Lebanon Valley College

Annville, PA 17003

Pennsylvania Northeast

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Rachel Perla

Rachel Perla has been the head coach of LVC's women's lacrosse team since 2021.

During the 2023 campaign, Perla guided Lebanon Valley to five victories. The team had several players that received individual recognition, as Sydney Zimmerman and Veronica Venezia were both named MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week during the season. Veronica Venezia made history in the last game of the season, setting the program record for career points with 411. The program also received three selections to the All-MAC Commonwealth Team, as Zimmerman and Erin Zieber were named to the Second Team and Julia Abendschoen was listed as an Honorable Mention. The program was also represented in the selections for the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game, as Venezia was chosen to play in the contest.

In the 2022 season, Perla led LVC to the MAC Commonwealth Semifinal match. A highlight of the campaign came on March 12, as Lebanon Valley picked up its first program victory over a nationally-ranked opponent by defeating No. 22 Christopher Newport University 15-12. During the season, Julia Abendschoen was tabbed MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week three times, and Veronica Venezia notched one MAC Commonwealth offensive Player of the Week. The team notched three All-MAC Commonwealth team selections, and Veronica Venezia landed a IWLCA Division III All-Region Second Team slot. Brittany Hathaway then capped off the season with earning a spot in the IWLCA Division III All-Star game.

In her first season at the helm in a COVID-19-shortened season, Perla guided the Flying Dutchmen to the MAC Commonwealth Championship Tournament.

Perla, came to LVC from the University of Scranton, and inherited a Dutchmen program that captured its first-ever MAC Commonwealth Championship in 2019 and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Perla served as the assistant at Scranton from July 2017 through the 2020 season, helping the Royals to two victories in 2020 prior to the season being cut short. Scranton earned dominating victories over Farmingdale State and Misericordia. The Royals drastically increased their strength of schedule for the 2020 season and were ranked No. 20 in the IWLCA Preseason Coaches' Poll. As an assistant coach in 2019, Perla helped guide Scranton to being nationally ranked for the first time in team history, resulting from a program-best 16-3 record.

Currently, Perla also serves as the Nike Lacrosse Camp Director in Lawrenceville, N.J. She's responsible for creating teams, as well as camp agendas for all skill levels. Additionally, she provides a fun and positive learning experience for all campers and is responsible for hiring and paying a staff of workers and athletic trainers.

Perla earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Studies in 2017 and played lacrosse at Division I St. Bonaventure (N.Y.). In her three-year career on the field for the Bonnies, Perla netted 53 goals and added 19 assists (72 total points) as an attack/midfielder. Overall, she started 46 of the 50 games she played and served as team captain as a senior.

In the classroom, Perla was named to St. Bonaventure's Dean's List from 2015 through 2017 and served as an intern for the women's lacrosse program in the fall of 2015.

A native of Liverpool, N.Y., Perla was named a Brine All-American and helped her high school, Christian Brothers Academy, earn two New York State High School Lacrosse Championships in 2011 and 2013.

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Meredith Conlin

Meredith Conlin became an assistant coach with Lebanon Valley’s women’s lacrosse team in 2023.

Conlin came to Lebanon Valley after graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology in May 2022, where she played lacrosse for the Ducks for four years. Conlin was a crucial defensive asset for Stevens. She helped lead Stevens to a MAC Freedom Championship title during her senior season. Conlin was also named MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Year, earned IWLCA All-Boardwalk Region honors, and was named a US Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention All-American.

Conlin graduated from the Stevens Institued of Technology with a Bachelors of Science in Science, Technology, and Society with a minor in Pre-law and Public Policy.

Off the field, Conlin had significant involvement in developing the leadership of student-athletes, participating in multiple groups to accomplish this during her time at Stevens. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion representative. Conlin experienced coaching young athletes in a variety of camps and practices throughout her time in high school. Conlin also has sports information experience, where she assisted in crucial game day operations.

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John Haus

John Haus, former head coach of the University of North Carolina and Johns Hopkins University who also led Washington College to the 1998 NCAA Division III Championship, has been the head at Lebanon Valley since leading the College's re-introduction of men's lacrosse in the spring of 2010.

Haus, a 1983 graduate of North Carolina, holds a 190-150 career record in 21 years as a head coach at Washington, Johns Hopkins, UNC, and LVC. In that span, he led those teams to eight NCAA tournaments—including five NCAA semifinal or final appearances—and coached 55 all-Americans.

The Dutchmen made four MAC Commonwealth Chamionship Tournament appearances from 2015-2018.

Prior to coming to Annville, Haus spent eight seasons at his alma mater, turning around a struggling Tar Heel program by going 58-52 with three NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back bids in 2007 and 2008, including the program's first top-4 seed in the NCAA tournament since 1996. Playing in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Haus mentored 19 all-Americans, including 2004 Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Jed Prossner.

Before returning to Chapel Hill, Haus was the head coach of lacrosse's most storied program, Johns Hopkins, where he led the Blue Jays to a 20-7 record and two NCAA semifinal appearances in his two seasons there.

No stranger to Division III, Haus led Washington College to unprecedented success in the late 1990s. After taking over the program and going 6-8 in his first season, Haus installed his first recruiting class and led the Shoremen to a 13-5 record and the NCAA championship game a year later in 1996, earning Division III National Coach of the Year honors in the process. His team returned to the final in 1997 with seven all-Americans and the national goalkeeper of the year; the third time was the charm in 1998 as the team won the NCAA championship.

Before his stint at Washington, Haus was assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Hopkins, helping the team to seven straight NCAA appearances, including the 1989 national final and two other semifinal appearances. He twice coached the national defensemen and goalies of the year.

Haus found just as much success as a player, leading North Carolina to two NCAA championships as an all-American defenseman. The Tar Heels made it at least as far as the NCAA semifinals during each of his four years, and went an undefeated 26-0 during his sophomore and junior seasons. He earned all-America and all-ACC honors as a junior and senior.

Haus resides with his wife, Lisa, and they have four boys, John, Will, Luke, and Grant. His son John, a standout lacrosse player for the University of Maryland, plays for the Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club of the PLL, and is an assistant lacrosse coach at Penn State University. Will currently plays for the Chrome Lacrosse Club of the PLL.