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University of Victoria Athletics

University of Victoria Varsity Athletics

Krista Thompson

Krista Thompson enters her third season as the head coach of the Vikes women's field hockey program in 2025-26, being elevated to head coach January 20, 2023 following the retirement of head coach Lynne Beecroft.

Prior to leading the program, Thompson spent 26 years (1997-2022) as the assistant coach for the Vikes, helping guide the Vikes to eight U SPORTS national championship titles and nine Canada West conference banners in her time as an assistant. 

The Vikes captured their sixth-straight Canada West banner in 2024, posting a 5-1-2 record in Canada West play to win the conference. The Canada West title marked the 25th in program history for the Vikes, tying with UBC for most in Canada West history. With the national championship returning to a round robin format in 2024, the Vikes defeated Waterloo, UPEI, and York twice to go 4-0 and earn their sixth-straight national title, outscoring their opponents 11-0 over the four games. Maeve Connorton, Libby Hogg, and Chloe Langkammer earned Canada West All-Star honours, while Hogg was also named a U SPORTS All-Canadian in 2024.

The Vikes' first season under Thompson in 2023 resulted in a 4-1-3 record in Canada West play, clinching the program's third-straight conference banner and a berth to the U SPORTS Championships. Facing OUA Champion Toronto, the Vikes fell in a shootout in game one before bouncing back to win the next to games, 1-0 and 3-0, to win the best-of-three series and capture the program's fifth-straight U SPORTS title. Rebecca Stone was named the Canada West and U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, while Libby Hogg and Anni Kleinschmidt earned both Canada West All-Star and U SPORTS All-Canadian honours. Maeve Connorton was named a conference all-star.
 
Thompson has coached field hockey at the middle school, high school, regional, provincial, national, and international levels. In March, 2011 she was the recipient of the PISE Women in Sport - Female Coach of the Year. Thompson is Vancouver Island's regional high performance girls head coach for Field Hockey BC and has coached multiple provincial team programs. Thompson travelled with the senior team as they competed in the 2014 XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and has been a staff member on numerous tours. 

Prior to embarking on her coaching career, Thompson was an outstanding goalkeeper for the University of New Brunswick Red Sticks from 1991-1995. She was also a member of Canadian Junior National team from 1992-1993, as well as a member of the Canadian Senior National team from 1994-2001.

Thompson graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Physical Education in Sports Science in 1996. She earned her NCCP level 4 coaching certification from the National Coaching Institute in 2000, and her Masters of Coaching Studies from the University of Victoria in 2003.
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