Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, NH 03106

New Hampshire Northeast

Private Large Developing team

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Coaches

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Carissa Medeiros

Carissa Medeiros was hired as the fourth women's lacrosse head coach in program history June 21, 2021, bringing with her head coaching experience at all three NCAA levels, including a decade in the Northeast-10 as both a head coach and assistant.

The Penmen went 9-7 in 2022, the most wins for the program since 2016. The Penmen knocked off two ranked opponents, Bentley University and the University of New Haven, during a five-game win streak in April which carried the team to a sixth-place finish in the league, and a playoff berth in the Northeast-10 Championship. Three members of the squad were honored by the Northeast-10 Conference with post-season awards - Skyler Renaud, Alexis DeLucia and Madison Keating. In the win over Saint Michael's College (Senior Day) on April 19, Erin Gorton reached 100 career points and Coach Medeiros earned her 100th win as a Head Coach.

Medeiros came to Southern New Hampshire after spending the 2021 season as the interim head women's lacrosse coach at SUNY Cortland in Cortland, N.Y., where she guided the Red Dragons to a 14-2 record, a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16. For her efforts Medeiros and her staff received SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors, while nine of her players received All-Conference accolades, including two that would go on to be tabbed Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Americans. Medeiros arrived at Cortland as an assistant coach in August of 2019 before taking over the program on an interim basis in January 2021.

Prior to Cortland, Medeiros served as the head women's lacrosse coach at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell for six seasons. Medeiros joined the Division I River Hawks in August of 2013 and built the program from scratch before playing the inaugural season in 2015, and eventually making a six-win jump in the 2017 campaign.

Medeiros also spent six years at the helm of the Bentley University women's lacrosse program, posting a 60-47 overall record that still has her as the Falcons' all-time leader in coaching victories. Medeiros' Bentley squads produced a total mark of 46-21 in NE10 play and earned NE10 Championship berths in five of six seasons.

Medeiros began her coaching career as an assistant coach with the powerhouse Stonehill College women's lacrosse program from 2004-06. During that time with her alma mater, Medeiros and the Skyhawks captured three NE10 crowns and made three trips to the NCAA postseason, including in 2005 when they went a perfect 21-0 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship. Over the course of those three seasons, the program was 51-6, including 30-0 in NE10 play.

Medeiros played for Stonehill from 2001-03 and developed into one of the top goalkeepers in NCAA Division II history during that time. The 2003 IWLCA Division II Goalkeeper of the Year and first team All-American was a three-time NE10 All-Conference selection over her career, helping to lead the Skyhawks to a 45-15 record, three NE10 titles, a trio of NCAA tournament appearances, a national runner-up showing in 2002 and the program's first National Championship in 2003. The New Bedford, Mass., native, still ranks second in program history with 448 career saves and a .587 career save percentage, while her 6.37 career goals-against average also places her second and stands as the fourth best mark in NCAA Division II history. Medeiros was inducted into the Stonehill Athletics Hall of Fame as a player in 2019, after previously going in as a coach in 2011 with the '05 squad.

A psychology major and criminal justice minor, Medeiros graduated from Stonehill cum laude in 2003. She earned her Master's degree in general psychology from Boston University in 2005 and previously was an adjunct professor of psychology at Endicott College and Salem State University.

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Paul Calkins

Paul Calkins became the fourth head coach in the history of the Southern New Hampshire University men's lacrosse program in 1989. Calkins, who wrapped up his 34th year in 2022, was elevated to full-time status in the summer of 2009. Calkins is the longest-tenured active head coach at one school at the Division II level.

The Penmen earned a trip to the Northeast-10 tournament with a 7-5 record (5-5 NE10) in 2022. SNHU put together a six-game win streak in the middle of the season, which included an overtime road win at Franklin Pierce and a 12-10 win at rival Saint Michael's College. Specialist Gennaro Marra moved into the top spot for career ground balls and finished among the national leaders winning 231-of-351 face-offs (.658). Eight Penmen received post-season recognition by the New England Intercollege Lacrosse Association.

SNHU returned to the field in the Spring of 2021, competing against only Northeast-10 rivals, finishing with a 6-6 record. The squad advanced to the Northeast-10 quarterfinals, falling 12-9 to seventh-ranked Adelphi. Four SNHU players received all-conference recognition, and five were honored by the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA).

The Penmen went 5-9 in 2018, and 4-10 in 2019, and were optimistic heading into the 2020 season when the CoVid-19 pandemic hit, cutting short the season after just three games. SNHU defeated Dominican, N.Y. 14-7 to pick up the first win of the season, but did not play again after the March 7 contest at Penmen Stadium.

The 2017 team finished with a 9-6 record, which included a four game conference win streak. On March 25, the Penmen defeated top-ranked LeMoyne 10-9 in the snow on Larkin Field. It was the first loss in 26 games for the defending NCAA Division II Champions.

In 2016, Calkins was named the Northeast-10 Conference and New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) Coach of the Year after guiding Southern New Hampshire to its finest season in school history. He led the Penmen to program records for wins in a season (10), consecutive wins (8) and Northeast-10 Conference victories (7). Southern New Hampshire also captured its first-ever postseason win when it posted a 15-13 triumph over Pace University in the Northeast-10 Championship quarterfinals on May 3. The Penmen wrapped up their 2016 season with an overall mark of 10-6 that featured a 7-4 record in the Northeast-10 Conference. SNHU advanced to NE-10 Championship semifinals for the first time in program history and saw an eight-win improvement from the 2015 campaign.

In 2014, Calkins was named the NEILA Coach of the Year after guiding the Penmen to a 7-7 regular-season mark and the No. 5 seed in the NE-10 ChamPaul Calkins Biopionship.

A former two-sport athlete at SNHU, he led the Penmen to a 7-4 record in his rookie season and followed up with an 8-3 campaign in 1990. The eight wins tied the school record for most victories in a season.

In 1995 Calkins guided SNHU to a 6-6 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the ECAC Division II tournament--the program's first-ever taste of postseason play.

An active member of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), he served on both the USILA Division II All-America selection committee and the USILA Division II national rankings committee.

Calkins lettered in lacrosse and hockey while a student at SNHU and totaled eight goals and 16 assists for the 1984 lacrosse team that finished 5-5.

A native of Baldwinsville, N.Y., he attended Baker High School where he lettered in hockey and lacrosse. He currently resides in Hooksett, N.H. with his wife Lori.

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Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson joined the Southern New Hampshire University men's lacrosse coaching staff in the spring of 2016. Johnson is a 2008 graduate of Keene State and while at KSC, he helped lead the lacrosse program to the top of Division III. During his career at Keene, Johnson was named as the 2005 Little East Conference (LEC) Rookie of the Year, a four-time First Team All-Conference selection (2005-2008) and was a three-time LEC Defensive Player of the Year (2006-2008).

In addition, Johnson was honored as the ECAC Goalie of the Year, the NEILSA First Team, a USILA Division III Honorable Mention All-American and the 2007-2008 Keene State College Male Athlete of the Year. Johnson led all of NCAA Division III in save percentage at 71.3 percent, en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance for the Owls. He also took part in the USILA Senior North/South All-Star game, as well as the NEILA Senior East/West All-Star game.

While playing high school lacrosse at Pinkerton Academy, Johnson won two NHIAA State Championships, was named as a First Team All-State selection three times and was a U.S. Lacrosse All-American in 2004. During his senior season, he was honored by being selected to the Warrior National HS North/South Game.