IWLCA Coaching Staffs of the Year
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse coaching staff of head coach
Taryn Burkholder and assistant coach
Jordan Anderson has been named the 2025 Division II Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year, as announced Wednesday by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association.
This marks the second straight year that Burkholder and Anderson have been recognized by the IWLCA after they were also announced as the 2024 Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Burkholder and Anderson, who just completed their fourth season together at The Rock, have established themselves as one of the top coaching staffs in the nation. Since taking over the program in 2022, they have led SRU to four straight seasons with at least 10 wins for the first time in program history. After back-to-back 10-7 seasons in 2022 and 2023, SRU set a new single-season record for wins with a 15-4 overall record in 2024 before shattering that mark this spring with the best season in program history at 18-3.
Slippery Rock was picked to finish second in the PSAC West this spring according to the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll, but went undefeated in the division with a 10-0 record to claim the first PSAC West title in school history. The Rock reached the conference final, falling on the road to undefeated West Chester.
SRU earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in program history and rolled through the Atlantic Region on the road, first beating defending regional champion East Stroudsburg in the second round before upsetting No. 1 seeded West Chester in a PSAC title game rematch in the quarterfinals to win the first regional crown in program history. The Rock reached the national semifinals and came up just short, 15-13, to No. 2 Adelphi in the semifinals to close the season with an 18-3 overall record.
Slippery Rock finished the year ranked No. 6 in the final IWLCA Division II national poll and No. 5 in the final USA Lacrosse Magazine national poll, marking the highest rankings in program history.
The Rock set program records with eight All-PSAC honorees, including defender
Paige Jenkins, who became the first SRU player to be named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year. Burkholder was also named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the second straight year. SRU also set a program record with five players named to All-America teams, including Jenkins becoming the first player in program history to earn first team All-America status. She was joined by
Leora Owings,
Nicole Masi,
Grace Rotter and
Lily Ventresca in earning All-America honors.
In addition to the excellence on the field, The Rock lacrosse program also maintained a team GPA above 3.70 this year to rank as one of the top academic programs in the country. Six players were named to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors with Jenkins, Masi, Owings, Rotter,
Amelia Nitsche and
Erin Melcher being recognized. Melcher also took home the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award, presented to the athlete with the highest GPA competing at each of the NCAA Championship finals sites.
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