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Kristin St. Hilaire
Kristin St. Hilaire recently completed her 15th season as head coach of the Utica University women's lacrosse team. She is responsible for all facets of the program. She is the program's all-time winningest coach as she has compiled a 129-91 overall record to go along with a 54-51 ledger in the highly competitive Empire 8 Conference.
She has coached nine IWLCA All-Region selections, and has had a winning record in each of the last eleven seasons with the program. Her players consistently receive Academic Honor Roll honors from the IWLCA as well.
The 2022 season was another resounding success, as the Pioneers closed with a record of 11-5 overall, with a 4-2 conference mark. The Pioneers reached the Empire 8 Conference tournament for a fourth straight season where a tournament has been held. Eight Pioneers were selected to the All-Conference teams, including E8 Goaltender of the Year Claire Frier. Frier was also selected to the IWLCA All-Region Second Team. Five-year members of the team departed the program following the season with a remarkable 47 wins in their time at Utica. The Pioneers were especially formidable at home during the season with a 6-1 record at Gaetano Stadium.
The 2021 season saw another tremendous breakthrough for the program. With another strong 9-6 record in tow, the Pioneers went on to record their first-ever postseason win in an Empire 8 quarterfinal game, The tournament appearance was Utica's third in a row. Lexi Scaccia was chosen to the IWLCA All-Region team, while eight Pioneers were placed on All-Conference teams including a first team nod for Scaccia. The Pioneer attack flourished over the course of the Spring, ranking second in the conference in goals per game, and the Pioneer special teams units led the conference in woman-up and woman-down goals per game.
The continued growth of the program was on full display to start the 2020 season, as the team darted out to a dominant 4-0 start before the season was halted nationwide. The team was led by a heavy local presence in the field. Whitesboro native Lexi Scaccia led the Empire 8 conference with 23 goals and recorded two Empire 8 Player of the Week awards. Seven of the team’s top nine scorers were from Central New York, including Stephanie Husnay, who recorded her 100th career point during the shortened season. Utica recorded wins over New Paltz, Wellesley, SUNY Canton, and Morrisville State.
In the 2019 season, Utica reached new heights. The Pioneers set new single-season program records for wins (13) and conference wins (six) in a season. They made it to the Empire 8 Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time ever. Utica also picked up the No. 2 seed in the tournament, the highest regular season conference finish for Utica in its history. Along the way, St. Hilaire picked up her 100th career victory, all of which have come at Utica College. St. Hilaire and her staff were named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year and seven players earned All-Conference recognition. Katlyn Scarpinella and Hailee DuMont were named First Team all-Conference, while Lexi Scaccia, Kaitlynn Palmer, and Hali Vandermeulen earned second team honors. Sydney Scaccia was an honorable mention and Devon Burri was named the Sportswoman of the Year. Vandermeulen had a record-breaking season as well as she set new program records for wins in a season (12) and career wins (27). She also finished the year ranked fifth in the country with a .559 save percentage. Vandermeulen and Scarpinella were selected to the IWLCA All-Region teams.
In 2018, St. Hilaire led Utica to an Empire 8 Conference Tournament appearance for the first time since 2006, matching the program’s single season record with 10 wins. It is the seventh consecutive winning season for Utica with St. Hilaire at the helm. The team earned five all-conference selections, which included freshman Stephanie Husnay who was voted as the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Husnay earned Second Team All-Conference and Kaitlynn Palmer was selected for First Team All-Conference. Brooke Miller and Sydney Scaccia received Honorable Mentions, while Hali Vandermeulen made the Sportswomen of the Year Team. At the E8 Tournament, Coach St. Hilaire’s leadership helped push Palmer and Husnay to earning All-Tournament Team honors.
In the spring of 2017, under St. Hilaire’s guidance, the Pioneers went 8-7 overall and 4-4 in the Empire 8. It marks the sixth straight winning season for UC. Four players were named to All-Conference teams including seniors Maggie Notter (first team), Rebecca Plunkett (second team), and Amanda Chruscicki (sportswoman), and sophomore Katlyn Scarpinella (second team). Notter was also a second team All-Region selection by the IWLCA and a second team ECAC All-Star.
