Lehigh University

Lehigh Athletics
641 Taylor Street Bethlehem, PA 18015

Division 1 Pennsylvania Northeast

Private Medium National competitor

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Jill Redfern

A National Lacrosse Hall of Famer, Jill Redfern enters her 11th year as head coach of the Lehigh women’s lacrosse program in 2019. In her tenure, Redfern has led the Mountain Hawks to eight Patriot League Tournaments in 10 seasons, including in her first three years, which extended Lehigh’s overall streak to five in a row. The Mountain Hawks have also made the league tourney in each of the last five seasons (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). In her time, the Mountain Hawks own a 100-72 record, including seasons of 11, 14, 10, 13, 12 and 13 victories, as Redfern continues to take the Lehigh program to new heights.

Redfern was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in September of 2018. During her playing days, Redfern was a two time Division III All-American at Ursinus College and was named Most Outstanding Player of the 1986 NCAA Tournament as she helped lead the Bears to a national championship. Following her collegiate playing experience, Redfern was a member of the US National Lacrosse Team from 1987-1993, and capped off her international play as a member of the winning United States World Cup Team in 1993, in Edinburgh Scotland.

As a coach, Redfern has led Lehigh to sustained success -- especially as of late. The Mountain Hawks have posted a 38-17 record from 2016-18, among the most wins in the nation over that three-year stretch. Most recently, the Mountain Hawks posted a 13-6 record in 2018, including a school-record seven Patriot League wins (compared to just two losses). For the second straight season, Lehigh earned the No. 3 seed in the league tournament, hosting a Patriot League Quarterfinal for a third straight season. Despite losing multiple key players to season-ending injuries, Lehigh won seven straight games spanning the end of the regular season and beginning of the postseason. The Mountain Hawks ended nonleague play with a thrilling 9-8 triple overtime win at Mount St. Mary’s followed by a 12-11 win at eventual MAAC Champion Fairfield. Lehigh followed by dominating Boston University in the Patriot League opener 15-8, handing the Terriers their largest-ever Patriot League defeat. Individually, sophomore Sondra Dickey emerged in leading the team in goals (54) and points (76) to earn first team All-League and second team All-Region. Dickey and Kayleen Kelly each broke the previous school record for draw controls in a season. Kelly broke Lehigh’s single-game (10), season (86) and career (169) records for draw controls, while Dickey added 81, each shattering the previous school record of 47. Both Kelly and Kierstyn Voiro were named All-Patriot League and Academic All-League, impressing on and off the field.

The Mountain Hawks went 12-6 in 2017, including a 6-3 mark in Patriot League play to earn the No. 3 seed in the league tournament where they defeated Bucknell 15-5 in the quarterfinals. It marked the first time in school history Lehigh won a Patriot League tournament game in back-to-back seasons. Allison LaBeau highlighted the victory, setting a Patriot League Tournament single-game record with 11 points, which included a record-tying six assists. LaBeau finished the year with a school-record 46 assists along with 91 points - second in school history. The Mountain Hawks went on to play a hard-fought game against Navy in the league semifinals, dropping a slim one-goal final against a Mids’ team that went on to beat Penn, UMass and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament to advance the Final Four.

Lehigh finished the 2016 season with a strong 13-5 record, including a 6-3 record in the Patriot League. The six league victories marked a school record while the Mountain Hawks hosted a league tournament game, and won a postseason contest, for the first time since 2010. Lehigh beat Colgate in the Patriot League quarterfinals to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011. LaBeau was named the league’s Attacker of the Year while Julianne D’Orazio and Kendall Garden were also named first team All-League, and Lauren Beausoleil garnered second team laurels. The Mountain Hawks earned a big road victory at Boston University while taking Loyola into overtime during the regular season, then playing a competitive back-and-forth game against the Greyhounds in the Patriot League Semifinals.

The Mountain Hawks advanced to their second straight Patriot League Tournament in 2015, finishing the season 9-8 highlighted by several quality victories. Included was a thrilling, last-second win at Bryant, a team that went on to win the NEC and advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Mountain Hawks also topped Big Ten foe Rutgers on the road in front of a nationally-televised audience on the Big Ten Network.

Individually, Lauren Willcox was named first team All-Patriot League for a second straight season, earning All-League honors for a third consecutive year. Garden was also named to the first team while Kelly Scott and LaBeau garnered second team laurels. In addition, both Willcox and Carli Sukonik earned Academic All-Patriot League for a second straight season. As a team, the Mountain Hawks finished 2015 with the league’s third-best goals against average (8.06) while leading the Patriot League in caused turnovers per game (9.71). Sukonik’s 42 goals were firth in the league while LaBeau’s 48 points stood eighth. Garden led the league with 31 caused turnovers.

