On Aug. 31, 2011, head lacrosse coach Missy Ackerman stepped down from her position, placing assistant coach Wendy Stone in an interim head coaching position for the new season. "We are definitely looking forward to it, it's going to be a fun year," Stone said.
Ackerman left the position after two years to take a position as athletic director at Saint Gertrude High School in Richmond, Va.
"It is an interim or acting position, we do feel like in the meantime, Wendy can do a good job leading the program," said Director of Athletics Troy Austin. Austin recognized that changes do have an impact on how some people view the team. "Continuity helps to breed success. It shows stability, it shows a commitment to someone or something," Austin said.
The athletics department has opened the position up for a national search for a new head coach. They are currently evaluating the pool of applicants to begin the next stage of the hiring process. They hope to have the new coach by the start of the spring season. "We didn't want to rush it, we also don't want to slow-play it knowing that the season is coming up," Austin said.
Stone is also the team manager for the U.S. World Cup lacrosse team. "I learn a lot from the U.S. experience. It's great working with those coaches and those players, you can't go wrong," Stone said. Stone will have a more collaborative approach to the game as well as flexibility to do new things.
Senior team captain Samantha Stifler said starting a new season with Stone, "gives us a clean, new slate to deal with."
Stifler sees potential in the nine new freshmen that joined the team this year and said that the team's "ability this year is stronger than it has ever been." She plans to help lead the team alongside Stone, who relies on the captains to help run the team.
Stifler wants to focus the team on becoming less individually minded and more team centered. She is also working toward more open communication and making the new freshmen feel comfortable. "It's a huge opportunity for us to tweak things a little more toward the way we want it as a team. I think we have a lot of potential to go really far this year and do really well," Stifler said.
Austin said that the program is looking for a coach that will "continue to elevate the program, continue to help foster and develop quality student-athletes."
Stifler hopes the new coach will understand the way the team works as well as the Longwood community and Lancer pride. She also said that the new coach should have a passion for the game and want to have fun.
"Whoever the new coach may be, my expectation for them is to keep building on the foundation of success that's already been set for the program," Austin said.
The team has started practice under Stone's leadership and will play their first official game of the season at home on Feb. 25 against California. "Our goal is always to get better and to be better than the year before. I don't think that will change, regardless of who's in here," Stone said.