The IWLCA has named the 2019 National and Regional Coaches of the Year in Division I, II, and III. All three National Coaches of the Year led their teams to the NCAA Championship in 2019. All winners will be honored at the IWLCA Annual Meetings held November 20-22, 2019 at the Hilton West Palm Beach.
IWLCA National Coach of the Year – Division I
Cathy Reese, University of Maryland
Cathy Reese led her Maryland team to another banner year in 2019, as the Terrapins won their 15th National Championship and fifth under the 13-year head coach. Beyond the team’s national championship, fifth-straight Big Ten Regular Season Championship, undefeated regular season and seventh-straight year without losing a game at home, Reese racked up numerous personal accomplishments. The Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fourth year in a row, Reese became Maryland lacrosse’s all-time winningest coach, now standing with a 270-22 record, won her 300th career game in the National Semifinal vs. Northwestern, and was selected for induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame and the DC Sports Hall of Fame. Reese coached her eighth Tewaaraton winner and first ever goalie to win the award, Megan Taylor, who was also named the IWLCA National Player of the Year, the IWLCA National Defender of the Year and Big Ten Defender of the Year Julia Braig, the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and Tewaaraton Finalist Jen Giles and a program record seven All-Americans.
IWLCA National Coach of the Year – Division II
Pat McCabe, Adelphi University
In his fifth season as head coach at Adelphi University, Pat McCabe led his team back to the National Championship, earning the program’s ninth Division II title and second of his career. The team went 12-1 in Northeast-10 Conference play and 19-3 overall. They earned their spot in the championship game on the heels of McCabe’s 100th career win (a 17-10 victory over undefeated Regis University). The program was fourth in Division II for scoring defense (7.14) and ranked sixth in both assists per game and winning percentage. Junior Kole Pollock was announced as Division II Attacker of the Year as well as overall Player of the Year for the 2019 campaign. She finished her decorated season being named NCAA Tournament MVP, with a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team, was also named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist for lacrosse and was named a First Team All-American. Joining her on the all-tournament team were four others, as senior midfielder Chelsea Abreu closed out her career at Adelphi being named NE10 Woman of the Year. Four players were named to IWLCA Division II All-American teams and two were selected for the IWCLA Senior All-Star Game, and were included in six NE10 All-Conference selections.
IWLCA National Coach of the Year – Division III
Kate Livesay, Middlebury College
Livesay guided the Panthers to the program’s second NCAA Championship in the last four years and seventh overall in 2019. Middlebury finished the spring on a 22-game winning streak, tying a program single-season record 22 wins (22-1). The Panthers claimed their 10th overall NESCAC Championship after earning the top seed in the NESCAC Tournament following a 9-1 record in league action. Middlebury played against one of the toughest schedules in the country, playing 16 contests against teams ranked in the top 25 nationally. The Panther offense finished third in the NESCAC, averaging 14.35 goals per contest and concluded with a program record 330 tallies in 2019. Middlebury led the conference in ground balls with 453 and caused turnovers with 245, while boasting the top scoring defense in the league, allowing just 6.77 goals per game. The goals per contest allowed placed the Panthers 12th in Division III, while their 7.58 goal differential was 22nd.
2019 IWLCA Regional Coaches of the Year
Division I
Mid Atlantic Region
Chris Sailer – Princeton University
Chris Sailer led Princeton to the 2019 Ivy League regular-season and tournament championships and then coached her team to a pair of NCAA tournament wins before falling to Boston College in the quarterfinals. The Hall-of-Fame coach opened the season with a victory over Temple, making her the second Division I coach ever to reach 400 wins. After a 5-3 start that included an Ivy League loss to Brown, Sailer righted the ship and led her team to 11 straight wins, her longest winning streak in 15 years, including five straight Ivy wins, including against the other three teams that reached the conference tournament all on the road. The Ivy League championship was the sixth straight for the Tigers, and the Ivy League tournament title was her fifth in the 10 years of the event. Princeton finished the season 16-4, and eight of those wins came against teams that reached the NCAA tournament.
Northeast Region
Danielle Spencer, Dartmouth College
In 2019, Spencer guided the Big Green to its first Ivy title since 2011, tying Princeton for the top spot in the conference standings. Dartmouth would also earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, a first for the program since 2013. Along the way, Spencer's 2019 team set a wealth of program and Ivy League records. The 272 goals and 401 total points both set new program standards, while the 312 draw controls set a new Ivy standard and eclipsed the old mark by more than 50. In total, eight players received All-Ivy honors under her guidance, while Spencer was honored with her second straight Ivy League Coach of the Year honor, once again shared with the Tigers' Chris Sailer.
South Region
Cathy Reese, University of Maryland
See bio above.
