SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Frontier Regional field hockey team’s regular-season finale against Westfield Oct. 17 was just another game for head coach Missy Mahar.
Until it wasn’t.
A 5-1 RedHawks victory against the Bombers sealed Mahar’s 300th career win as Frontier’s coach, however, Mahar was so laser-focused on preparing her team for its final test against Westfield that the longtime skipper wasn’t even aware of the significance Friday’s affair held.
“To be honest, I don’t keep track of these things,” Mahar said. “My assistant coach said, ‘congratulations!’ And I looked at her and she’s like ‘on your 300th’ and I was like ‘Oh, OK!’
“It’s wonderful,” Mahar continued. “None of this could be possible without the student-athletes over the years, so I really owe it to them for allowing this opportunity to happen. Because they’re the ones that show up every day, they’re the ones that buy-in to the program and to the philosophy and work hard and generate the results.”
Mahar has roamed the sidelines for the Red Hawks since her first year as head coach in 2002. Twenty-three years later, the Frontier manager reached the memorable milestone on a picture-perfect autumn afternoon in the Pioneer Valley.
“Missy has been a staple in the athletic community at Frontier Regional since taking over her coaching position,” Frontier athletic director Glenn Sullivan said. “Missy played field hockey under Vi Goodnow, and then took up the coaching mantle when she retired in 2001. The program is competitive each and every year, graduating high level players and filling the gaps with up-and-coming athletes.
“Missy invests her heart and soul into the program and each and every athlete that comes through it,” Sullivan added. “She can tell you a story about each player and quickly recall their big moment from a Western Mass. championship match years ago. Missy personifies the core philosophies of Frontier athletics and she continues to do so at a high level as evidenced by her 300 wins. We are lucky to have her on our sidelines and we are looking forward to the team’s 2025 postseason run.”
The Red Hawks have become one of the premier field hockey programs in the entire state under Mahar’s guideship. Frontier has reached the MIAA Division 4 (previously the Division 2) Final Four eight times during Mahar’s tenure, including its most recent trip last season, when it fell to state-power Uxbridge, 5-0.
Three consecutive Western Mass. Class C titles also can be noted on Mahar’s distinguished resume with the Red Hawks, but similar to her initial reaction after learning of the milestone, Mahar shifted the focus to her players , before divulging into her own accomplishments over the years.
“I love seeing their expressions on their faces,” Mahar said. “After big games, after an opportunity to win a championship and just them light up, that’s what I come back for. It’s about them and seeing their hard work pay off and seeing the excitement it brings to them and the sense of team, unity. I’m really grateful and fortunate to be part of that.”
Some quick math reveals that Mahar has averaged 13 wins per season at Frontier since 2002 and this year’s club looks to be right on track. Friday’s victory bumped the Red Hawks’ record up to 11-3-2, so with the Western Mass. tournament and the MIAA tournament coming down the pike, Frontier will likely hit its lucky No. 13 before the season is through.
But how has Mahar managed such consistent results for more than two decades while hundreds of different athletes have passed through the program?
Constantly upping the standard.
“I like to, each season, go in, whether we’ve lost two seniors or six seniors, I like to hold them to the high expectations of coming in and working hard,” Mahar said. “I’m a true believer that hard work pays off and you can do and accomplish great things, working together.
“I really feel like I’ve seen the success in the athletes and to watch that transition year after year, them come together in preseason and then they start to figure it out toward the middle of the season, then postseason, it’s this cohesiveness,” Mahar added. “I think that growth is really rewarding to see as the season goes on in all these years.”
Despite already accumulating a career most field hockey coaches can only dream of, more milestones are likely in line for Mahar, who has no plans to hang up the whistle soon.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Mahar said.
As history as indicated, therefore, neither are the Red Hawks’ winning seasons.
Frontier field hockey head coach Missy Mahar poses for a photo with her team celebrating her 300th career win after defeating Westfield 4-1 on Friday afternoon in South Deerfield. 
Frontier head coach Missy Mahar coaches along the sideline against Westfield en route to completing her 300th career win after their 4-1 victory Friday afternoon in South Deerfield. 
Frontier head coach Missy Mahar coaches along the sideline against Westfield en route to completing her 300th career win after their 4-1 victory Friday afternoon in South Deerfield. 
Frontier head coach Missy Mahar coaches along the sideline against Westfield en route to completing her 300th career win after their 4-1 victory Friday afternoon in South Deerfield. 
Frontier field hockey head coach Missy Mahar received a commemorative clock celebrating her 300th career win after defeating Westfield 5-1 on Friday afternoon in South Deerfield.
