Katie Arsenault has been named head women's lacrosse coach at Keene State College.  Arsenault takes over the program from Michelle Mason, who accepted the head coaching position at Iona College. 

            "I'm very excited about becoming the head coach at Keene State," said Arsenault, who served as an assistant under Mason last season.  "The program has so much potential and it's a great campus for recruiting."

            Arsenault hopes to develop a well-disciplined team that stresses structure and conditioning.  "I think we can accomplish those goals while also providing a fun environment for the players," she said.  "We have a very young team with the talent and enthusiasm to be successful" 

            Arsenault, a native of Wayland, Mass., brings both a strong playing and coaching background to her position.   Prior to joining the KSC program, she spent two seasons as an assistant at her alma mater Colby-Sawyer College.  Arsenault was a three-time All-Conference defender for the Chargers. 

            Arsenault also played four varsity seasons at Wayland High School where she was selected as a conference All-Star and defensive MVP as a senior.

A top three sport athlete at New England College, Jacqueline Parker comes to Keene State with an abundance of coaching skills to assists Owl players in their development. Parker excelled as a field and ice hockey goalie and played both field and between the pipes for the Pilgrim women's lacrosse team.

Following her playing career, Parker moved into the coaching ranks, serving as head field hockey coach at Elms College, assistant boys' ice hockey coach at Keene High, and assistant women's lacrosse coach at Colby-Sawyer College where she focused on goalie fundamentals and training. 

A strong communicator who enjoys working with players who are willing to learn, the Keene native will be a major asset to the Owl program.

The longtime coach of the Keene State field hockey program, Amy Watson, will serve as an associate coach with the Owl women's lacrosse team this season.  Watson, who served as the first varsity lacrosse coach at KSC in 1998, will assist Coach Michelle Mason in all facets of the program, including practices, scouting, and recruiting. 

Now in her 17th season and her second stint as the head coach of field hockey at KSC, Watson has developed the Owls into a top program in the region. Under her guidance, KSC has qualified for seven Division III post-season appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths (1998, 2004, and 2005), a 2003 ECAC Championship, and four Little East Conference titles (1998, 1999, 2004, and 2005).

Directing the program from 1986 to 1989, Watson led the Owls to two consecutive appearances in the ECAC Division III tournament. Since returning to KSC, the Hanover, N.H., native has led the Owls to a 162-89-2 mark.

In addition to KSC's success on the field, Watson, who has was recognized as the LEC Coach of the Year four times, is equally proud of the numerous honors bestowed on her players. During her tenure, 12 Owls have been recipients of All-America honors, including five players who were recipients of LEC player-of-the-year honors. Just as important are the multiple members of the team who have received national academic honors over the years. 

Watson, a 1984 graduate of Springfield College, is looking forward to carry over her success to the Keene State women's lacrosse program.