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Women in Sports Night Panel

Have you ever wondered what it takes to break into the sports industry? 
 
Whether you’re a college student figuring out your next steps or someone ready to pivot into a new career, this event is for you.
 
Join us for the Women in Sports Panel —a dynamic, inspiring evening where five women from different sports backgrounds will share their journeys: how they got started, the obstacles they faced, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Event Details:

Date: Friday, February 13th, 2026
Time: 5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
Location: The Railyard at the DCU Center
Entry Point: Door 4A
 
Hosted by Natalie Noury, NESN

Admission is free with a game ticket. - Link for panel HERE 

 
After the panel, stick around for the game—puck drops at 7:05 PM!
This is your chance to hear from trailblazing women who’ve been where you are and are ready to share their stories. Bring your curiosity, your dreams, and maybe even a notebook—you won’t want to miss this.
 
We can’t wait to see you there!

Meet the panelists:

Tara Martinek

Tara Martinek

ECHL | Director of Marketing & Team Business Services
Tara Martinek enters her fifth season with the ECHL in 2025-26, and her second as the Director of Marketing and Team Business Services. She spent her first two seasons as the League's Office Manager/Marketing Assistant before being named Manager of Marketing and Team Business Services for the 2023-24 season.
 
Martinek oversees the marketing department on licensing, sponsorship program coordination and all planning for League-hosted events, while also being responsible for compiling and distributing internal League reports, administering the sales consulting and training program for Member Teams, and coordinating the ECHL Ticket Sales Management University curriculum, amongst various other tasks provided by the League’s Team Services Department.
 
She joined the ECHL after completing her Master’s Degree in Global Sports Business at Rutgers University. Martinek has previous experience with Rutgers Athletics, the United States Amateur Baseball League, PGA of America - NJ Section and Monmouth Race Track. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management from Rutgers.
Juliane Mahoney

Juliane Mahoney

New England Revolution | Multicultural Engagement Senior Specialist

Juliane Mahoney is the Multicultural Engagement Senior Specialist for the New England Revolution, serving as a vital bridge between the club’s diverse international roster and the many cultural communities across New England. Now in her fourth season with the team, she leads the club’s multicultural programming through heritage nights, matchday activations, community events, fan engagement initiatives, and digital storytelling. A native of Brazil, Juliane brings a unique background in journalism and communications that enriches her approach to cultural connection, soccer passion, and community impact.

Josie Schmidt

Josie Schmidt

PWHL | Manager, Partnerships Services
Bridget D'Amelio

Bridget D'Amelio

Anna Maria College | Women's Flag Football Coach
Bridget D’Amelio is the inaugural Head Coach of Women’s Flag Football at Anna Maria College. Women’s flag football is an emerging collegiate sport, and Anna Maria is poised to be among the first four-year institutions in New England to offer this opportunity to women, with its inaugural season set for Spring 2027.
D’Amelio joins Anna Maria after coaching at Wachusett Regional High School and in the Leominster Flag Football League. She played a key role in developing the Wachusett program, helping grow the roster from nine athletes in its first year to 30 in its second. Under her leadership, the team improved its record from 8–8 to 14–2, earning a second place ranking in the Central/West Conference and fourth in the state.
Passionate about expanding women’s flag football across New England and nationwide, D’Amelio has been actively involved in efforts toward MIAA sanctioning. Her goal is to empower young women by providing opportunities to showcase their strength and abilities through sport while helping them reach their fullest potential. At Anna Maria, she hopes to create more than just a team, her goal is to build a program where young women can discover their strength, develop their talents, and grow into their best versions of themselves through the game of flag football.
Karen Tessmer

Karen Tessmer

Worcester State | Associate AD, Senior Women Administrator, Head Women's Basketball Coach
When every season your team is a top contender for the conference championship, there’s a reason...for the Worcester State Lancers that reason is Karen Tessmer. Since her tenure as Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Associate Athletic Director at Worcester State began in 1994, Coach Tessmer’s dedication and commitment to the success of the Lancers is clear.

Coach Tessmer joined Worcester State with an extensive and impressive coaching and recruiting background. She coached on the Division I level for six years, first with James Madison University, a team that competed in the NCAA Regional's two straight years and was ranked in the top 10. She then assisted at George Washington University for two years, a team that also received votes in the top 20 polls during her tenure. Prior to joining Worcester State, Karen was the First Assistant at Ivy League power, Dartmouth College, where she brought in many prized recruits and saw her team rise to be Ivy League Champions.

