Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/9/14
From Press Release
Denise Roessler, who recently left St. Joseph’s University after serving as head coach for 16 years, has been named head coach at Division III Bryn Athyn College.
“We are truly excited to have Denise Roessler as our next women’s lacrosse coach,” Bryn Athyn athletic director Matthew Kennedy said. “We were not only impressed with her Division I coaching experience, we felt her passion to play a role in the formation of young adults was central to our mission.”
While at Saint Joseph’s, Roessler (Camden Catholic graduate) and the Hawks made two Atlantic 10 Tournament appearances and the A-10 Coach of the Year award in 2009.
Coach Roessler expressed, “I like to especially thank Matthew Kennedy and the search committee for the opportunity they have given to me. The values, vision, staff and campus are among the many great qualities that attracted me to Bryn Athyn.
“We will begin immediately preparing to grow this program as they enter into there second year of competition. I am excited to develop each player and set our goals to be a top contender in the NEAC conference.”
In 2014, Roessler coached four Atlantic 10 All-Conference selections and the program’s first IWLCA Division I South Team selection in recent history. Additionally under Roessler’s direction, the Saint Joseph’s women’s lacrosse team earned its fifth consecutive Public Recognition Award from the NCAA for its Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in 2014.
Roessler led the Hawks to the school’s most successful season in 2009 with the program’s first appearance in a championship final. The Hawks fell just short of the A-10 title as they were edged by Massachusetts, 15-14, in the championship game but finished the A-10 regular-season with a program-best 5-2 record, tying for second place and posting an overall record of 10-8.
Since guiding Saint Joseph’s into A-10 play, Roessler has seen her student-athletes earn A-10 All-Conference honors 31 times and All-Academic recognition on 25 occasions.
Prior to arriving on Saint Joseph’s, Roessler served as the head women’s lacrosse coach at La Salle University. She led the Explorers to a 5-9 overall record in their inaugural season of varsity competition in 1998.
Before joining the college coaching ranks, Roessler served as the head junior varsity and assistant varsity field hockey coach at Bishop Eustace Prep. In 1995, she led Bishop Eustace to an undefeated 10-0-2 record. In the spring of 1996, she joined the staff at her alma mater, Camden Catholic (’91), as a volunteer assistant lacrosse coach.
A 1995 graduate of Old Dominion, where she earned a bachelor’s of science degree in sports medicine.
A native of Mt. Laurel, N.J., Roessler was a First Team All-Conference and All-Parochial selection in lacrosse as a senior at Camden Catholic.
