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Amy Slade
2021 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee Amy (Appelt) Slade is in her 11th season at the helm of the Retrievers and 14th overall with the program. Slade served as a co-head coach for her first two seasons at the head of the program after being hired as an assistant coach in August of 2009.
Slade has posted a 80-83 record while serving as UMBC's head coach. The Retrievers had three of the top seven goal scorers in the America East Conference in 2022, including Kolby Weedon, the league's Rookie of the Year. Claire Bockstie was named to the America East First Team while Weedon, Megan Halczuk and Kennedy Evans landed on the Second Team.
In 2021, Halczuk was named to the IWLCA Second Team after being named to the America East First Team. Bockstie (First Team), Dymin Gerow (Second Team) and Kennedy Evans (Second Team) were akso honored by the conference.
In the shortened 2020 season, UMBC posted wins against VCU and Bucknell and saw juniors Cassie Evans and Lily Kennedy earn spots on the America East All-Academic team, marking the seventh-straight season the Retrievers have had a selection to the All-Academic team and the first time since 2014 that UMBC has had multiple players selected.
During the 2019 season, the Retrievers returned to the America East tournament and saw a quad of seniors earn America East honors as Brittany Levine earned First Team accolades - the first Retriever since 2017, while Catherine Sims and Carly Tolino picked up Second Team honors. Lauren McDonald became the first player in women’s lacrosse history and the 11th in America East to be named to the All-Academic Team three years in a row; McDonald, along with classmate Jenna Baverman were selected to the IWLCA Honor Roll. Slade also used her coaching abilities in the IWLCA North-South All-Star Game, where she coached Levine and Sims.
In 2018, the Retrievers posted an 11-6 record, marking the first time they had double-digit victories in back-to-back seasons since the 2010-11 seasons. Three of Slade's Retrievers earned America East honors as senior Carolyn Jamison, and juniors Lauren McDonald and Sara Moeller were named to the All-Conference Second Team. Jamison added to her accolades as she was named to the IWLCA All-Region Second Team and participated in the organization's North-South All-Star Game.
In 2017, Slade’s Retrievers made a third-straight appearance in the America East tournament, the first time since the 2010-12 season. The team also shattered the records for most goals in a season (248), most assists (129), and most points (378). UMBC had five players - Sam Nolan, Carolyn Jamison, Kayla Renehan, Lauren McDonald, and Sara Moeller - named to the America East All-Conference Team. Nolan also became the program’s assist leader with 73, while Moeller and McDonald each set the single-season marks in assists (35) and goals (62), respectively.
In 2016, Slade and the Retrievers made a back-to-back appearance in the America East Championship and saw junior Sam Nolan and sophomore Carolyn Jamison named to the America East All-Conference Team. In 2015, she guided the Retrievers back to the America East Championships for the first time since 2012 and the seventh time since joining the league. UMBC had five players finish with 20-or-more goals, while two added double-digit assists. Senior Abby Wilson earned America East All-Conference Second Team honors after leading the team in goals and points. Freshman Tianna Wallpher earned a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Team, while classmate Caitlin Miller matched the program’s single-season draw control record.
In her first season at the helm of the Retrievers, Slade and Giro guided the Retrievers to their best start through nine games since 1986 by posting a 7-2 mark, however, UMBC battled a tough schedule, taking on four nationally-ranked opponents, to finish the season with an 8-8 record and narrowly missing out on the America East Tournament. Slade had a pair of her midfielders earn America East postseason honors, with junior Kristen Bilney being named to the All-Conference First Team and sophomore Alyssa Semones being named to the Second Team.
Slade spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Retrievers, prior to being named co-head coach. In her first campaign on the staff, UMBC posted its best season since 2002, with an 11-7 overall mark and its first-ever trip to the America East title game. In 2011, the Retrievers replicated their success, posting an 11-7 overall mark and knocking off defending champion Boston University in the semifinals, before falling to Albany in the championship game.
Slade, who won the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy and led the University of Virginia to a national championship in 2004, joined the UMBC women’s lacrosse staff in August 2009. She was inducted into the 2020 class of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame after an illustrious career with the Cavaliers where she was a four-time All-American at Virginia, where she set school records for career goals (258) and points (373) and ranks second in career assists (115). Her goals and points totals are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the NCAA Division I record books, and she set an NCAA record by scoring a goal in 66 straight games.
Slade became the first Cavalier to win the Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation’s best player in 2004 when she led the NCAA in scoring with 90 goals – also a school record – and 121 points, and those totals still rank in the top 10 in Division I history.
The native of Garden City, N.Y., received a number of accolades while at Virginia, including 2002 ACC Rookie of the Year, 2002 Inside Lacrosse National Rookie of the Year, 2004 ACC Player of the Year, 2004 IWLCA Player of the Year, 2004 and 2005 Inside Lacrosse and womenslacrosse.com Offensive Player of the Year and the 2004 Honda Award.
Slade is also a three-time All-ACC selection and earned spots on the 2004 ACC All-Tournament Team and the 2004 and 2005 NCAA All-Tournament Teams, as well as the NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2006. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English in 2005 and spent the 2007 season as a volunteer assistant coach at Virginia, helping to guide her alma mater to the NCAA title game, where the Cavaliers fell to Northwestern, 15-13. She was a part of the U.S. National Team from 2002-09 and was a member of the 2005 World Cup training team.
Slade is currently the assistant coach of the Women's Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL)'s Baltimore Brave. In her first season with the Brave, Slade helped lead the team to a 4-0 record and a trip to the inaugural WPLL playoffs. In 2019, Slade helped coach the Brave to a WPLL championship.
She currently resides in Towson with her husband, Jermaine, and their three children, daughter Addison, and sons Merritt and Maverick.
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