 
Coach Tessmer has been named MASCAC Coach of the Year five times during her tenure at Worcester State, most recently during the 2018-19 season, in which she led the Lancers to the MASCAC title game as Regular Season Co-Champions. She also received the award in the 2016-17 season, helping her team to the third seed in the MASCAC and a first-round home game, in 2012-13 for earning second place in the conference, in 2006 for capturing the leagues regular season title after graduating four seniors (three starters) the year before, and in 1998 for turning around a program that hadn't seen a winning season since 1990. In 2018, Tessmer earned her 300th career win at Worcester State in a conference game against MCLA.

 
Indeed, no one at Worcester State holds the same eye for detail and possesses such pure motivation as Coach Tessmer. Her teams are perennial conference contenders and have always qualified for the MASCAC tournament since her first season.  Under Karen's guidance, the Lancers have made three MASCAC Tournament championship game appearances in 2000, 2003, and 2010 and earned a pair of berths to the ECAC Division III New England Tournament in 2005 and 2010. Tessmer also earned her 200th career win during the 2009-10 season.

 
Of even greater importance to Coach Tessmer is the academic success of her teams and players. She closely monitors her players’ academic progress and has coached numerous Presidential Scholars and All-Academic players. Her teams are also involved in numerous campus and community service projects. Further, Tessmer’s friendships with numerous women's basketball alumnae demonstrates her lasting, positive influence on players.

Karen is former Chair of the NCAA Division III Basketball Committee and the NCAA D3 Recruiting Working Group, which analyzed issues affecting recruiting throughout the division, she is a past-President of the Worcester Area College Basketball Association, a past-President of the New England Women’s Basketball Association, served on the WBCA Board of Directors, Legislative Chair and past member on the Executive Board of the MAIAW. She most recently was the chair of the NCAA Division III Championships Committee from 2021-25 . She continues to serve the WBCA as a Conference Captain and frequently speaks at the Coaching Convention Roundtables. 

 
Coach Tessmer received her Master’s Degree in education while at James Madison University. She attended Gettysburg College for her undergraduate degree in health and physical education, graduating Cum Laude and with departmental honors. As a player for Gettysburg, Karen captained teams that competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament and were ranked as high as 12th in the country. She was selected third team All-American, awarded All-Conference honors, and still reigns as the all-time assist leader in school history. Karen also captained and was the starting centerfielder on the Gettysburg softball team, which qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament. She earned All-Conference honors in softball as well. Topping off Tessmer’s athletic achievements is her well-deserved 1997 induction into the Gettysburg College Hall of Fame and her '83-84 NCAA Team was honored in 2009 as well.

 
As an Associate Athletic Director for Worcester State, Tessmer is responsible for NCAA eligibility for all sports, student-athlete retention, and academic supervision. She is also a part-time faculty member at the university and participates regularly as a speaker for leadership seminars and events on campus. 

Coach Tessmer will continually set high standards for her team and strive for excellence within the women’s basketball program. Worcester State is proud to have her on their staff.

 
Tessmer is also the proud mom to her daughter, Lily, the Lancers' biggest fan and current pole vaulter at Ashland University in Ohio.
Natalie Noury

Natalie Noury

Sideline reporter and host for the PWHL, Hockey East, and the Worcester Red Sox on NESN

Natalie currently serves as a TV sideline reporter and host for the PWHL, Hockey East, and the Worcester Red Sox on NESN. She has worked in the sports broadcast industry for eight years, starting her career in college at the University of New Hampshire, where she began working with NESN. After college, she spent two and a half years in local news working in Duluth, Minnesota (FOX 21), and Providence, Rhode Island (ABC 6), before deciding to freelance full-time in 2023. Since then, she has been part of the talent team for the first-ever all-female broadcast of the Boston Red Sox in 2025, the first ever all-female broadcast at the TD Garden for the Dunkin Women's Beanpot in 2024 (as well as 2025, and 2026), and has been seen on multiple shows and broadcasts covering the Red Sox and New England hockey on NESN. 

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