Doherty's guidance has seen Penn State reach six straight NCAA Tournaments and four NCAA Quarterfinals in that timespan including Penn State’s first Final Four in 17 years during the 2016 season. Doherty guided the Nittany Lions back to the Final Four in 2017.

In 2017 Doherty's team went 17-4 finishing second in the Big Ten and securing the second most single-season victories in program history and the most since 1989 when Penn State went 19-1. Doherty coached three IWLCA All-Americans during the 2017 season including the program's 43rd First-Team All-American, Steph Lazo, and the first in 13 seasons. Katie O'Donnell and Madison Carter earned second-team recognition.

In 2017 the Nittany Lions set program records for goals with 303 and points with 427 while their 124 assists were the second most in a single-season in program history. Penn State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and hosted the first three rounds advancing to its 11th Final Four in program history at Gillette Stadium.

In 2016 Doherty’s team went 14-7 finishing second in the Big Ten, but were upset in the first round of the Big Ten Championship Tournament by Northwestern, 9-6. Her squad earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and immediately caught fire outscoring their opponents 38-23 en route to the Final Four where they came up just one goal shy, bowing out to eventual National Champion North Carolina, 12-11. Doherty coached Madison Carter to the 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor while two players earned IWLCA All-America status and five earned IWLCA All-Region accolades. Penn State finished fourth in the final IWLCA national poll.

Doherty has led her Nittany Lion teams to double-digit wins each year since stepping foot on the University Park campus including a 16-5 mark in 2015 while capturing the Big Ten Tournament Championship with a 13-11 victory over Ohio State.

During that 2015 season, Doherty earned Big Ten Coach of the Year, ECAC Coach of the Year and IWLCA Regional Coach of the Year accolades Penn State went 13-1 late in the season to reach the NCAA Quarterfinals and narrowly missed the program's first semifinals appearance in 16 years. Doherty coached three IWLCA All-Americans, six IWLCA All-Region players and five All-Big Ten honorees including Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Emi Smith.