WORCESTER, Massachusetts – Kylie Gargiulo still remembers the moment.

It was a cool, late September night – September 27, 2022, to be exact. Under the lights of Brian Kelly Stadium on Assumption University's campus, she had put up a shutout for the Greyhounds.

A clean sheet was not unexpected for Gargiulo by any means. She was the reigning National Field Hockey Coaches Association East Region Player of the Year, after all.

"That game was one of those moments where I just let everything flow. I wasn't overanalyzing or thinking too much; I turned my brain off and relied on my instincts, trusting in all the preparation that led up to that point. It felt like I was in the zone, just doing what I knew how to do best," she said.

The stunner was that, at the other end, Taylor Wildes and the American International College Yellow Jackets had matched the Greyhounds every step of the way, pushing the nation's ninth-ranked team all the way to a shootout after 80 scoreless minutes.

Within that shootout, a penalty stroke was called. Logan Shunney stepped up to take it. She fired, aiming right under the crossbar. Gargiulo leaped.

"I had confidence in my abilities, and it was just about executing in the moment and I did and it was electric," she said.

The ball stayed out, having deflected off Gargiulo's blocker hand. The Greyhounds won the shootout and the game and made a run to the NCAA Division II Semifinals for the second year in a row with Gargiulo in the cage, her final year in a five-year playing career.

That might have been as connected to AIC as Gargiulo ever was, but for a job posting the following summer her mother happened to notice.

"My journey to AIC started with my mom, actually. She saw the job posting and immediately encouraged me to apply. I hadn't necessarily been looking for a coaching role at the time, but the opportunity to stay within the NE10 field hockey world was too perfect to pass up," Gargiulo said, adding that "Knowing AIC was part of the NE10, that sealed it for me. I played in this conference, and I was incredibly passionate about the level of competition and the culture of the NE10."

Her former coach at Assumption, Annie Lahey, pushed her to the grab the opportunity that presented itself in Springfield.

"[She] and I spoke a lot about this opportunity. I encouraged her to take it. I know that when she puts her effort behind something, she will be successful. She has a great base of knowledge and was always a student of the game. I knew she would love it and be a great asset to the department," Lahey said.

Less than a year later, Rhonwen Peters announced her departure from her alma mater, and Gargiulo, still fresh from her playing days, was thrust into the head role, at the young age of 24, and quickly realized just how much the job entailed.

"I knew there would be a learning curve, but you don't really realize how many layers go into running a team until you're in the thick of it. From logistics to managing personalities and balancing on-field performance with off-field dynamics, it's been a lot. Thankfully, I've had incredible support," Gargiulo said, noting several coaches across the NE10 who have shared advice or even just a sympathetic ear.

Lahey knew her star keeper would handle the transition well.

"Her love of the game and being a part of team lends itself to being a successful coach.  I can always tell when I have players that watch an enormous amount of film, that they probably will be great coaches. They love dissecting the game, figuring out how to best attack or defend against an opponent, and [Gargiulo] was definitely one of those players," Lahey said.

She has needed that resilience, given the extra challenges of her team. Coming in with a small roster to begin, injuries have taken a toll, forcing AIC to play with few, if any, substitutes; at one point, against the University of New Haven, the Yellow Jackets played with just 10 players on the field. She is also generally by herself on the sidelines, with no assistant coach to share the burden.

Gargiulo refuses to make excuses, or let her team make them. The goalkeeper mentality has served her well, and in turn allowed the team to excel. They have managed to win five games already, often in heart-stopping fashion: twice, they won in overtime, and once, they took a shootout.

Only one time have they lost by more than one goal, and they have been within one in the fourth quarter of all nine games, an even more impressive feat considering how heavily the team has leaned on newcomer Frederique den Hartog in the cage.

"What's been most rewarding is that I've finally been able to make some of the changes I'd been thinking about for a long time. We've focused on small improvements, and seeing those changes translate into success for the team has been incredibly gratifying," Gargiulo noted, adding "It's not just about wins and losses; it's about setting a foundation where they take pride in their work, their effort, and the goals they've set for themselves. My job is to help them reach those goals by pushing them while also making sure they're having fun and rediscovering their love for the game. At the end of the day, I want this to be an environment where they grow, both as athletes and as individuals, while also competing at a level that can take us to the playoffs."

The players have rallied around her and fed off her energy.

"Coach Kylie has not only instilled a newfound confidence in ourselves, but she has pushed us to new heights so far into the season," junior forward Mia Wood said, adding "Despite the adversity we have faced, Coach Kylie's belief in our potential has only grown. We're so thankful she stepped up and she is the one we get to call Coach." 

Even though Gargiulo and her team have handled the challenges through the first nine games well, the contest on Wednesday, October 9 presents something different.

For the first time in her life, Gargiulo will enter the confines of Brian Kelly Stadium as the opponent; for the first time, instead of the Blue and White, she will be the guest, in Black and Gold.

AIC will face Assumption. Gargiulo will face her old coach, and some of her old teammates.

After five years of helping Assumption win, her focus is now on making them lose.

The emotions are apparent when she talks about it.

"Assumption will always have a special place in my heart. It's where I grew as a player and where I had some of the best experiences of my career. I'm incredibly thankful for my time there, especially for Coach—she helped shape me into the person and coach I am today. There's a bittersweet feeling knowing I'm not playing in that jersey on that field anymore," Gargiulo said.

Her team is dialed in, and they want to reward her by taking this one.

"As a team we want to win each and every game, but this game is more than the scoreboard. This game against Assumption is about showing that there's a deeper motivation to play for each other and for Coach Kylie," Wood said, noting "We're going to leave everything on the field Wednesday and we're hoping that through all the challenges we've been through we can come out on top for Coach Kylie." 

The Greyhounds will not take it easy on their former superstar. Too much is at stake, and even if it were not, Lahey knows what her protégé and her plucky team is capable of.

"We, as a program, do a really great job of taking each game one at a time. We look forward to every game. We love to compete… This is a game like any other.  We are preparing to face a very tough AIC team with a lot of talent," Lahey said, before adding, "But of course, I am looking forward to seeing KG as a head coach."

As for Gargiulo and her emotions?

It should be unsurprising that nothing can overwhelm her desire to win.

"This is my new chapter, and AIC is my new home. I have a new family in this team, and I couldn't be more excited to step onto that field with them and represent what we've been building. I know it'll be surreal being back, but my focus is on my team now, and I'm looking forward to competing hard and, hopefully, coming away with a win on familiar ground," she said.