Nichols College

Nichols College Athletics
124 Center Road Dudley, MA 01571

Division 3 Massachusetts Northeast

Private Small Competitive team

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Coaches

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Will Mraz

William Mraz was named the 10th head coach in Nichols College women's lacrosse program history on October 1st, 2019.

The Bison have showcased steady improvement under Mraz' tutelage, with the program piecing together its winningest season of all-time in 2025, his sixth season at the helm. Throughout the campaign, the team posted a 13-4-1 overall record, which included five victories over conference opponents, in-turn helping them secure a berth into the 2025 Conference of New England (CNE) Tournament. To follow, the Bison claimed their first ever postseason victory as a program in the quarterfinal round, dispatching the University of New England in overtime, 14-13 at Vendetti Field. Alongside their wins record, Mraz also coach the Bison to new program records for single-season assists (88), caused turnovers (214) and free-position goals (62) in 2925, while having five players garner All-CNE recognition including First Team selections Hadley Houghton and McKenzie Muir, and first-time honorees Briar Slattery and Sienna Reeves.

Across his six seasons on The Hill, and has mentored seven total All-CCC/All-CNE players, including a trio who have received postseason honors multiple times in that span. He also boasts a 46-31-1 overall record, and is the program's all-time leader in coaching wins.

Mraz, as well as coaching the Bison, also currently serves as the head coach for the Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Organization Women's U20 Team.

A veteran of more than 30 years of coaching at both the collegiate and international levels, Mraz is currently the Haudenosaunee Nationals Women’s U20 head coach. He served as the head coach of the Czech Republic Women’s National Team from 2016-2020. He guided them to a tenth-place finish in the World Cup in 2017, making them automatic qualifiers for the next World Cup, and a fourth-place finish at the 2019 European Cup. The team set European Cup records for most goals scored and fewest goals allowed, and were invited by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) to compete at the 2021 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.

Mraz – who served two stints as the head coach of the Fairfield University women’s club lacrosse program (2012-16; 2018-19) – spent the 2017-18 school year as an assistant coach at William & Mary, which is a member of the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA). He worked directly with the Tribe goalkeepers and was instrumental in the development of both offensive and defensive game strategies while heading up recruiting and practice planning. Mraz saw two student-athletes earn CCC Rookie of the Week honors while another earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades, and a fourth received All-Rookie Team honors.

As the head coach of Maine Maritime in 2016-17, Mraz helped the Mariners establishes a single-season program record for wins as they advanced to the semifinals of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) for the first time in school history. Maine Maritime set a total of 34 school records during his time as head coach, and the team earned International Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association (IWLCA)/Zag Sports Academic Honors.

Mraz began his collegiate coaching career in 1993 as an assistant with the DI men’s lacrosse program at Fairfield University. In four seasons with the Stags, Mraz helped the program record their first winning record in 1996 and advance to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) playoffs. He then returned to the collegiate ranks – albeit on the women’s side – in 2014 when he joined the University of Bridgeport. He spent two seasons with the Purple Knights, helping them win a program-record 12 games in 2015 while establishing school records for both goals/game (12.94) and goals against average (GAA) (7.53).

Mraz co-founded the Wakemans; Boys and Girls Lacrosse Club in 1988 and worked as head coach of their Girls Elite Travel Teams until 2016. Mraz saw participation grow from 45 to over 800 boys and girls during that span.

A 1973 graduate of Fairfield University, Mraz was a two-sport athlete and captain of the men's lacrosse team. In addition to being inducted into both the Staples High School and Fairfield University Athletics Hall of Fame for his success in lacrosse (1999), he received the 2016 Fairfield University Founders Award for his 'Outstanding Contribution and Dedicated Service to the Sport of Lacrosse.’

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Caroline Stent

Caroline Stent enters her second season as the Nichols Women’s Lacrosse Graduate Assistant Coach in 2025.

The 2023 Summa Cum Laude graduate from Eastern Connecticut State University brings with her a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Healthcare Management. She was a 3-year member and two-year captain of the women’s lacrosse team at ECSU after transferring from Stonehill College.

On the playing field, Stent appeared in 39 career games for the Warriors, tallying 128 goals and 41 assists for 169 points in just three seasons. Stent ranks 12th in all-time goals scored and total points. Stent is also placed 6th all-time for draw controls, tallying 186 in her career, and 1st all-time for draw controls in a single season (91).

Stent was named Second Team All-Little East Conference in 2021 and 2022 and named to the IWLCA Division III Academic Honor Roll. Stent’s senior season was cut short due to an ACL tear.

Stent is now working towards her MBA at Nichols.