By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/13/10
Recent Lehigh University graduate and former Agnes Irwin great Sara MacIntyre has been named head girls’ lacrosse coach at the Springside School.
MacIntyre graduated in May from Lehigh after scoring 152 career goals, the fourth most 
in school history. MacIntyre was awarded the team’s 2009 Coaches Award after helping the Mountain Hawks post an 11-6 record, the program’s most wins since 1996.
MacIntyre will be reunited with Springside athletic director Sheila Pauley, who served as the Agnes Irwin AD when MacIntyre played there. Also, MacIntyre will be assisted by Springside graduate (1991) and Admissions Director Liz Harris, who was head coach at Lehigh for most of MacIntyre’s college career.
MacIntyre said she hopes to grow along with the program.
I think I will learn as much from the girls as hopefully they will from me.” she said. “I am a young coach but I think, especially with the quickly evolving sport of lacrosse, that coming fresh out of the (college) game is a plus. I believe hard work can never be underestimated. I truly believe in focusing on the basics like stick-work and conditioning, especially in a developing team.
“After watching the girls in their indoor games this winter, I know the talent is there. It is my job to facilitate the development of their individual talents as well as help them to learn to work together, that’s my goal.”
MacIntyre is pleased to return to the Inter-Ac League.
“I am so excited to be back in the Inter-Ac League,” she said. “I loved my experience at Irwin’s so much, but we never did get an Inter-Ac Championship during my time. I hope to work towards achieving that at Springside. I have watched the girls in their indoor league and I think that the Inter-Ac will be surprised at the progress we will be able to make before league action starts. There is no doubt in my mind that with hard work and an emphasis on stick-skills that the Inter-Ac will see a much-improved team in the spring.”
MacIntyre was named a Phillylacrosse.com/Wapner, Newman, Wigrizer & Brecher Scholar-Athlete of the Week in March of 2009 for her academic success and service project of teaching children in Tanzania. In fact, MacIntyre is currently in Juticalpa, Honduras, teaching 6th grade bilingual students with a former teammate from Lehigh for 10 days.
“One of my best friends and former Lehigh teammate, Meagan Tenety (Babylon, NY), is teaching English in Honduras for two years,” she said. “She has been there since August and I decided before our season starts to go down and visit her and help her out in her classroom. Traveling is definitely a huge passion of mine and I jumped at the opportunity to visit her!
“As far as my personal experiences go, like teaching in Tanzania and living in Ireland, I think they will shape who I am as a coach because I know they have had a huge hand in shaping me as a person.”
Lehigh coach Jill Redfern said MacIntyre was the ultimate team player and even accepted a lesser offensive role as a senior, when she still scored 31 goals.
“Sara epitomized the term ‘unselfish’ this year,” Redfern said. “She accepted a role that included less scoring and more off-ball play. She was the link between the coaches and the offensive unit. Her presence on the field was a key to our success.”
As a freshman, MacIntyre scored a Lehigh freshman record 47 goals, breaking the mark set by former All-American Jill Altshuler in 1993 and Carla Juliani in 1985. She was named the Patriot League Co-Rookie of the Year and has been an All-Patriot League choice and a member of the conference Academic Honor Roll.
At Agnes Irwin, MacIntyre was an All-Inter-Ac League selection in 2004 and 2005.
In 2009, Springside failed to win a game, but MacIntyre is only looking at the future. She does enter the year with three Division I signees, Courtney Caputo (Georgetown), Nicole Lombardo (American) and Lindsay Yang (Lafayatte).
“Having three recruited Division-I players in the senior class is obviously a huge asset,” MacIntyre said, “but there is also much talent beyond that and I am excited to see how we can grow this season!”
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