T
he American University women’s lacrosse team was in something of a bind. After American released former coach Jenna Petrucelli from her contract in December, the Eagles needed a coach before the start of their season.
Athletic director Billy Walker, needing someone with a history of strong leadership, turned to Maureen Breslin to be the interim coach. Breslin, the assistant dean of online programs for the Kogod School of Business, had never coached collegiate lacrosse.
She was an assistant field hockey coach from 2003-06 and a lacrosse and field hockey coach when she was a high school teacher in Pennsylvania. She played four years of field hockey at Bucknell and one year of lacrosse.
Despite not having the resume of other Division I women’s lacrosse coaches, Breslin said she had no reservations about taking the position in an interim capacity.
“Any reservations I had were allayed by the assurance of Dr. Walker that Lindsey Ronbeck and Alix Lopez, the assistant coaches, were very strong,” Breslin said. “Had I not been confident in Alix and Lindsay, I had would have had more reservations. My role was to come in, help provide leadership, move the team forward and support Lindsey and Alix as new professionals.”
Move the team forward she did.
Breslin didn’t have fall ball. She didn’t have much time to get to know her players before the season started in February. Remembering names and learning about individual skills occupied much of her first few days with the program — all while doing her best to put her personal touch on the team’s identity.
“I think it was really a basis of being very honest with them and being very direct,” Breslin said. “My approach and my philosophy were, ‘I am here to help you achieve your goal. You can ask me anything, but everything we do together is going to be focused on that goal of winning and making it to the Patriot League tournament.’”
The focus?
“What do we control and how do we stay focused on what we can control? We can control our play, our effort and how we work together as a team,” Breslin said.
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So much of what went right for American during this shortened 2020 season had to do with the players on the field, but perhaps it started with the leadership at the top.
“[Breslin] made it a really good team environment,” junior attacker Emma Vinall said. “Our team got so much closer this spring. We grew such a great team culture with her.”
Petrucelli was let go in December after a university investigation concluded that she had committed violations of university policy. Freshman Shaylah Devlin, who transferred from American in December, said Petrucelli had created a “toxic and fearful environment,” according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Eagle.
“I think we were in a space where our team was facing a lot of obstacles and challenges, and Coach Breslin brought resolve and leadership,” senior attacker Casey Harkins said. “She really stepped into that position when we needed someone. She brought a ton of positivity to help get us through each practice, day by day.”
That positivity proved crucial in mid-March.
On March 10, after a 19-9 win over Presbyterian, Breslin told her team that classes had been moved online due to rising concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. A day later, Breslin told them that Lafayette, their next opponent, had suspended athletics. Thursday morning, she told them the Ivy League had canceled all spring athletics. Then, the big news dropped.
The Patriot League — and subsequently, the NCAA — had canceled everything.
“Dr. Walker and I delivered that news to the team Thursday morning in the locker room,” Breslin said. “Once I told the team that we would meet in the locker room rather than out on the field, I think they knew. We have incredibly smart women on our team, so I think they understood.
“I told them, ‘‘We have done everything we could this season to do what was in our control.’”
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What American did was go 7-0, its best start ever and the first time the Eagles produced an undefeated non-conference schedule.
Against Presbyterian, which ultimately proved to be the Eagles’ final game, Harkins and Vinall closed 2020 in grand fashion.
Harkins set single-game program records with 11 assists and 12 points and also notched her 34th assist of the season, a single-season record. She passed Erica Skowron in all three categories.
Vinall scored nine goals, a single-game program best.
“During that game, I had no idea of any of those previous records beforehand,” Harkins said. “I was just playing. Our game before that against Wofford, I don’t think we played to our full potential, so I just wanted to go out and prove the type of team we are.”
Breslin said it’s unfortunate that this group didn’t get to prove itself against its Patriot League rivals. The remaining nine games on American’s schedule were against conference foes, and contests against undefeated Loyola on March 25 and undefeated Army on March 28 would have served as litmus tests to see just how good this American team was.
“We didn’t know it would be our last game, but we played like it was,” Vinall said.
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Now, the future is somewhat uncertain for American.
Harkins, who is preparing for a career in public health, is unsure if she’ll take the extra year of eligibility afforded by the NCAA due to the unexpected circumstances. And Breslin, who said she loved her time with the program, won’t return next season as coach. She made it clear from the beginning that her position as coach was truly in an interim capacity.
“I have so enjoyed working with the team this year,” Breslin said. “It reminded me and encouraged me to reflect on how important athletics are and what it meant for me. I played four years of field hockey and was a starter and how much that experience has impacted my professional career.
“[On Tuesday], the position was formally posted, and as a new coach is hired, I will be there to support that coach with anything I can do to support and help them.”
Even though she only spent two-plus months with the program, players said her impact could last much longer.
“Maureen did a good job of holding our team together all year,” Vinall said. “Obviously, she was our interim coach, but for the short time she was here, we all appreciated her stepping in.”
Breslin will still be at the university in her role with the Kogod School of Business, so her Eagles lacrosse players will never be too far away.
“I’m really hopeful that our success this season attracts the head coach this team deserves,” she said.