Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia University Dept of Athletics
4201 Henry Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19144

Division 2 Pennsylvania Northeast

Private Small Competitive team

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Coaches

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George Chis-Luca

George Chis-Luca enters his 12th season as the head coach of the Rams' women's lacrosse program in 2019-20 after taking over the reigns in 2009. During that time, Chis-Luca has built the program into a dominant force in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

In his first 11 seasons, Chis-Luca has guided the Rams to three CACC championships and 120 victories. Chis-Luca—a three-time CACC Coach of the Year (2011, 2014, 2016)—has coached 56 All-CACC team players—including 21 first-team selections—four conference players of the year, three CACC defensive players of the year and one CACC rookie of the year.

In 2019, Jefferson posted a 10-6 record and went 8-1 in CACC play. After a thrilling overtime victory over Wilmington in the semifinals, the Rams advanced to the CACC Championship Game. Erin Campbell and Sarah von Lange were first team All-CACC selections with Campbell earning Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The Rams went 8-1 in conference play in 2018 to earn the No. 2 seed in the CACC Championship. The squad placed six on All-CACC teams including five first-time selections. Kathryn Avanzato scored her 100th career goal and 200th career point during the season to finish her career ranked fourth in program history with 223 points.

He earned his 100th victory in the first round of the 2017 CACC Championship with a 14-6 win over Wilmington on Wednesday, May 26.

In 2016, Chis-Luca earned the CACC Coach of the Year award after leading the squad to a 14-5 record, the CACC regular season with a perfect 9-0 record and the Rams’ second CACC Tournament title in three years. The Rams placed six players on the All-CACC team, including CACC Player of the Year Liz Mower.

The 2014 campaign was the best season in the program’s history as the Rams went 17-1 overall, led Division II in scoring offense (17.56 goals per match), earned their first NCAA North Region ranking and won their second CACC championship. Libby Nichols and Melissa Styer were named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II Third Team All-Americans and invited to participate in the North-South Senior All-Star Game. The team landed six players on the All-CACC team, including Nichols as the player of the year. Chis-Luca was honored by the conference for the team’s success with his second coach of the year award.

The Rams posted a 14-5 record and reached the final of the CACC Tournament in 2013. Philadelphia landed eight players on the All-CACC team, including three first team selections. Liz Mower was tabbed as the CACC rookie of the year.

In 2012, the Rams went 8-10 overall and earned the third seed for the CACC Tournament. Emily Ray, Caribeth Shappell, and Taylor Peltzer were named to the All-CACC first team, while defender Andrea Saracco was a second-team selection. Shappell and Saracco were selected to play in the IWLCA North-South Senior All-Star Game. In the classroom, the Rams posted a team GPA of 3.36, the third-best in Division II.

The Rams went 11-7 overall and reached the championship game of the CACC Tournament during the 2011 season. Seven players represented the Rams on the all-CACC team, including Shappell being selected as the conference’s player of the year.

The Rams enjoyed great success in Chis-Luca’s first season with the program. The Rams won the inaugural CACC championship and placed four players on the CACC All-Tournament team, including Shappell as the tournament MVP. Goalkeeper Katherine Sullivan was selected as the conference player of the year.

Before arriving at the school, Chis-Luca was the head boy’s lacrosse coach at Northern Burlington High School during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The Greyhounds posted a 12-5 record in 2008—a 10-win improvement over the previous season—and won the division title. From 2006 through 2008, he was the Northern Burlington head JV football coach and assistant varsity football coach.

Chis-Luca is a 2004 graduate from Rowan University—where he founded the school's ice hockey club in 2001—with a degree in health and physical education. In 2016, Chis-Luca was inducted into the Profs Hockey Hall of Fame.

In addition to being the Rams’ women’s lacrosse coach, Chis-Luca is a physical education teacher at the New Grange School in Princeton, N.J. He was previously a physical education teacher at Northern Burlington and Ocean Avenue Elementary School. At Ocean Avenue, he was named the teacher of the year.

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Jenna Stover

Jenna Stover joined Jefferson Athletics as an assistant women's lacrosse coach for the 2020 season.

Stover previously held assistant coaching positions at Palm Beach Atlantic University and Eastern University. She played midfield and attack at Messiah College from 2014-17. Stover was a first-team All-Conference selection twice and was also a two-time All-Region honoree. As a senior, she was named to the IWLCA All-America second team. Stover ended her playing career with 199 points on 132 goals and 67 assists. She also tallied 90 ground balls, 60 draw controls and 46 caused turnovers. Stover was a member of the Falcons' 2015, 2016 and 2017 conference championship teams.

Stover received a bachelor's degree in English with minors in journalism, graphic design and marketing. She later earned a graduate degree in leadership and management at Palm Beach Atlantic.