Seton Hill University

Greensburg, PA 15601

Pennsylvania Northeast

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Dina Cifelli

Dina Cifelli will begin her first season with the Griffins during the 2024 lacrosse season.

Cifelli was most recently an assistant coach at St Leo University in Florida where she spent three seasons as the team's offensive and draws coach. While at St Leo, Cifelli coached three IWLCA All Americans as well as several All Region performers. Dina coached USA Lacrosse All Americans in addition to the SSC Freshman of the Year. The team was also named an IWLCA All Academic Honor Squad.

Prior to St Leo, Cifelli was an assistant coach at the University of Tampa for two seasons. She served as the team's offensive and draws coach. In her two seasons, Dina coached the SSC Player of the Year, three Inside Lacrosse All Americans, two IWLCA All Americans as well as multiple All Region and All Conference selections. Her teams also excelled in the classroom as her players earned the IWLCA D2 Scholar Athlete Award and the team was named an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad.

While at Tampa, the Spartans won their first ever SSC Championship in 2019 and earned the top seed in the NCAA South Regional while winning a program best 14 games. The Spartans were the fourth best scoring offense in Division II in 2019.

Cifelli spent one season as an assistant at Holy Family University. She coached one CACC All Conference player and four CACC All Academic Team selections.

Cifelli played collegiately at West Chester University where she was a four time All PSAC selection including a first team All PSAC selection as a senior. Dina was also named the PSAC Rookie of the Year in 2014. At West Chester, Cifelli rewrote the school's and PSAC record books. Dina owns the West Chester and PSAC records with 222 career assists. In her four seasons at West Chester, Cifelli finished with 83 goals, 222 assists, 305 points and 97 draw controls.

As a club coach, Cifelli has worked with the Garden State Elite from Princeton, NJ, Lax Maniax from Tampa, FL and Tampa Palm Lacrosse from Tampa, FL.

Cifelli graduated from West Chester with a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Physical Therapy and a minor in Nutrition. She earned a Master of Exercise and Nutrition Science from the University of Tampa.

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Emily Bitka

Emily Bitka joins the Seton Hill coaching staff for her first season during the 2024 lacrosse campaign.

Bitka spent the past two seasons as an assistant at SUNY Cortland in New York. In her two seasons at Cortland, the Red Dragons went 31-10 and a perfect 18-0 in SUNYAC play. The Red Dragons played in two SUNYAC Finals, winning one championship. Cortland also made two NCAA Tournament appearances in her two seasons, winning two contests.

Bitka was well rounded at Cortland, working with the offense, defense and goalies. In her first season at Cortland, the coaching staff was named the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

Prior to Cortland, Bitka spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. During her time at Stevens the Ducks reached the 2019 Empire 8 title game and the 2021 MAC Freedom championship game, and they featured 2020 Inside Lacrosse National Player of the Year and three-time All-American Kyra Bednarski. Bitka also served as a member of the Stevens Athletic Department Reorganization and Student Engagement Committee and the Stevens Prospective Student Athlete Committee, and she was a Stevens Diversity, Equity and Inclusion facilitator.

Bitka played two seasons at Division II and PSAC member Slippery Rock University in 2017 and 2018. A two-year team captain, Bitka earned second team All-America and first team all-region honors and was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Player of the Year as a goalie in 2018. She was a two-time all-league honoree, and she was chosen as the MVP of the 2018 IWLCA Division II North-South Senior All-Star game. Bitka finished her career at Slippery Rock as the career leader in ground balls, save percentage (.537), goals against average (7.95) and goalie wins (25) while ranking third in career saves (307). Bitka began her collegiate playing career at the University at Albany, where she played two seasons for the Division I Great Danes.

As a scholastic athlete at Amherst Central, Bitka lettered four years in both lacrosse and soccer and one year in ice hockey. She earned All-Western New York, All-Metro Team One and all-league honors, was a 2014 All-American, and helped the lacrosse team win three Section 6 titles.

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Brian Novotny

The 2023 season will be Coach Novotny’s seventeenth season at Seton Hill University. Under Coach Novotny’s direction the Griffins have grown into one of the most consistent and competitive programs in Division II.

Last season, the Griffins earned their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and won their third Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship. The Griffins finished the season with a 13-7 overall record. Thirteen Griffins earned All G-MAC honors while six earned USILA All Region Honors and four earned USILA All American honors. The team earned the USILA Academic Award and four players were named USILA Scholar All Americans.

In 2022, the Griffins earned their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and an appearance in the G-MAC final with an 11-3 season. The Griffins won two of the league's major awards and had 12 players earn all conference honors. Seven players earned USILA All Region honors with three of them earning USILA All American honors. The team earned the USILA Academic Award and three players were named USILA Scholar All Americans. Twenty seven players were named to the G-MAC All Academic Team and one player played in the USILA Senior Game.

Seton Hill started the 2020 season with six straight wins before the CoVID pandemic shut down the season.

In 2019, the Griffins earned their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and third in school history. Seton Hill finished the season with a 12-5 record and were a perfect 5-0 in G-MAC play, earning their second straight G-MAC regular season championship. The Griffins earned five of the six G-MAC major awards including Novotny's second straight coach of the year award. In the classroom the Griffins had 20 G-MAC Scholar Athletes, 1 CoSida Academic All District Award winner and a USILA Scholar All American. The team also had two USILA All Americans and one participant in the USILA Senior All Star game.

During the 2018 season the Griffins reached new heights. A 17-2 record and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) championship set the stage for the NCAA tournament where they hosted and defeated LeMoyne College in the first round. The Griffins earned a birth in the NCAA final four where they fell to the eventual national champions, Merrimack. The Griffins were honored on and off the field during the 2018 season. In the classroom the Griffins had 16 GMAC Scholar Athletes, 1 CoSida Academic All District Award winner and a USILA Scholar All American. On the field the Griffins had six USILA All Americans, four USILA DI/DII Senior All Star game participants, eight all GMAC selections including four individual award winners: Jack Moran – Offensive Player of the Year, Brett Craig – Specialist of the Year, Max Eismann – Goalie of the Year, and Coach Novotny – Coach of the Year.

In sixteen seasons at Seton Hill, Novotny has recorded a 164-86 record. Since 2010 the Griffins record is an impressive 142-55 (72%). Novotny has coached 78 All Conference selections, 13 USILA DI/DII Senior All Stars, 2 USILA DII Midfielders of the Year, 26 USILA All Americans, and 168 student athletes have earned conference academic honors.

Novotny currently sits on the IMLCA Board of Directors and the USILA Polling committee. He previously served on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for men's lacrosse and the USILA and IMLCA All American Committee. Coach Novotny earned conference Coach of the Year honors in 2018, 2015, and was named US Lacrosse Magazine DII Coach of the Year in 2012.

Prior to Seton Hill, Brian was the head coach at Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2003, Coach Novotny led his team to the WPSLA league championship in addition to the Pennsylvania State Finals and the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association Finals. Previous to coaching at Mt Lebanon, Coach Novotny spent seven years at Franklin Regional High School. He served as the team’s defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach. He helped lead Franklin Regional to league titles in 1995, 1996 and 1999. While coaching Mt. Lebanon and Franklin Regional Coach Novotny has produced 6 All Americans, a MSCLA player of the year, 2 WPSLA players of the year, and dozens of all league selections. Additionally Coach Novotny served two years on the WPSLA board including terms as league treasurer and league president and was the 2003 recipient of the ALOA sportsmanship award.

Coach Novotny played lacrosse at the University of Pittsburgh and holds a degree in Secondary Education from California University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Nicole, along with sons Grant and Brett reside in Murrysville.