Celine Cunningham enters her seventh season as head coach of the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s lacrosse program in 2009. In her previous six years at the helm, Cunningham has recorded the 10th-best winning percentage (.691) at Stevens, while sporting an impressive 76-34 record. She has also led the Ducks to three conference championships and four postseason appearances in that span.
Last season, Cunningham led Stevens to an overall record of 14-6. The Ducks finished 6-2 in their first season in the Empire 8 Conference and reached the tournament championship where they fell 12-11 to Ithaca. Three players were named first-team All-Empire 8, and the squad ended up winning the ECAC Metro-South Championship over Dickinson 22-16. Dickinson was ranked No. 12 in the country at the time.
In 2008, sophomore Alyssa Pigott garnered third-team All-America accolades from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association/U.S. Lacrosse, InsideLacrosse.com, and womenslacrosse.com. Pigott was the second All-American under Cunningham.
Once again, Cunningham’s squad was named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll in 2008. The Ducks have earned this honor each season she has been at the helm. Liz Mather broke the single-season assists record with 61.
In 2007, Cunningham guided Stevens to the Skyline Conference Tournament final but fell to 15th-ranked Montclair State University by a final score of 13-6. The Ducks also earned an ECAC Metro-South Tournament bid and advanced to the semifinals where they lost to top-seeded Cabrini College by a 9-7 count.
Along the way, Cunningham helped produce the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, Alyssa Pigott, who notched a team-high 75 points last year. She also headed up a group that earned the coaching staff of the year honor from the league. In addition, Cunningham got Pigott and Cassidy Callahan to regional All-American status.
The 2006 season marked the Ducks’ first year of competition in the Skyline Conference. Stevens posted a 4-2 mark in league play, which led them to the semifinals of the conference tournament, where they were defeated by the Valiants of Manhattanville College by a final score of 13-6. Along the way, Cunningham guided four players to first-team all-conference honors. In addition, three players of a total of 115 student-athletes in the nation were named to the Division III Academic Honor Roll by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association.
In 2005, Cunningham led the Ducks to another 15-3 season, which earned Stevens their first berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championships. Furthermore, the Ducks were ranked in the IWLCA Top 20 poll every week during the regular season. They finished the year ranked No. 14 in the nation, but arguably had the toughest schedule in the program’s history.
In Cunningham’s second season with the Ducks, she recorded a 15-3 mark, captured the Knickerbocker Conference Championship for the second straight season and helped the program to its first-ever national ranking (No. 19). Additionally, Stevens clinched a spot in the ECAC Tournament for the first time, where they were knocked off by Skidmore University in an 11-6 decision.
In 2003, Cunningham compiled an overall record of 15-3, in which the Ducks earned a win over a ranked opponent (Rowan University) for the first time in the program’s history. They also notched a new school-record for consecutive wins by posting a nine-game winning streak during the regular season.
Furthermore, Cunningham guided her team to the inaugural Knickerbocker Conference Championship, where they defeated Manhattanville by a 20-7 count. The Ducks also clinched a berth in the ECAC Division III Mid-Atlantic Championships but were narrowly defeated in the opening round by Washington College, 16-14.
During her tenure at Stevens, Cunningham’s squads have ranked among the national leaders in scoring defense and winning percentage. In 2003 and 2004, the Ducks were ranked No. 6 and No. 9 in the nation in both categories, respectively.
As a player, Cunningham accepted a scholarship to play both field hockey and lacrosse at the University of Maryland. During her time as a Terrapin, Cunningham was a four-year starter, a captain of the field hockey team and won the 1981 National Championship in women’s lacrosse. She capped off her collegiate career by being named a first-team All-American and a member of the U.S. National Squad at her defensive third-man position.
Since entering the coaching ranks, Cunningham has coached at a number of institutions, which include Georgetown University and Columbia University. She has also had the honor of being inducted to the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2000. In that same year, the Newark Star-Ledger named Cunningham to its New Jersey Lacrosse “Team of the Century”.
As an administrator, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. Cunningham also serves as the regional chairwoman of the All-American committee, and the Empire 8 lacrosse chair. Lastly, she currently holds the position of Senior Woman Administrator at Stevens.
Cunningham, a native of Cherry Hill, N.J., resides in Union City, N.J. with her husband Tony and beautiful children Tim, Jane, and Kevin.
