MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Middlebury women's lacrosse coaching staff has earned Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Pilgrim Region and National Coaching Staff of the Year accolades. Head coach Kate Livesay, alongside assistant coaches Dani Ellis and Amy Patton, led the Panthers to their third-consecutive NCAA Championship and 11th NESCAC Title.
Livesay earns national recognition for the fifth time in her career (fourth at Middlebury) and garners regional honors for the ninth time (fifth at Middlebury) after leading Middlebury to its ninth NCAA Championship in program history. Livesay was tabbed as the NESCAC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season after leading the Panthers to an unbeaten 10-0 conference record, the top seed in the NESCAC Tournament, and the 2023 NESCAC title.
The Panthers finished the season with an undefeated 23-0 record, marking their ninth unbeaten season, while establishing a program single-season record for wins. Middlebury has won 15-consecutive NCAA Tournament games dating back to the start of the 2019 tournament and leads Division III with a .809 all-time winning percentage (76-18) during postseason play.
Jane Earley was named the Division III Honda Athlete of the Year, marking the second-straight season that a Panther women's lacrosse player has claimed the award. The attacker was also selected as the IWLCA National Player and Attacker of the Year and the NESCAC Player of the Year for the second time in as many seasons. Erica Barr was lauded as the IWLCA National Defender of the Year and Hope Shue earned the Elite 90 Award, given to the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in their sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among peers with the highest grade point average (GPA) at the finals site.
Livesay, Ellis and Patton will be honored at the IWLCA Convention in November in Tampa, Florida. The IWLCA Board of Directors approved changing the name of the award prior to the 2023 season to recognize the entire coaching staff.