Lehigh enjoyed a resurgent season in 2014, finishing 4-4 in league play to advance to the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2011. Included was a dramatic 12-11 double overtime win at Boston University to hand the eventual league finalist Terriers their first-ever Patriot League defeat. LaBeau scored both goals of overtime as she was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. LaBeau was one of five Mountain Hawks to earn All-Patriot League honors as she, Alexandra Fitzpatrick and Willcox were all named to the first team while Garden and Sukonik earned second team laurels. After the season, LaBeau was invited to try out for the U.S. National Team.

Sukonik’s All-League honor was her third in as many years as she has posted 98 goals and 14 assists in that span, finishing her storied career with 140 goals and 18 assists. Three Mountain Hawks were named All-Patriot League in both 2012 and 2013: Sukonik (twice), Julie McBrien (twice), Leigh Ann Torcivia and Willcox. Fitzpatrick was named first team All-League as both a freshman (2011) and senior (2014) as one of the nation’s elite goalies both seasons. As a graduate student, Fitzpatrick went on to lead the Maryland Terrapins to the National Championship as their starting goalkeeper in 2015.

Torcivia and McBrien played in the IWLCA North-South Game in 2012 and 2013, respectively, following Lauren Dykstra, who was named the Game’s MVP in 2011. In the summer of 2013, Dykstra became the first Lehigh alum to play in the World Cup as she suited up for Israel. Dykstra finished the tournament with 20 goals (second on the team). She helped propel Israel to the World Cup Quarterfinals in the country’s first appearance.

In 2011, the Mountain Hawks advanced to their fifth straight Patriot League Tournament, joining Colgate as the only teams to qualify in each of the previous five seasons. Lehigh also posted an impressive win at Navy in front of a national television audience on CBS Sports Network, joining eventual National Champion Northwestern as the only two teams to defeat the Midshipmen in Annapolis. The Mountain Hawks hung tough on the road against nationally-ranked ALC squads Florida and Penn State, taking an early second-half lead against the Gators, a team which rose as high as No. 2 in the national rankings. Lehigh finished among the national leaders in a number of statistical categories, ranking ninth in scoring margin (4.65), 11th in scoring defense (8.94), 12th in draw controls (13.94) and 13th in scoring offense (13.59).

Redfern helped lead Dykstra, who garnered three postseason All-America honors, which included becoming Lehigh’s first IWLCA All-American since 1996. The multi-dimensional Dykstra finished 2011 as the nation’s leader in goals per game, winning Patriot League Midfield Player of the Year to complete the cycle of league major awards; Dykstra previously won Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Redfern also coached Dykstra to a Lehigh and Patriot League record in career goals as Dykstra stands sixth in NCAA history with 257.

During her inaugural season as Lehigh head coach, Redfern led the Mountain Hawks to the fourth most victories in a single season in school annals, the most home wins in program history and the program’s third consecutive Patriot League Tournament berth as Lehigh tied the school mark for the most Patriot League victories in a single season (four). That would be one-upped as Lehigh went 5-1 in league play both in 2010 and ’11. Redfern’s success continued in 2010 as the Mountain Hawks jumped out to an 8-0 start before winning the Patriot League Regular Season Title and advancing all the way to the Championship Game.

Redfern was named the head women’s lacrosse coach at Lehigh on June 23, 2008. Prior to that, she served as the associate head coach of the program. During that time, she helped lead the Mountain Hawks to a pair of Patriot League Tournament appearances and helped mentor 13 All-Patriot League selections, three consecutive Rookie of the Year honorees and a pair of Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners.

In 2008, Redfern brought on assistant coach Kelley Putnam. The two went on to mentor a program record eight All-Patriot League selections, including freshman Kelly Draper who earned the program’s fourth consecutive Patriot League Rookie of the Year Award - a first for all programs among all sports in Patriot League history. Redfern was also instrumental in the development of Dykstra who was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Region and was selected to the final tryout for the United States Women’s Developmental Team.

Redfern has enjoyed a very successful career in coaching, which includes a previous stint at Lafayette College where she garnered Patriot League Coach of the Year honors in 2000 after leading the Leopards to the league title. Redfern also served as an assistant in both the field hockey and lacrosse programs at Lafayette for 10 years before assuming the head coaching position. Including her time at Lafayette, Redfern’s career record as head coach is 98-69.

