Saint Francis field hockey head coach Maria Bettiana Ceretta has resigned to return to her native country of Uruguay to be closer to her family and run her family's farm. Ceretta has been the Red Flash head coach since 2017 and helped the team return to Northeast Conference (NEC) action with back-to-back tournament appearances in the last two campaigns.

"We cannot thank Betta enough for her many contributions to the institution and the athletic department," said Saint Francis Director of Athletics James Downer. "There is no question that her tireless efforts elevated the field hockey program during her tenure, culminating in arguably the most successful season in school history this past season and her recognition as Northeast Conference Coach of the Year. Betta will be missed greatly but we are so appreciative of her many accomplishments and her dedication to Saint Francis University. We wish her nothing but the best and know she will be the program's biggest fan moving forward."

Ceretta leaves with the second-most wins in team history with 47 wins and a combined 23-22 record in conference play with three seasons each in the Atlantic-10 and three seasons in the NEC. She boasts a 13-8 record in the NEC in that time and finished with a 5-2 league mark in the last two seasons to advance to the postseason. The 5-2 record is the second-best mark in team history in NEC play, and the 2023 team was seeded second, which tied the 2012 team for the best seed in team history. Last season, the team also won 10 games for the fifth time in program history. For her efforts for the 2023 season, Ceretta was named the NEC Coach of the Year, the third head coach to bestow that honor.

"It has been my pleasure to be part of the Saint Francis family for seven fantastic years," said Ceretta. "The program grew and flourished in these years, and I am proud of each student-athlete I had the honor to coach. I will miss everyone, but moving back to Uruguay is the right decision for my parents and me. I am very grateful to Saint Francis for allowing me to be the head coach and impact so many student-athletes' lives. Thank you, Jim Brazill, for your support during the 2023-24 season when I didn't have an assistant coach.

Her players were twice named to the All-NEC first team and five times selected to the All-NEC second team, garnering six NEC Offensive Player of the Week awards, four NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors, and eight NEC Rookie of the Week distinctions.

"I want to thank the Red Flash families for their support during these seven years," Ceretta continued. "Getting to know you, your daughters, and your extended families was a pleasure! I will continue supporting Red Flash field hockey from Uruguay. Once a Red Flash, Always a Red Flash!! Remember #bettertogether!"

Along with her success on the field, her teams have defined the student-athlete with their work in the classroom. Over the last three years, her players have collected 64 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad recognition, while 16 times a player was named an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. For 2021, the team had a program record of 22 players selected to the National Honor Squad and 10 named Scholars of Distinction. The 2021 and 2023 team also won the NFHCA Team Academic Award. Also, her players were named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll 62 times in the last three years with 33 NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll selections.