Stephanie Janice is in her third season at the helm of the Allegheny College women’s lacrosse team. During her tenure, the squad has experienced drastically increased success and looks poised to continue their journey to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
Janice became the program's all-time winningest coach on Feb. 21 when the squad defeated Thiel, 18-9, to open the 2013 campaign. Janice, who recorded her 22nd victory as head coach, passed the 21-win plateau set by three-year head coach Paula Habel (2008-10).
In 2012, the Gators finished the season with a 9-9 record, qualifying for the NCAC Tournament for the second straight season. Midfielder Kiah Voyer-Colbath ‘12 made a splash in the record books, finishing a 59-goal, 16-assist season with her second IWLCA All-West Region First-Team selection. Voyer-Colbath finished her Gator career second on the all-time list in points, scoring 232 during her illustrious time at Allegheny. Voyer-Colbath was also named the NCAC Offensive Conference Player of the Year, the second straight year a Gator has been recognized for Player of the year, (Jensen Paterson, 2011.) In total, five Gators earned All-NCAC honors in 2012.
Few head coaches experience the success in their first season that Janice enjoyed as she guided the Gators to numerous program-firsts. The 2011 squad set new program records for consecutive wins (6) and wins in a season (12) en-route to a second-place regular season finish in the NCAC and the right to host their first NCAC Tournament game against the College of Wooster.
In total, the 2011 team set or tied 16 program and conference game, season, and career records. The record-setting season produced a pair of Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-West Region performers in Voyer-Colbath and attacker Jensen Paterson. Paterson, who broke 11 records in 2011, was also named as an IWLCA All-American Third Team selection, becoming the first All-American in Allegheny women’s lacrosse history.
The seventh head coach in the history of the Gator women’s lacrosse program, Janice took over the reins of the Allegheny program after spending two seasons as the assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Goucher College where she was primarily responsible for the attack unit and midfielders. She also played an integral role in all of the day-to-day aspects of running the Gophers’ Division III program by planning practice, implementing game strategies, and successful student-athlete recruitment. During her brief tenure at Goucher, she helped produce nine All-Conference players, and a pair of All-Region standouts. In May 2010, Janice finished her Masters of Education specializing in athletic program leadership and administration from Goucher College.
Janice, who hails from Southern New Jersey, and was a two-time high school First Team All-American at Shawnee High School, is a 2007 graduate of Johns Hopkins University. She was a four-year starting midfielder for the Division I Blue Jays who, as a senior, was voted the team's Unsung Hero by her teammates. A member of three NCAA Division I Championship Tournament teams, Janice’s play helped guide Johns Hopkins to the National Semifinals as a senior. Janice ranks as the current program record holder at Johns Hopkins for career games played.
In addition to her accomplishments at the collegiate level, Janice was also the Head Coach for the Ravens Lacrosse Club (Baltimore, Md.) while also an Assistant at Goucher. She coordinated all player development and on-field managing of the team, in addition to all efforts for the team's college recruitment efforts and tournament play. After graduating from Johns Hopkins, Janice traveled to southeastern England to work as a physical education teacher and varsity lacrosse coach at Benenden School, where, notably, Princess Anne of England attended. Her squad finished the National School girls tournament ranked 2nd in the country. In addition, Janice worked to develop the local Cranbook Lacrosse Youth Club in town in an effort to develop the sport in the county.
Janice currently resides in Meadville, Pa.
