Central Michigan University Athletics
Field Hockey Names Ashley Cogger and Kylee Niswonger to 2026 Coaching Staff
3/16/2026 12:05:00 PM | Field Hockey
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan Head Field Hockey Coach Kelly Terwilliger announced the hire of Ashley Cogger and Kylee Niswonger to her coaching staff Monday.
"I'm excited to welcome Kylee Niswonger and Ashley Cogger to our staff at Central Michigan," Head Coach Terwilliger said of the hires.
Hailing from San Diego, Calif., Cogger concluded her collegiate goalkeeping career with the Chippewas as a graduate student in 2025. Prior to Central Michigan, Cogger spent four years as a keeper for Temple. She earned Mid-American Conference Keeper of the Week leading into the MAC tournament after a weekend of back-to-back wins over Bellarmine (Oct. 31) and Michigan State (Nov. 2).
Over her lone season as a Chippewa, she posted a .786 save percentage and averaged 2.64 goals allowed per game. She totaled 154 saves over 19 games, averaging 8.11 saves per game, the second most in the MAC.
"Ashley knows what it means to be a Chippewa. As an All-MAC goalkeeper, she competed with pride, toughness, and a deep commitment to this program. She brings that same energy and connection back to our staff. Ashley understands our expectations and will play a huge role in developing our goalkeepers and helping drive the culture we're building here."
After the 2025 season ended, Cogger served as a student assistant coach for the Chippewas and is currently completing a master of science in exercise physiology at CMU.
Kylee Niswonger, from Dexter, Mich., graduated with a bachelor of arts in psychology in May 2025, after a four-year career as a midfielder at Maryland. She has most-recently served as the head coach of Ann Arbor Skyline Field Hockey along with positions for Next Level Field Hockey, the All-American Field Hockey Camp, and Pinnacle Field Hockey. As an athlete at Maryland, Niswonger was an athlete-to-athlete mentor where she guided young athletes through the recruiting process.
As an athlete, Niswonger recorded six goals and four assists, started 25 of her 82 games and averaged 27.4 minutes per game throughout her career. Her senior year she saw a significant increase in minutes to average 42.0 per game.
"Kylee is a competitor. She has trained and played in elite environments and understands the level of preparation and toughness it takes to win. What stood out to me immediately was her energy, her attention to detail, and her commitment to developing players the right way. She's going to push our athletes, challenge our standards, and be a major part of building the culture we're creating here at Central Michigan."
Central Michigan returns to the field this spring with six exhibition matches featuring four Big Ten opponents. The Chippewas will play over three weekends, with four games between April 11 and April 12 in Evanston, Ill.
FULL 2026 SPRING EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, April 4: Michigan – Ann Arbor, Mich.
Saturday, April 11: Iowa – Evanston, Ill.
Saturday, April 11: Louisville – Evanston, Ill.
Sunday, April 12: Indiana – Evanston, Ill.
Sunday, April 12: Ohio State – Evanston, Ill.
Saturday, April 18: Chippewa Classic – Mount Pleasant, Mich.
"I'm excited to welcome Kylee Niswonger and Ashley Cogger to our staff at Central Michigan," Head Coach Terwilliger said of the hires.
Hailing from San Diego, Calif., Cogger concluded her collegiate goalkeeping career with the Chippewas as a graduate student in 2025. Prior to Central Michigan, Cogger spent four years as a keeper for Temple. She earned Mid-American Conference Keeper of the Week leading into the MAC tournament after a weekend of back-to-back wins over Bellarmine (Oct. 31) and Michigan State (Nov. 2).
Over her lone season as a Chippewa, she posted a .786 save percentage and averaged 2.64 goals allowed per game. She totaled 154 saves over 19 games, averaging 8.11 saves per game, the second most in the MAC.
"Ashley knows what it means to be a Chippewa. As an All-MAC goalkeeper, she competed with pride, toughness, and a deep commitment to this program. She brings that same energy and connection back to our staff. Ashley understands our expectations and will play a huge role in developing our goalkeepers and helping drive the culture we're building here."
After the 2025 season ended, Cogger served as a student assistant coach for the Chippewas and is currently completing a master of science in exercise physiology at CMU.
Kylee Niswonger, from Dexter, Mich., graduated with a bachelor of arts in psychology in May 2025, after a four-year career as a midfielder at Maryland. She has most-recently served as the head coach of Ann Arbor Skyline Field Hockey along with positions for Next Level Field Hockey, the All-American Field Hockey Camp, and Pinnacle Field Hockey. As an athlete at Maryland, Niswonger was an athlete-to-athlete mentor where she guided young athletes through the recruiting process.
As an athlete, Niswonger recorded six goals and four assists, started 25 of her 82 games and averaged 27.4 minutes per game throughout her career. Her senior year she saw a significant increase in minutes to average 42.0 per game.
"Kylee is a competitor. She has trained and played in elite environments and understands the level of preparation and toughness it takes to win. What stood out to me immediately was her energy, her attention to detail, and her commitment to developing players the right way. She's going to push our athletes, challenge our standards, and be a major part of building the culture we're creating here at Central Michigan."
Central Michigan returns to the field this spring with six exhibition matches featuring four Big Ten opponents. The Chippewas will play over three weekends, with four games between April 11 and April 12 in Evanston, Ill.
FULL 2026 SPRING EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, April 4: Michigan – Ann Arbor, Mich.
Saturday, April 11: Iowa – Evanston, Ill.
Saturday, April 11: Louisville – Evanston, Ill.
Sunday, April 12: Indiana – Evanston, Ill.
Sunday, April 12: Ohio State – Evanston, Ill.
Saturday, April 18: Chippewa Classic – Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Field HockeyField Hockey vs Kent State
Sunday, October 19
Field Hockey vs Appalachian State
Friday, October 10
Field Hockey vs Ohio
Sunday, September 28
Field Hockey vs James Madison
Friday, September 19