Erin Autera will enter her eighth season as Hartwick College head field hockey coach in 2025, having been named to the position in February 2018. She took over for longtime head coach Anna Meyer, who retired in May 2018.
Under Autera's leadership, the Hawks would again make it to the Empire 8 Championship game and be named runner-up to Geneseo in the 2024 season. Autera would also coach six players that received All-Conference honors, including Ashley Tricarico, who would also garner NFHCA Second Team All-Region honors. An impressive fourteen players under Autera would be named to NFHCA National Academic squad, with three also being named as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction.
In 2023, after boasting a 12-6 overall record and 6-1 conference record, Autera would lead the Hawks to a massive victory in the Empire 8 Championships with a 2-1 win over St. John Fisher University. The Hawks would then appear in the first round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship. This year, the Hawks would land seven on the E8 All-Conference list, with Julie Rizzi being additionally named as Co-Player of the Year, and Dani Hand recognized as Rookie of the Year. Ruzzi would also be named to the NFHCA Division III All-Region First Team. In addition, eleven Hawks would be named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad, while four would also be named as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction. Three would also be named to the CSC At-Large Academic All-District Team.
The 2022 season was one to remember as Autera and the Hawks would coast to a 12-7 record with an impeccable 9-0 record in conference as Hartwick would win their second Empire 8 championship under the guidance of Autera. The Hawks would almost sweep the Empire 8 awards as Sydney Gagnon would receive E8 Player of the Year and All-American honors, Libby Fortin received Defensive Player of the Year honors and Madison Maddocks would snag the Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Autera received Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second year in a row.
In the 2021 season, Autera guided her squad to an 11-5 finish with an Empire 8 tournament appearance. Autera coached two players who earned all-region honors as six players who received all-conference honors. Autera and her staff would be awarded with Coaching Staff of the year at the end of the season.
Autera led Hartwick to its second consecutive trip to the Empire 8 Championship game in the spring of 2021. She guided six players to all-conference recognition, including Goalkeeper of the Year Allyson Osborne, Rookie of the Year Emily Strutt, and First Team picks Tegan Robinson and Sydney Gagnon.
In just her second year at the helm, Autera piloted the Hawks to a 13-7 overall record and their first Empire 8 Conference championship since 2005. After earning the #3 seed in the playoffs, Hartwick topped #2 Utica 3-2 in the semifinals and #4 Nazareth 2-1 in the finals to earn the crown. The Hawks punched their eighth ticket to the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to eventual national runner-up Franklin & Marshall. Three Hawks earned all-region honors under Autera's guidance, including Empire 8 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Brooke Singer and Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Sydney Gagnon.
In her first season piloting the program, Autera led the Hawks to a 12-6 record and a return to the Empire 8 playoffs. She guided senior Maria Stalder to all-region and all-conference honors with sophomore Brooke Singer and freshman Perry Willett also earning all-conference recognition.
As an assistant, Autera helped the Hawks to back-to-back 10-win seasons, which included a 13-win campaign and an appearance in the Empire 8 Conference semifinals in 2016. It marked the first playoff appearance for the program since 2009. She coached three all-region players, a Co-Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, and seven All-Empire 8 players in her three seasons as an assistant.
She arrived at ’Wick after serving in the same capacity at her alma mater, SUNY Cortland, in 2014. While coaching with the Red Dragons, she helped the team to the SUNYAC regular season title and a final record of 14-3. She coached alongside seven-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year Cynthia Wetmore and guided three all-region and five first team all-conference players over the course of the season.
As a player, Autera was named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman and second team all-conference as a freshman and sophomore. After earning first team All-SUNYAC honors as a junior, Autera was a first team NFHCA All-America, all-region, and all-conference selection, as well as the SUNYAC Player of the Year as a senior.
Autera ended her career with 94 points on 33 goals and 28 assists. She ranks 12th in career scoring and led her teams to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and the 2011 SUNYAC title.
A Dean’s List and President’s List student-athlete, Autera earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Cortland. She holds a master’s degree in sport administration from Canisius College.
