Below is a list of our talented WFL coaching staff. Further below is a bio for each WFL coach...our coaches come from 10 different MSHSL teams, 2 college teams, and consist of former NCAA DI, DIII and honored WDIA All-American players!! Our coaches consist of 5 proud mothers; 1 lawyer; 1 professor; 1 engineer; 2 business consultants; 1 chemist; 6 in the education field; 1 current guidance counselor as well as 1 retired guidance counselor; and 1 pre-med student. Our coaches consist of 3 former recipients of the 3M Excellence in Coaching Award; 2 former NCWLL Coach of the Year recipients for their work in MN lacrosse at the collegiate level; 2 former MN Coach-of-the Year recipients for their work in MN girl's lacross at the HS level; 1 national awardee of the Positive Coaching Alliance's Golden Whistle Award; 1 national level Coach-of-the-Year; 3 former MN HS All-Americans; 3 Collegiate All-Americans; and 4 coaches who have helped their teams earn MN HS championships or NCWLL championships; 2 coaches who have coached their collegiate teams in the USLacrosse/WDIA National Tournament (DI; DII); 1 USLacrosse Coach Certification Program trainer; 2 who serve on USLacrosse Boards...
Who are they?...
Co Head Coaches of Lakers - Anne Moelk & Janet Holdsworth
Co Head Coaches of Storm - Beth Lyman & Maria Slusser
Co Head Coaches of Monarchs - Erin Scearcy Larson & Megan Thomas
Additional Coaching Staff:
Debra Wood, June Wheeler (goalies), Maureen Sanderson, Laura Mark, Michaela Bourgeois (goalies), Emily Gray, Erin Kelly, Kathryn Knippenberg, Lauren DeZellar, Jacqueline Munyon, Cherice Mahal, Morgan Kingstedt, and Lindsay Lewis.
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Coach Janet Holdsworth
Founder, WFL; Co-Head Coach MN Lakers
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2009 NCWLL Coach of the Year
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2008 WDIA/USLacrosse National Women's Lacrosse Co-Coach of the Year
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Head Coach of the University of Minnesota Women's Lacrosse team - Five undefeated league conference records; three consecutive league championships and post-season play at the WDIA National Tournament in 2007, 2008, and 2009; two second place finishes at the league level. During her time as head coach for the Gophers, the team has catapulted in rankings from approximately 80th in the country (out of 200 WDIA teams) to a top 25 team, finishing the 2009 season at 14th in the WDIA/USLacrosse national tournament. USLacrosse's preseason poll places the 2010 Gophers at 18th in the country!
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Head Coach at Hopkins High School from 1999-2002 (taking the team to varsity status in 2001) and again in 2004-05, leading the team to playoffs each season, compiling a 51-11-5 regular season record, and reaching the state finals four consecutive years. During her tenure at Hopkins, Holdsworth earned Minnesota Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2000
and 2001.
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Recipient of the Positive Coaching Alliance's National Double Goal "Golden Whistle" Coaching Award in 2002 (as the first female and first lacrosse coach to receive this award).
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Led the state sanctioning process of girl's lacrosse by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) in 2001.
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Past-president of the Minnesota Lacrosse Association (the Minnesota Chapter of USLacrosse governing boy's/men's and girl's/women's lacrosse).
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Co-founder and Vice President of the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association (NSLA) and former Director of Outreach for the NSLA.
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Committee member of USLacrosse's Fastbreak Initiative; USLacrosse Post-collegiate Women's council board member; and chair of the Outreach Committee (2009).
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During her time coaching, Holdsworth helped produce three collegiate All-Americans, five high school All Americans, and two Minnesota state high school players-of-the-year.
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Grew up in Springfield (Delco), PA and played both varsity lacrosse and field hockey in high school and then at Wittenberg University (D-III), serving as captain of both teams. While at Wittenberg, she played in the NCAA DIII lacrosse tournament in 1988 and earned all-conference and all-Midwest lacrosse honors.
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Earned her doctorate at the University of Minnesota, is currently employed as an instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota.
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Married to her high school sweetheart, David, and they are the proud parents of two amazing Guatemalan children - Charlie and Tori. She still enjoys playing lacrosse with her friends on the WFL post-collegiate team.
Coach Anne Moelk - Co-Head Coach, MN Lakers
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Played 4 years at Denison University, NCAC Champions 1990-1992, NCAA appearances 1991-1992
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Assistant Coach, Denison University 1992-1994
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Assistant Coach, Princeton University 1994-1995
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Head Coach, Denison University 1996-1997 NCAC Champions
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Assistant Coach, The Ohio State University, 1997-1999
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Head Coach, Ohio University, 1999-2002. Founding member of American
Lacrosse Conference.
