MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Bill Ross, Allegheny Director of Athletics and Recreation, announced that the interim tag has been removed and Margaret Maclean has been named the full-time head coach of the Gators' field hockey program.

Maclean served in an interim capacity since June when her predecessor, Valerie Lohr, resigned to pursue other professional opportunities. Through 14 matches this season, she has led Allegheny to a 7-7 record, boosting the program's mark from it's first year of competition in 2019 by five wins already. Overall, the Gators are outscoring opponents, 29-16, and have a 180-159 advantage on shots. This year's version has tallied four total shutouts, including both matches this week, and five of its seven losses have come by just one goal. Additionally, Allegheny sits fourth in the NCAA Division III national rankings with a .837 save percentage.

"We knew coming into the year that our program would be in good hands with Margaret's leadership, but she has gone above and beyond to exceed our expectations," said Ross. "Every obstacle that has presented itself to both Margaret and the team has been handled with grace and class and we are thrilled to have Margaret continue to lead us into the future."

Maclean has been on the staff at Allegheny since July 2018. In her time, the Gators have had over 20 student-athletes recognized on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Academic Squad, plus two NFHCA Division III National Academic Team Awards. In addition, Allegheny has placed numerous student-athletes on the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Academic Honor Roll, and following the inaugural season of 2019, a pair of Gators earned All-NCAC honors, with the first all-region accolade in program history being bestowed upon Kierstin Faw '21.

"I want to thank the Allegheny athletic administration, especially Athletic Director Bill Ross, for all of the support these past couple months," said Maclean. "I also want to thank my team for being receptive and amazing so far this season. I am excited for this opportunity and can't wait to see where we can go."

A former NCAA Division II champion at Millersville (Pa.), Maclean played most of her career at Pace (N.Y.), where she was a 2017 All-American as a senior. That year, she helped anchor a defensive squad that topped DII in goals against average (0.88), and finished 15-4 overall with nine shutout victories in just the program's third year of existence. 

A native of Ellicott City, Maryland, Maclean earned her degree from Pace in communications with a minor in sports marketing. As an undergraduate, she was a member of the school's Athletics Diversity Committee and the Captain's Council, and was also chosen to attend the 2017 NCAA Careers in Sports Forum.