West/Midwest Region
Kelly Amonte Hiller – Northwestern University
In her eighteenth season as the Northwestern Combe Family Head Coach, Kelly Amonte Hiller led her team to the programs first ever Big Ten Championship title and their farthest NCAA tournament run since 2014. The Wildcats finished 16-5 on the season, reaching the 2019 NCAA Semifinal game. Amonte Hiller was named the 2019 Co-Big Ten Coach of the Year after handing top-ranked Maryland their second Big Ten loss since joining the conference. In the 2019 season, Amonte Hiller coached the ‘Cats to two Big Ten Player of the Year awards, a Tewaaraton Finalist, a Honda Sport Award Finalist, 12 Big Ten Player of the week awards, three IWLCA Player of the Week awards, five IWLCA All-Region Selections, four All-Big Ten Selections, 21 Academic All-Big Ten Honorees, four Inside Lacrosse All-Americans, three IWLCA All-Americans and an Elite 90 winner. In the regular season, the Wildcats amassed seven top-20 wins including Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, Penn, Duke and Syracuse before ending the season ranked #4 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll.
Division II
Atlantic Region
Ginny Martino, West Chester University
Ginny Martino guided the West Chester Golden Rams to their second straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular-season and postseason tournament titles. She earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in the 20 years of the tournament’s existence and engineered a run to the national championship game for the 10th time, before bowing to Adelphi in the title clash. For her efforts, she was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Coach of the Year, after authoring a 20-3 record overall on the season. The team’s 20 victories tied the school’s single-season mark set by the 2008 national champs – also coached by Martino. She was then selected to coach the North Squad in the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game in Maryland. She coached the PSAC Player of the Year and Philly-SIDA Performer of the Year (Maggie Stella), seven all-conference selections, six all-region picks and four IWLCA All-Americans this spring. The NCAA Division II all-time wins leader (331) averages an appearance in the national championship game every other season (10 appearances in 20 years of the DII Tournament) in which she coaches.
East Region
Pat McCabe, Adelphi University
See bio above.
Midwest Region
Sarah Kellner, Regis University
Kellner led the Rangers to a historic 2019 season in which the team finished the year 20-1, which is the best single-season record to date for any Regis team. The 20 wins are the most in a single season for RU, and the .952 win percentage was the highest winning percentage in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II women’s lacrosse. Regis won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) regular season crown for the first time in team history with a perfect 16-0 record. The team captured their third RMAC Tournament Championship, advancing to the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Championship Semifinals for the second-consecutive year. Regis had nine players named to All-RMAC teams including the RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year, Elle Crawford, and the RMAC Attacker of the Year, Kyleigh Peoples. Kellner was named RMAC Coach of the Year for her incredible 2019 season. The team’s final ranking of No. 3 was the best in program history.
South Region
Clare Short, Queens University
In her third season as head coach at Queens University of Charlotte, Clare Short led the Royals to their best season in program history. The Royals recorded a record setting 19 wins during the year going on a program best 16-game winning streak. They finished the year with a 19-3 record after advancing to the NCAA DII Women’s Lacrosse Championship Semifinals for the first time in program history. The Royals also won their fifth South Atlantic Conference regular season title and their sixth straight SAC Championship title before advancing to the NCAA Championships for the third time in four seasons. At the close of the regular season, Coach Short was honored as the 2019 SAC Coach of the Year for this first time in her career, and four athletes were named all-Americans at the end of the postseason which is the most in program history. Additionally, Queens notched notable wins over a then third-ranked Tampa team and a then seventh-ranked Rollins team en route to the national semifinals. Queens completed the season with the second ranked scoring offense in the nation as nine players recorded 25-plus points on the season. The Royals also finished the season ranked No. 5 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll after beginning the 2019 season not ranked at all.
Division III
Berkshire Region
Kim Williams, Wesleyan University
Kim Williams led Wesleyan University to its greatest season in program history in 2019. Williams took over a struggling program four years ago, one that had never reached the NCAA Tournament before, but now, the Cardinals are national contenders. They have qualified for the national postseason three years in a row despite playing in the ultra-competitive NESCAC. This spring, Wesleyan advanced to the Final Four by defeating No. 9 Mary Washington, No. 2 Washington and Lee, and the two-time defending national champions, No. 1 Gettysburg on the road. The Cardinals finished fourth overall in the country with a program-best 17-4 overall record, while also going a program-best 8-2 in the NESCAC. Of the four losses, two were against the eventual national champions, Middlebury, and the other two were against Final Four contender Tufts. Wesleyan also finished the season with an 11-4 record against top-25 teams. Williams coached a program record four All-Americans and a program record four All-NESCACselections. Additionally, junior All-American Abby Manning set single season program records in points (84) and goals (69), while leading the conference in both categories.
