NCAA Division I Final Four Umpires Appointed

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After this past weekend’s NCAA Division I First and Second Round games, five USA Field Hockey Umpire Members have been selected to officiate at the NCAA Division I Semifinals and Final coming up this weekend. These individuals were selected based on their performance during the NCAA First and Second Rounds.

Mary Driscoll is an International Hockey Federation (FIH) Advancement Panel umpire who has been officiating since 2013. With 48 international games under her belt, her experience has grown on the international stage to include the FIH Women's Series Finals, Pan American Games, Pan American Cup, and many USA test series. Driscoll had the honor of officiating in the 2019 Pan American Games Final, her most recent international event. She has been officiating for the NCAA for eight years and this is her sixth Final Four appointment.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Division I Final Four this year with a talented group of Umpires,” said Driscoll. “I look forward to the exciting games and new memories!”

Mallory Federoff is USA’s newest face in the umpire scene. She only started officiating in 2016 and has one official international cap to her name and that was in a 2019 U.S. Women’s National Team test series against Canada in Lancaster, Pa. She is a USA Field Hockey Level II certified outdoor official who has a handful of experience within college field hockey. From 2017 through 2019, she started officiating at the Division I level and did the Division II Final Four, including being selected for the 2019 National Championship game. She umpired at the 2018 and 2019 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament and also officiated in the NCAA Division I First Round in 2019. In the fall of 2020, she was appointed to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament Semifinal. This spring, she officiated during the Big East Tournament, including the final game, as well as the NCAA Division I First and Second Round matches.

"I'm thrilled to be appointed to my first Division I Final Four,” said Federoff. “I was fortunate enough to participate as a player, and I'm very excited about experiencing the Division I Final Four from a different perspective. I look forward to working alongside an experienced crew and am happy the athletes have the opportunity to compete for a National Championship this year."

A FIH Olympic Games and International Panel umpire, Maggie Giddens got her start officiating in 2007, with the fall of 2008 being her first NCAA Division I season. She has been appointed to prominent international events over the years and has officiated in 124 international matches. These include the 2017 women’s Fintro Hockey World League Semifinals, 2017 Pan American Cup, 2018 Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, 2019 and 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro Leagues, and has been named to officiate at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This is Giddens’ sixth appointment to the Final Four.

“Tournament time is my favorite, as a player and as an umpire,” said Giddens. “I love being a part of this game at this point in the season and it is going to be an exciting competitive Big Ten/ACC showdown.”

Benjamin Peters, a FIH Advancement Panel umpire, has 40 international games experience, started officiating at the age of 15 and has since been traveling the world umpiring at various events. He received his international badge in 2012. In 2015, he was in California for the FIH Hockey World League Round 2, and in 2016 he was in Canada for the men’s Junior Pan American Championship. His coverage extended overseas when he officiated at the 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, 2018 South American Games in Bolivia, 2018 U-18 European Championships in Spain and 2019 men’s Hockey Series Finals in France. His most recent international tournament culminated in being the reserve umpire for the men's gold medal game at the 2019 Pan American Games. Peters has been officiating in the NCAA for 13 years and this is his second Final Four appearance.

“I am very grateful for this appointment,” commented Peters. “It has been the most unusual season and getting back to [field] hockey has been a much needed escape to normal life.”

Part of the FIH Pro League Panel, Suzi Sutton has officiated 126 international matches since first picking up a whistle in 2007. She has umpired all over the world after earning her international badge, including the 2015 women’s Pan American Games in Canada, 2016 women’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Chile, 2017, FIH Hockey World League Semifinals in South Africa, 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, 2018 Champions Trophy in China, 2019 FIH Women’s Series Finals in Japan and numerous USA test series. Sutton has officiated at two NCAA Final Four weekends since 2015 as a result of having international appointments fall during the same time.

“It is an honor to be selected to umpire these important games for these young athletes and collegiate staffs,” said Sutton. “As I reflect on umpiring field hockey during this unique year, my hope is that they valuable life lessons learned through sport will lead to one of these talented athletes/staff members making a positive difference in our world for others in the future.”

Taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. at Karen Shelton Stadium, the NCAA Division I Semifinals and Final will be held Friday, May 7 and Sunday, May 9. The first Semifinal will take place on May 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET between No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Iowa. The second Semifinal will take place at 4:00 p.m. ET between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Louisville. Both Semifinal games will be available on ESPN3. The NCAA Final will be held May 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET and will air on ESPNU.