championship in 2005.
