CLEVELAND, Ohio – Synapse Sports has revealed its national postseason specialty awards for the 2025 NCAA Field Hockey season. Miami RedHawks' head coach Iñako Puzo has been named National Field Hockey Coach of the Year while midfielder Malena Sabez has been selected as National Freshman of the Year.
Puzo joins Enrico Blasi (Ice Hockey, 2005-06, 2009-10), George Gwozdecky (Ice Hockey, 1992-93) and Vicki Korn (Synchronized Skating, 1997/1999/2007) as the only coaches in Miami history to garner national coach of the year accolades.
"This is an extremely well-deserved honor," Miami University President Gregory Crawford said. "Coach Puzo has continually raised the bar for excellence through numerous MAC championships, Coach of the Year honors, All-MAC honorees, and the program's first Elite Eight appearance this season. We are proud of the standard Coach Puzo, the coaching staff, and the players have set for Miami University field hockey and grateful for Coach Puzo's hard work and dedication."
Puzo and the RedHawks captured their 17th straight MAC Championship (nine regular season, eight tournament titles) en route to 16 victories, the fifth-highest win total in the nation this past season. The 2025 MAC Coach of the Year helped propel the RedHawks directly into the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history and added a 2-1 win at No. 4 Virginia to advance to the Elite Eight, also a first in program history.
The RedHawks led the country in scoring with 251 points and were one of two teams this season to post 80 goals and 80 assists, all while competing against the nation's 14th-toughest schedule. Overall, Miami led the nation in goals per game, assists per game and points per game. The RedHawks finished second in scoring margin and fifth in penalty corners per game.
"Iñako, above anything else, believes," said Kylie Coughlin, a junior on the field hockey team. "He believes in the 26 Miami field hockey players more than anyone else in this field hockey community. He leads us as the champions that he believes that we are, and that belief is what drives our success. The culture that he has created is a family, and he treats us as such. A family where each person is free to be uniquely themselves. He knows each of our individual personalities well enough to know exactly when to encourage us, challenge us, keep us humble, or sing our praises. He is a unique leader who has built a unique family, one that generations of women, including myself, are incredibly proud to be part of."
Miami finished 2025 ranked 10th in RPI, a 15-spot increase from 2024.
Puzo is 187-129 in 15 years as head coach of the field hockey team and has earned six MAC Coach of the Year awards. He has produced 77 All-MAC performers, 10 MAC Player of the Year award winners, six MAC Freshman of the Year honorees and one MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Malena Sabez continues to add accolades to her trophy case in her first year as a member of the Miami University field hockey team. In addition to being named Rookie of the Year by Synapse Sports, she has also garnered All-American honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association and was named Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Sabez finished the year with 25 goals, second most in the country and scored at least one goal in 15 different contests. Her 25 goals are second-most in program history for a single season. She scored five goals in a win over Ball State and added a hat trick at Kent State earlier this year. The freshman scored four goals over a three-game stretch in the MAC Tournament and added goals versus No. 4 Virginia and Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament.