Boardwalk Region
Chrissy Trescavage – University of Scranton
Returning to the bench after a two-year hiatus from coaching in 2019, Trescavage led Scranton to their best season in program history, as the Royals finished with a 16-3 mark. The Royals also ascended into the IWLCA Top 25 for the first time in program history throughout the course of the season, finishing the 2019 campaign ranked 20th nationally. Runners-up in the Landmark Conference for the fourth straight season, Scranton’s three losses came to teams who finished ranked in the final IWLCA Division III poll, as the Royals scored in double-figures in all but one game on the season, while allowing single digits goals 10 times throughout the course of the year. Trescavage also guided six players to IWLCA All-Boardwalk Region selections and junior Becca Russo to a selection on the IWLCA Division III All-American Second Team, becoming just the second Scranton player in program history to earn All-American accolades.
Chesapeake Region
Brooke O’Brien, Washington and Lee University
O’Brien led the Generals to an 18-3 overall record in 2019, which included a program-tying 15-game winning streak. The Blue and White claimed its 10th straight ODAC title in early May and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals. The 18 wins are the second-most in program history behind only the 2017 O’Brien led squad that went 19-2, and this year’s team was second in Division III in turnovers per game (11.86). The Generals also set a program record for goals in a season (351) and had the fourth-most goals in Division III this year. O’Brien was named the ODAC and VaSID Coach of the Year this campaign, as the team went undefeated at home (9-0). W&L earned four victories over Top 20 schools this season and the team finished the year ranked eighth in the IWLCA Coaches Poll.
Empire Region
Anne Phillips, William Smith College
Phillips guided the Herons to a 17-3 overall record and their fourth consecutive Liberty League title in 2019. With a roster comprised of 21 first-years or sophomores, William Smith was 10-0 in conference play during the regular season and earned the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The 17 wins this season are the second most in a season in program history. Phillips’ charges earned a league- high six All-Liberty League honors, including the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year. The Herons finished 17th in the nation scoring defense (7.1 gpg). William Smith’s 12-11 win over Ithaca in the Liberty League Championship game was Phillip’s 200th win of her career.
Great Lakes Region
Amanda Daniels, Denison University
In 2019, Daniels and the Big Red rolled through the NCAC with another perfect 8-0 record. The team finished the year with a 16-5 record while facing one of the most difficult schedules in school history. Four of Denison's five losses came against nationally ranked opponents and on March 22, the Big Red defeated No. 23 Rowan, 16-15 in overtime. In the postseason awards, Jane Goodspeed was named to the IWLCA All-American team for the second time while repeating at the NCAC's Defensive Player of the Year. First-year Casey McTague was named the NCAC's Newcomer of the Year. Denison qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 21st time and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fifth time.
Metro Region
Jen Muston - York College
Jen Muston led the 2019 York College women’s lacrosse squad to a school-record 17 wins, their first-ever Capital Athletic Conference tournament championship and the program’s third straight NCAA Elite Eight appearance. Muston made her 12th year at the helm of the program one the most successful campaigns in the 14-year history of the program. The Spartans finished the year with a record of 17-6 as they won the elusive CAC crown with a 13-11 win at Salisbury on May 4. The Spartans won their first two NCAA Tournament games before falling to Tufts in the Elite Eight in Medford, Mass. On May 19. The Spartan senior class won a school-record 60 games over the last four years, the highest win total for any class in Spartan history. Muston was named the CAC Coach of the Year as seven Spartans earned All-CAC honors including senior Nicole Clauter who earned the Player of the Year award. Muston’s Spartans placed five players on the IWLCA All-Metro region team and four of those players earned IWLCA All-American honors with Clauter being tabbed as the IWLCA Defensive Player of the Year. Muston is now 159-69 in her 12 years at the helm of the program.
Pilgrim Region
Kate Livesay, Middlebury College
See bio above.
West Region
Susan Stuart Elliott, Colorado College
Head coach Susan Stuart-Elliott guided Colorado College to an 18-2 mark, which set program records for victories in a single season as well as its .900 winning percentage. The Tigers also began the season with a 15-game winning streak, which was a program record. CC earned its fourth consecutive and 11th all-time appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship. The Tigers advanced to a regional semifinal of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row by defeating George Fox University, 21-7. Colorado College was ranked No. 1 in the West Region and defeated the other five programs that were ranked and had posted a combined 73-17 record. The Tigers recorded road victories at No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, No. 4 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, No. 5 Occidental College and No. 6 Hamline University. Colorado College’s only losses were at No. 2 Salisbury and No. 14 TCNJ. The Tigers finished the season ranked 12th in Division III in scoring offense (16.08 goals per game) and 28th allowing in scoring defense (7.90 goals per game), as well as 13th in margin of victory (8.90). CC also was third averaging 9.90 assists per game and fifth at 26.70 points per game. Stuart-Elliott, the 2019 SCAC Coach of the Year, completed her 25th season at Colorado College with an all-time record of 272-122-1.