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Head Coach, Godolphin School Girls Lacrosse, Salisbury England,
2002-2003
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Head Coach, England Under 21 Team 2003 Home Internationals Champions
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Co-HeadCoach Academy of Holy Angels Girls High School, 2004- Third
Place Finish
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Head Coach, Wayzata High School, 2007-present
Coach Emily Gray - MN Lakers; WFL Director of Community Service
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Played defense for the Saint Louis Park Orioles from 2000-2002 and was
captain for both the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
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Played defense for the Minnesota Gophers from 2003-2006 and was named as a second-team All-American for the 2006 season.
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Coached JV at Saint Louis Park from 2004-2007
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Assistant coach for the Minnesota Gophers and Minnesota Lakers since
2007.
Coach Debra Wood, MN Lakers & Advisor to WFL Board
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Served as Head Coach at The Blake School from 1995-2006 (taking the team to varsity status in 1998), leading the team to playoffs each season, compiling a 112-11-4 record overall. Her teams won numerous NSLA Championships and played in every championship tournament ever held in Minnesota.
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Debra has been lauded for her coaching skills. She has received The Blake School’s Pete Parks Coaching Award in 2001, was honored as NSLA Coach of the Year 2001, was selected to coach in the 2005 and 2006 Minnesota All Star game, and was honored as the MSHLS Coach of the Year 2006.
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Founded the first high school girl’s lacrosse team in Minnesota in the spring of 1995.
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Co-founder and Past President of the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association (NSLA) and helped develop girl’s lacrosse teams throughout the metro area.
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Past President of the MSHSL Lacrosse Coaches Association.
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Coached Minnesota all-star teams at the Vail Shootout in Vail, Colorado, Minnesota's All Star Team and now, in tournaments all over the country with her work coaching the Lakers.
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During her time coaching in Minnesota, Coach Wood has helped produce 12 High School All-Americans, 42 Academic All-American and one Minnesota state high school player-of-the year.
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Coached lacrosse and field hockey for nine years at all levels at Sewickley Academy in Pittsburgh, PA
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Officiated lacrosse for 4 years in the Pittsburgh area (high school and college level)
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Coached lacrosse and field hockey for one year at The Andrews School in Willoughby, Ohio. This was the first year she ever saw a girl’s lacrosse game.
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Grew up in Greensburg, PA and played varsity field hockey and swam at the varisty level for Washington and Jefferson College (D-III),
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Earned her masters at the University of Slippery Rock, is currently retired from teaching after 23 years and living in Arizona.
Coach Beth Lyman - Co-Head Coach, MN Storm
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A native of the Boston area, Beth began her lacrosse career in elementary school and continued through college and beyond. She was captain of her prep school team at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, and earned all-league honors.
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In college, Beth played Division I for Princeton University and was captain her senior year. An NCAA Final Four participant her junior year, Beth graduated, with honors, in 1990.
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After Princeton, Beth moved to Minneapolis to join General Mills in their Marketing Executive Development Program. She received her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1994. Beth returned to General Mills until 2005, at which time she left to co-found Lyman Hawley Partners, a marketing strategy and consumer insights consulting business.
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Beth first returned to lacrosse as a member of the executive committee of the Minnesota Lacrosse Association in 2003. In 2004, she was Assistant Coach for Hopkins High School (with Head Coach Janet Holdsworth). Beth was assistant coach for Minnetonka in 2005, later becoming head coach in 2007 when the Skippers finished 2nd in Sections (falling to State Champion Eden Prairie). Beth currently coaches Minnetonka Youth lacrosse and is a player on the post college team, Minnesota Northstars.
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Beth and her husband, David, live in Deephaven with their four children, ages 12, 11, 8, and 3 --- only one is a lacrosse player ..... so far!
Coach Maria Slusser, Co-Head Coach MN Storm
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Seven years experience as a girls' youth lacrosse coach in central New Jersey and the twin cities area in Minnesota
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Current US Lacrosse Youth Rules Committee member
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Current MSSLax Board member (the twin cities area youth girls lacrosse league)
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Collegiate Lacrosse: D-1 Captain, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
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High School Lacrosse: Captain, Radnor High School, Radnor, PA
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A scholarship Division 1 athlete, Coach Slusser began playing lacrosse in the Philadelphia area in 7th grade. She was elected team Captain and Most Valuable Player for both her high school team in Radnor and her college team at James Madision University. She was a varsity starter for four years at Radnor and four years at JMU. A defensive midfielder standout, Coach Maria was elected to the prestigious intercollegiate All-State (Virginia) and All-South Lacrosse teams throughout her college career. She is currently involved with the sport both locally and nationally, serving on the US Lacrosse Youth Rules Committee and as a youth girls' lacrosse coach (currently in Minnetonka, MN and preivously in the Princeton area in New Jersey).