In 2016, St. Hilaire led the Pioneers to a 9-7 record, marking their fifth straight winning season and fourth straight season with nine or more victories. Utica finished 4-4 in the Empire 8 Conference. She led five players to All-Conferences honors including seniors Briana Estabrook (second team), Courtney Wheeler (second team), Colleen Dowling (sportswoman) and juniors Rebecca Plunkett (second team) and Maggie Notter (second team).
In 2015, she guided the Pioneers to a 9-6 record, marking their fourth straight winning season. Utica finished 4-4 in the Empire 8 Conference, just narrowly missing out on a conference tournament berth. She led five players to All-Conference honors and senior Megan Kane picked up first team All-Region recognition for the second year in a row. The 2015 version of the Pioneers also set a new single season record with 12.40 goals per game. Three members of the team were also named to the Empire 8 President’s List in the fall of 2014 after compiling a 3.75 GPA or higher.
St. Hilaire wrapped up her seventh year in 2014 with a school-record 10 wins (.625%) and is now the college’s all-time leader for wins in a single season. She guided five Pioneers to All-Conference accolades and junior Megan Kane to a First-Team All-Region selection. Her offensive unit also shattered four single-season school-records behind junior standout Morgan DuPont. The Pioneers attempted 475 shots (29.69 per game) to go along with 87 assists, good enough for 5.44 assists per contest, all of which are new school records. DuPont shattered both the UC assist records as she rattled off 44 total and 2.75 per game. She also guided three Pioneers to Empire 8 President's List honors in the fall of 2013 and as a team they garnered IWLCA All-Academic Team honors for compiling a grade point average better than 3.0.
In 2013, Coach St. Hilaire posted a .600% winning percentage behind a 9-6 overall record. The Pioneers got off to one of their best starts in program history, winning four straight and 6-of-7 out of the gates. She guided five Pioneers to All-Conference accolades on the field while the entire squad earned a combined 3.0 or better grade point average in the classroom including three student-athletes named to the Empire 8 President’s List. As a team, they registered 238 points, good for second all-time on the school's single season list, including 163 goals (third all-time). 75 total assists ranks second at Utica, as does 416 total shot attempts. The Pioneers averaged 12 caused turnovers per game (third all-time) and the defense set a new school-record with a 7.67 goals against average.
St. Hilaire posted an overall record of 8-7 while leadng the 2012 Pioneers into the record books moving into first place all-time in goals against average (8.23) per game. Utica also pushed into second place all-time in save percentage (.512%), assists (67), assist per game (4.47), caused turnovers (190) and caused turnovers per game (12.67). She also led five student-athlete to All-Conference Teams as well as senior standouts Katlyn Banker and goalie Shelby Barbay to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Empire Region Second Team.
In 2011, St. Hilaire guided the squad to a 6-8 record overall and a 3-5 mark in the E8. In 2009, She led the Pioneers to a 6-7 overall record and registered a 4-4 record in Empire 8 Conference play for the third year in a row. Utica also defeated conference rival St. John Fisher for the first time in three years.
In her first season with the Pioneers, she guided Utica to a 9-8 overall record and a program-best 4-4 record in Empire 8 Conference play. Utica closed out the 2008 season with a 21-12 loss to top-seeded Brockport State in the semi-finals of the ECAC Upstate Championships.
She joined the Utica staff after spending two seasons as assistant coach at Ithaca College (2006-2007). She guided the Bombers to an 11-18 overall record in two years, an amazing accomplishment considering they went 2-11 during her first season at Ithaca. Under the tutelage of St. Hilaire the Bombers won seven more games in her final season at Ithaca and finished the 2007 campaign with a 9-7 overall record.
From 2002-2005, the Syracuse, N.Y. native played Division I lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts. She earned Atlantic 10 All Conference First Team honors all four years. St. Hilaire set school records for ground balls, forced turnovers, and draw controls. In 2004 she was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
St. Hilaire was a four-year letter winner in both basketball and lacrosse at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. She was a two-time all-league selection in both sports and earned All-American lacrosse honors as a senior.
St. Hilaire earned her Master's Degree from Utica College in 2015. She currently resides in Utica with her wife Lauren and their daughters, Camryn and Brooklyn, and their son, Dylan.
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