Albrecht brings passion to ‘Cats

Times are changing for the UNH women’s lacrosse team. After a disappointing fifth place finish in the America East Conference last season, the Wildcats have enlisted highly-decorated Sarah Albrecht as the team’s head coach.

The appointment at UNH marks Albrecht’s first opportunity as a head coach, following stints as an assistant at UMass-Amherst. 

Her experience as a player was defined by five dominant seasons at Northwestern, marked by two national titles in 2005 and 2006, which helped Albrecht earn the opportunity to win a gold medal at the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup.

The most important aspect that Albrecht has brought to Durham is her innate sense for the game, as well as a passion that has swept through the locker room revitalizing players’ faith in the program.

“(Coach Albrecht) brings a lot of excitement to the game in a quiet way…that makes everyone want to work harder for her,” senior captain Kathleen O’Keefe said.

Albrecht has also brought in two assistant coaches from her time spent at UMass-Amherst. 

Eileen Finn is a graduate from Syracuse who Albrecht worked with for two years before coming to UNH. Recent UMass-Amherst graduate Jesse O’Donnell has also joined the staff as an assistant after finishing her career as a four-year starter with a degree in Sociology last May. 

“Eileen Finn and Jesse O’Donnell are very intelligent about the game… it means a lot to come in everyday and be inspired by your coaches,” senior captain Casey Doyle said.

Following last year’s turbulent season, the Wildcats are looking to introduce some young talent to their lineup while still producing results.

“The only ranking that matters is the one in the end. We are working hard everyday for good results and I am looking forward to seeing who will step up,” Albrecht said.

Now that the America East conference is emerging as a competitive powerhouse in women’s lacrosse, it is evident that there is no matchup to take lightly on the schedule.

“We believe we can make it very far,” senior captain Jenny Simpson said. “(We are looking) to deliver an America East title and NCAA tournament appearance in order to set a great foundation for years to come.”