Montclair State University

Montclair State University Athletics
1 Normal Avenue Upper Montclair, NJ 07043

Division 3 New Jersey Northeast

Public Large Developing team

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Coaches

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Nicol Parcelluzzi

From the first year she joined Montclair State as the head women’s lacrosse coach, Nicol Parcelluzzi turned the Red Hawks into a winner. Entering her 19th season in 2023, nothing has changed.

The all-time winningest coach in program history, Parcelluzzi has compiled an outstanding record of 189-104, a .645 winning percentage. She has led the Red Hawks to seven conference championships, six NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and has coached all eight of Montclair State’s All-American selections.

During her time, Parcelluzzi’s squads have won no fewer than nine games in a season and registered 12 or more wins nine times including three 15-win campaigns. During the 2021 campaign, the Red Hawks claimed the NJAC Regular Season Championship and up-ended perennial nationally-ranked TCNJ for the first time in program history during the regular season.

Taking over the team in July 2005, all Parcelluzzi did was guide MSU to a 15-3 mark, setting the season record for victories. The Red Hawks won their final 12 games of the year - another record and their .833 winning percentage was one of the best in Division III. In addition, Montclair posted a perfect ledger during the regular season in the Skyline Conference and remained that way as it captured its first league title by outscoring its opponents, 40-11 in the Skyline Tournament. The Red Hawks then put the exclamation point on its banner season by winning the ECAC Division III Upstate Championship in just its second postseason appearance. In addition to its team success, Montclair also had eight players named All-Conference and four chosen to the IWLCA Boardwalk All-Region Team. For her efforts, Parcelluzzi and her assistants were named the Skyline Conference’s Coaching Staff of the Year.

Parcelluzzi followed up her sensational first season with an even better one in 2007. For the second consecutive year MSU dominated its Skyline and claimed the conference title. This time, the league crown came with an automatic bid and put the Red Hawks into the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship for the first time where they made the most of it topping Eastern Connecticut in the first round before falling to Hamilton College in the second round. The Red Hawks finished the year at 14-4 and produced the first two All-Americans in program history in Brianna Gillin and Dina Morrone.

Montclair State would earn a third Skyline Conference championship in 2008 and claimed four the next five while compiling an overall mark of 71-41 along with an impressive 43-3 in league contests. The Red Hawks made four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2010-13. In 2012, the Red Hawks upended York College (PA) in the first round at Sprague Field scoring the last two goals in a 14-13 victory.

The next year, Montclair State capped off its appearance in the Skyline Conference with its sixth and final championship. The win was a special one for Parcelluzzi who earned her 100th career victory in the 16-13 triumph at Farmingdale State.

Seven times in her brilliant career Parcelluzzi has been named Coach of the Year. The first five coming in the Skyline Conference with the other two from the NJAC, which Montclair State became a full-time member of in 2014 after five campaigns in a dual role. She swept the honor in both leagues in 2012 and 2013.

Parcelluzzi came to MSU from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland where she spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the Mount under head coach Courtney Martinez Connor. During her tenure, the Mountaineers won back-to-back Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament.

Prior to her two seasons at the Mount, Parcelluzzi was an assistant coach for the women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams at Marist for two years. At Marist, Parcelluzzi helped the Red Foxes reach the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament each season, including the championship game in 2003.

A four-year letterwinner on the Rutgers women’s lacrosse team, she helped the Scarlet Knights to its first NCAA tournament appearance in her senior campaign (1999). That year, Parcelluzzi was named to the Mid-Atlantic Regional first team All-America and Most Valuable Player and participated in the annual North/South game.

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Kelsey Withrow

Kelsey Withrow is in her 18th season with the Red Hawks in 2021.

Withrow came to MSU from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD where she was a standout defender from 2002-2006. During her career at The Mount, Withrow helped MSM to back-to-back Northeast Conference (NEC) championships in 2004 and 2005 as the school made its first two appearances in the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championships. She led the team in ground balls and caused turnovers in each of those seasons and in 2005 anchored a defensive unit that finished fourth in the nation in goals against average.

A participant in the 2006 North/South Senior All-Star Game, she currently holds the school record for caused turnovers in a career with 137 and is third all- time in ground balls with 200. In addition, Withrow has also worked as a clinician in various camps, including the Rutgers Women's Lacrosse Camp and Rapid Fire Summer Camp.Withrow graduated from The Mount in May 2006 earning her degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

Withrow also serves as program assistant in the Compliance and Eligibility office.