Alma Mater: Utica University - 2015
Hometown/High School: Rome, NY / Rome Free Academy
Record at Utica: 62-102, first season in 2016
YEAR-BY-YEAR at Utica University:
2025 | 4-11 (3-7) | 8th in Empire 8
2024 | 4-12 (3-6) | 7th in Empire 8
2023 | 7-11 (4-3) | 4th in Empire 8 | Empire 8 Semifinals
2022 | 8-10 (6-3) | 4th in Empire 8 | Empire 8 Semifinals
2021 | 10-9 (6-2) | 3rd in Empire 8 | Empire 8 Finalist
2020 | 1-4 (1-3) | 4th in Empire 8 | Empire 8 First Round
2019 | 8-11 (6-1) | 2nd in Empire 8 | Empire 8 Semifinals
2018 | 6-11 (3-5) | 6th in Empire 8
2017 | 9-10 (4-3) | 3rd in Empire 8 | Empire 8 Finalist
2016 | 5-13 (4-4) | 6th in Empire 8
Player Success:
All-Region Players: 9
All-ECAC Players: 2
All-Conference Players: 36 (13 First Team)
ECAC Players of the Year: 1 (Ranalli - 2023)
Empire 8 Defensive Players of the Year: 1 (Ranalli - 2023)
Career Roadmap:
Utica University | 2016 - Present (Head Coach)
Utica University | 2015 (Assistant Coach)
Utica University | 2011 - 2015 (Athlete)
About Coach Hobaica: Nikki Hobaica (formerly Kieffer) enters her 11th season at the helm of the Utica field hockey program in Fall of 2026.
She recently completed her tenth season as head coach during Fall of 2025. The Utica field hockey alumna assumed that role beginning in the 2016 season. She previously spent one season as an assistant coach for Sarah Elleman in 2015, and was promoted immediately following that season. Hobaica is responsible for all facets of the Utica field hockey team.
Hobaica has won 62 matches in her decade of coaching at Utica, and has led the team to six Empire 8 tournament appearances, including reaching the Empire 8 Championship Game in 2017 and 2021. She has coached her players to a total of nine NFHCA All-Region selections, two All-ECAC appearances, and 36 Empire 8 All-Conference honors (13 first team). Additionally, Hobaica, a defender during her playing years, helped mentor the 2023 ECAC Player of the Year and Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year in Madison Ranalli. Ranalli also led all of Division III in defensive saves during that same season. Many of Hobaica's players have also routinely qualified for NFHCA National Academic Squad honors, as well as the Empire 8 Presidents’ List.
She has been heavily involved in the community, and was the featured speaker at the Rome Sports Hall of Fame's 2020 National Girls and Women in Sports Day Breakfast.
2025 saw a young Pioneer team begin to find some flow, as the group of stellar underclassmen helped the team reach the brink of the Empire 8 Tournament, eventually landing just outside the tournament field. Jocelyn Spiezio and Ryleigh Johnson added two more All-Conference nods for the Pioneers.
In 2024, the Pioneers saw a few young stars blossom, while program mainstays wrapped up their illustrious careers with three Empire 8 victories. Alyssa Pisano and Mackenzie Mix took home Empire 8 All-Conference honors, while Mix also grabbed a spot on the NFHCA All-Region III Team.
The Fall 2023 season was highlighted by a trip to the Empire 8 Conference tournament semifinals. Going 7-11 overall and a 4-3 conference record, the team had five all-conference selections. This season Hobaica coached the Defensive Player of the Year in Madison Ranalli after she broke the school record in defensive saves in back to back seasons.
The Fall 2022 season was capped off with clinching a spot in the Empire 8 Conference tournament. The Pioneers went 8-10 on the season, posting a 6-3 conference record, and had five players chosen for all-conference selections. The all-conference selections were led by Mackenzie Mix and Chloe Williams.
The Spring 2021 season was highlighted by a spot in the Empire 8 Conference tournament. Along the way, four players were chosen to All-Conference teams, led by a first team selection for veteran forward Sabrina Whitehouse.
The 2019 season was a strong one for Hobaica and the Pioneers. She led her team to its second Empire 8 conference tournament appearance under her leadership. Utica finished third in the E8 in the regular season with a 6-1 conference record while going 8-10 overall. This team also saw seven all-conference selections -- Senior defender Ricki Haab and senior midfielder Josie Sgarlata were both first team choices in the annual survey of league coaches, junior forwards Sydney Scaccia and Sabrina Whitehouse each made the second team, and junior midfielders Jenny Robbins and Jeslyn Files were honorable mention choices. Abbey Fitzgerald was Utica’s representative on the E8 Sportswoman of the Year team. Whitehouse was later honored as an ECAC All-Star, while Haab and Sgarlata made the NFHCA All-Region teams.
Hobaica guided the Pioneers to a 6-11 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the Empire 8 in 2018. Hobaica’s squad also had success in the classroom as her team earned a collective GPA of 3.35. Rylee Meelan was chosen to the All-Conference and All-Region teams, and was later nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Three other Pioneers were also selected to the All-Conference teams.
In 2017, The Pioneers went 9-10 overall (4-3 Empire 8) and advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game, where they lost to top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College, 3-1. Four players were named All-Conference including Rylee Meelan, Sabrina Whitehouse, Sydney Scaccia, and Melissa Koch, with Meelan also picking up second team All-Region honors.
In her first season as a head coach, Hobaica led Utica to a 5-13 overall record and a 4-4 mark in Empire 8 Conference play. Hobaica coached three players to All-Conference selections, including sophomore Rylee Meelan and senior Rachael Scaramuzzino, who each earned second team recognition.
Hobaica graduated from Utica College in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations – Sports Communication and also minored in Management. While at UC, she was a member of the field hockey and women’s hockey programs all four years. In her senior season of field hockey, she played in 18 games while starting in 17 and totaled 1,168 minutes. She led the team in assists with 10, ranking her tenth in the nation midway through the season.
She currently holds the school record for assists in a single game with four against Hamilton (10/1/14). Nikki was a part of all three Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship teams at UC, including two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. She had the assist on the game-winning goal that sent Utica to its first E8 title in 2012. Hobaica also captained the women’s ice hockey team as a senior defender.
Originally from Rome, NY, she is a 2011 graduate of Rome Free Academy where she captained the team her junior and senior season. In her senior season, Hobaica was named to the Section III All-Star team and helped lead the squad to a 13-2-3 overall record including its second consecutive trip to the Class A Section III final.
Nikki is the daughter of Peter and Carol Kieffer.