Redfern is a 1988 graduate of Ursinus College, and later earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh in 1991. She was inducted into the Ursinus Hall of Fame in 1998 for her exceptional contributions to women’s athletics.

Redfern and husband Tom reside in New Jersey with their two children, Nicholai (21) and Cecily (19) and their dog Licorice.

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Sammy Cermack

Former Johns Hopkins standout Sammy Cermack enters her fifth season with the Lehigh women’s lacrosse program in 2019, and second as associate head coach. In her time, Cermack has played significant role in recruiting as well as team travel, equipment and apparel. She has also assisted in all areas of team preparation, including video breakdown, scouting and player development. Cermack was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2018 season.

Cermack has helped Lehigh enjoy impressive sustained success. Over the last three seasons (2016-18), the Mountain Hawks have posted a 38-17 record, among the most wins in the nation in that stretch. Lehigh has qualified for the Patriot League Tournament in each of Cermack’s first four years, reaching the semifinals in the last three.

In 2018, Lehigh went 13-6, including a school-record seven Patriot League wins (compared to just two losses). For the second straight season, Lehigh earned the No. 3 seed in the league tournament, hosting a Patriot League Quarterfinal for a third straight year. Despite losing multiple key players to season-ending injuries, Lehigh won seven straight games spanning the end of the regular season and beginning of the postseason. The Mountain Hawks ended nonleague play with a thrilling 9-8 triple overtime win at Mount St. Mary’s followed by a 12-11 win at eventual MAAC Champion Fairfield. Lehigh followed by dominating Boston University in the Patriot League opener 15-8, handing the Terriers their largest-ever Patriot League defeat.

Cermack helped sophomore Sondra Dickey emerge in 2018 as Dickey led the team in goals (54) and points (76) to earn first team All-League and second team All-Region. Despite missing the last seven games due to injury, Courtney Henig still finished second on the Mountain Hawks with 43 points (19 goals, team-leading 24 assists) and earned second team All-League despite the missed games. Henig’s 59 career assists are already seventh in school history. Four others recorded 29 or more points in 2018: Haley Wentzel (40), Kellie Gough (39), Julianne Puckette (30) and Olivia Kelly (29). Meanwhile, Dickey and Kayleen Kelly each broke the previous school record for draw controls in a season. Kelly broke Lehigh’s single-game (10), season (86) and career (169) records for draw controls, while Dickey added 81, each shattering the previous school record of 47. Both Kayleen Kelly and Kierstyn Voiro were named All-Patriot League and Academic All-League, impressing on and off the field.

Cermack worked extensively with former Lehigh standout and current assistant coach Allison LaBeau and the Mountain Hawks’ offense in 2017, which saw six individuals record 25 or more points in 2017. Cermack helped LaBeau, who led the team with 91 points, turn into one of the nation's most prolific offensive players. Henig also emerged on the offensive end, posting 51 points in 2017 (22 goals, 29 assists). Julianne D’Orazio posted a career-high 36 goals and 42 points after just 21 goals and 24 points over her first two seasons combined. In 2017, the Mountain Hawks beat Bucknell 15-5 in the Patriot League Quarterfinals, marking the first time in school history Lehigh won a Patriot League tournament game in back-to-back seasons. LaBeau highlighted the victory, setting a Patriot League Tournament single-game record with 11 points, which included a record-tying six assists. LaBeau finished the year with a school-record 46 assists along with 91 points - second in school history. The Mountain Hawks went on to play a hard-fought game against Navy in the league semifinals, dropping a slim one-goal final against a Mids’ team that went on to beat Penn, UMass and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament to advance the Final Four.

Lehigh finished the 2016 season with a strong 13-5 record, including a 6-3 record in the Patriot League. The six league victories marked a school record while the Mountain Hawks hosted a league tournament game, and won a postseason contest, for the first time since 2010. Lehigh beat Colgate in the Patriot League quarterfinals to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011. LaBeau was named the league’s Attacker of the Year while D’Orazio and Kendall Garden were also named first team All-League, and Lauren Beausoleil garnered second team laurels. The Mountain Hawks earned a big road victory at Boston University while taking Loyola into overtime during the regular season, then playing a competitive back-and-forth game against the Greyhounds in the Patriot League Semifinals.

In her first season on the Lehigh sidelines, Cermack helped lead the Mountain Hawks to their second straight Patriot League Tournament. Along the way, Lehigh defeated eventual NEC Champion Bryant on the road while also topping Big Ten foe Rutgers in front of a nationally-televised audience. The Mountain Hawks hung tough against eventual Patriot League Champion and National Quarterfinalist Loyola, trailing by just three with 6:51 still remaining.