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Maria lives with her husband, Greg, in Shorewood, MN, with their three children (who also enjoy the sport of lacrosse).
Coach June Wheeler - Goalies -MN Lakers, MN Storm, MN Monarchs
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Goalie coach June Wheeler grew up on Long Island, New York, and started playing lacrosse in the 4th grade. In high school, she led her team (Cold Spring Harbor High School) to the Long Island championship.
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June attended Yale University and graduated magna cum laude in 1980. In her three years of varsity lacrosse at Yale, she set three of four Division I goaltending records: single season saves (397 in 1978); single season saves percentage (.834 in 1979); and career saves percentage (.787 - 1977 to 1979) -- all of which still stand today. She was named first team All-American in 1979 and Yale was fourth in Nationals that same year.
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June also played goal for Yale's Varsity women's ice hockey team and was all-Ivy in 1978, and named most valuable player in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
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June has coached ice hockey goalies at the youth, high school, and adult level since 1993. She has coached lacrosse goalies at the high school and college levels since 2002. She is entering her fifth year of lacrosse coaching at Breck with head coach Jess Johanssen. June is also currently goaltender coach for the University of Minnesota Women's club lacrosse team.
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In 2008, June was recognized as Minnesota Assistant Coach of the Year for girls' high school lacrosse by the Minnesota State High School League.
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June is the owner of Bjorne, a Norwegian Fjord Horse, and is riding at training level in dressage. She also works with her English Cocker Spaniel, Bess, in agility and obedience.
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When not on the ice or field, or in a ring or arena, June is self-employed as an energy management consultant to commercial, industrial and insitutional clients with her life partner Peter Herzog.
Coach Lauren DeZellar
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Played 4 years at Eden Prairie High School, NSLA State Champion 2001, MSHSL State Champion 2004, All- State 2004, Athlete of the Week 2004, MN Elite Team-Vail Shootout player 2003 & 2004, Women’s Division National Tournament player 2003 & 2004.
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Played 4 years at The College of Wooster- DIII, NCAC Champions 2007, NCAA appearance 2007
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Head Coach, Eden Prairie Lacrosse Association-7/8 Girls Youth 2002-2009
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Assistant Coach, Apple Valley High School, 2009
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Assistant Coach, Hamline University, 2009-present, All-Star Coordinator 2010
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Head Coach, Eastview High School, 2010
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Minnesota Northstar Player-Post College team 2009-present, Vail Shootout post-college tournament 2009Currently working toward Elementary K-6 teaching licensure & Master’s Degree at Hamline University
Coach Megan Thomas – Co-Head Coach, MN Monarchs
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Played Attack for the St. Louis Park Orioles from 2001-2004, she was also captain for the 2004 season. That same spring she also received Honorable Mention All-State.
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Played Attack for the College of Wooster Fighting Scots (OH) from 2005-2008. In the Spring of 2007 the Scots made it to the first round of NCAA play for Division III.
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Coached Robbinsdale Cooper High School's JV program in the spring of 2009 and is now taking over their program as the Head Coach for 2010. Starting Summer 2010 will coach 7/8th graders for the Armstrong/Cooper Youth Lacrosse Association.
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Captain and a member of the MN Northstars postcollegiate team.
Coach Kathryn Knippenberg - MN Lakers; WFL Director of Fundraising
-Head Coach, Academy of Holy Angels, 2010
-President, North Central Women's Lacrosse League, 2009, 2010
-Played defense for Hopkins High School from 2002-2004 and was captain for the 2004 season.
-Played defense for University of Minnesota from 2006-2008 and was travel officer for the 2006 season, president for the 2007 and 2008 season and a captain for the 2008 season.
Coach Jacqueline Munyon
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MN Lakers Assist Coach, 2008
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Captain (2007/2008) & Vice President (2008), Midfield, WDIA All-Tournament Team (2007), University of Minnesota (2006 - 2008)
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Captain (2003/2004), Minnesota Player-of-the-Year/All-American (2004), Midfield, Hopkins High School (2000 - 2004)
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