Individually, Lauren Willcox was named first team All-Patriot League for a second straight season, earning All-League honors for a third consecutive year. Kendall Garden was also named to the first team while Kelly Scott and Allison LaBeau garnered second team laurels. In addition, both Willcox and Carli Sukonik earned Academic All-Patriot League for a second straight season. As a team, the Mountain Hawks finished 2015 with the league’s third-best goals against average (8.06) while leading the Patriot League in caused turnovers per game (9.71). Sukonik’s 42 goals were firth in the league while LaBeau’s 48 points stood eighth. Garden led the league with 31 caused turnovers.

Cermack enjoyed a standout career for the Blue Jays, posting 149 career points behind 98 goals and 51 assists capped off by a 59-point effort in 2014. Johns Hopkins finished 15-5 in a tremendous season that resulted in an NCAA Tournament appearance. Cermack was named an IWLCA All-American after her senior campaign.

A Ridgewood, New Jersey native, Cermack was also named first team All-American Conference, garnering first team Mid-Atlantic All-America laurels. In addition, she received the Blue Jays Unlimited Award given to the Johns Hopkins varsity senior athlete who most exemplifies the spirit of Blue Jays Unlimited by demonstrating team spirit and leadership, promoting team unity and morale, and enhancing the athletic experience of her teammates.

Cermack received several other awards and honors over her career, including second team All-Conference laurels as a junior and Johns Hopkins Midfielder of the Year as a sophomore.

Cermack has played for the Philadelphia Force in the United Women's Lacrosse League since the professional league's inaugural season in the summer of 2016.

Even before Lehigh, Cermack already owns extensive experience as a coach. She has worked for Stick2Stick Club Lacrosse, providing high-level lacrosse training for girls between ages 9-16. She was also a coach for STEPS Elite Lacrosse Club, coaching and mentoring two teams at the eighth grade levels. While at Johns Hopkins, she worked as a coach for the Blue Jay Elite Camp which included skill instruction and demonstrations for high level school aged participants.

Cermack graduated from Johns Hopkins in May of 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

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Katie O'Donnell

Two-time All-American midfielder Katie O’Donnell enters her first season as assistant coach in 2019-20. The 2018 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, O’Donnell helped Penn State reach the Final Four in back-to-back seasons (2016 and 2017). O’Donnell joins Redfern and associate head coach Sammy Cermack on the Mountain Hawks’ staff.

"Katie is a very exciting addition to our athletic department and we are thrilled she has chosen to join our staff,” said Redfern. “She has a standout reputation as a player, teammate and student-athlete. Coach Sammy and I are excited about the talents and experiences she will offer our women and our program.”

Named a captain as a junior and senior at Penn State, O’Donnell was an IWLCA first team All-American as a senior, the same year she won Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. O’Donnell ended her career fourth in program history for career goals (203) and sixth in points (227). As a senior, she had 61 goals, six assists, 36 groundballs, 27 draw controls and 21 caused turnovers.

O’Donnell was also named a first team All-Region and second team All-American honoree as a junior. That year, she posted 65 goals and six assists, along with 33 groundballs, 16 draw controls and 21 caused turnovers. O’Donnell went on to be selected fourth overall in the 2018 WPLL (Women’s Professional Lacrosse League) Draft by the New England Command. She is also currently a member of the United States National Team.

“I am very excited to join the Lehigh Lacrosse family and work with a tremendous group of coaches and student-athletes,” said O’Donnell. “Lehigh has always been a top contender in the Patriot League and I look forward to continuing the tradition of success and moving the program forward in a positive direction. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work within Lehigh Athletics and the chance to help develop and grow our women’s lacrosse student-athletes, on and off the field.”

O’Donnell has extensive leadership experience at Penn State as well, serving as an active member of the Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute 360 program, participating in monthly forums discussing leadership strategies among peers. O’Donnell was part of Spiritus Leoninus, a Penn State Student-Athlete Honor Society recognizing student-athletes that have demonstrated exceptional leadership ability, community service outreach and strong performance on the field and in the classroom. O’Donnell was also a member of the Douglas A. Anderson Chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha, a National Honor Society recognizing the top 10 percent of graduating students from the College of Communications.

"Katie will have a leading role in all individual player development,” said Redfern. “Her experience as a midfielder provides terrific flexibility for her to support all of our position groups. We expect Katie will also help generate excitement for Lehigh in the recruitment of future Mountain Hawks.”