CHAMPIONSHIPS (1): 2015 (GNAC)

COACH OF THE YEAR (2): 2015 (GNAC), 2016 (GNAC)

CAREER RECORD: 68-30 (.694)

OVERVIEW:

Rupert Lewis, the winningest (68-30) and most successful (.694) skipper in team history, returned to his role as the head coach of the Monks' women's lacrosse program during the summer of 2014.

RECENTLY:

In 2018, Saint Joseph's College posted an 11-5 overall record, including a 7-3 mark in GNAC play, en route to earning the #5 seed in the GNAC Tournament. The Monks played at #4 Regis (Mass.) on Saturday, April 28th and suffered a season-ending 9-6 loss at the hands of the Pride.

Seven players garnered All-Conference accolades after the season came to a close, including senior Elyse Caiazzo (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus), who collected First Team All-GNAC honors for the fourth-consecutive season after tallying 59 goals and nine assists for 68 total points with 58 ground balls, 103 draw controls, and 21 caused turnovers in 16 games. Brianne Maloney (South Portland, Maine), Kayla Kelly (York, Maine), Brittney Arsenault (Westbrook, Maine), Kara Kelly (York, Maine), Maddy Beaulieu (West Gardiner, Maine), and Liz Callahan (Scarborough, Maine) also claimed All-Conference mention.

PAST SEASONS:

In 2017, Saint Joseph's posted a 13-4 record with an 8-1 mark in GNAC play en route to claiming the #2 seed in the conference tournament. The Monks opened postseason play with a 17-6 quarterfinal victory over #7 Norwich University on May 3rd, but the 2017 campaign came to a close with a hard-fought 11-10 loss at the hands of #6 Simmons College on May 5th.

Following the season, junior midfielder Elyse Caiazzo (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) was selected as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-GNAC honors for the third-consecutive season. Junior defender Brianne Maloney (South Portland, Maine) also collected First Team All-GNAC honors while senior midfielder Jackie Wilson (Tiverton, R.I.) claimed Second Team accolades and freshman goalkeeper Kaylin Mansir (West Gardiner, Maine) was a Third Team All-Conference honoree.

In 2016, Lewis led the Monks to a 16-3 record with a perfect 9-0 mark in GNAC play. With the undefeated conference record, Saint Joseph's earned the top seed in the 2016 GNAC Tournament and opened postseason play with an 18-6 triumph over #8 Norwich University on May 3rd, but the Monks' quest to defend the 2015 GNAC Championship came to a close two days later with a 6-5 setback at the hands of #4 Lasell College, which went on to win the conference crown for the second time in the last four years.

Following the season, Lewis was selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive season while nine players – including GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year Michelle Cunha ’16 – claimed All-Conference accolades. The Monks set new program single-season records for assists (164), points (441), draw controls (254), and goals against average (5.46) in 2016.

In his first season (2015) back on the sideline, Lewis led the Monks to the program’s first conference championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth after posting an incredible 17-2 overall record, including an undefeated (9-0) slate in GNAC play, in 2015. For his efforts, Lewis was selected as the GNAC Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year.

After opening the season with a hard fought 15-12 loss at University of New England, Saint Joseph’s rattled off 17-consecutive victories, including GNAC Tournament triumphs over Rivier University (21-5) and reigning conference champion Emmanuel College (15-8) and a 10-3 victory against Lasell College in the GNAC Championship on April 26th.

The Monks’ 17-game winning streak is not only the longest in the program’s eight-year history – the stretch also counts as the fourth longest in the history of SJC athletics. Also, the team’s .895 winning percentage ranks second all-time among St. Joe’s teams and was the fifth-highest in NCAA DIII Women’s Lacrosse in 2015.

Unfortunately, the team’s winning string came to an end with a 16-9 setback at the hands of Bridgewater State University in the opening round of the NCAA DIII Tournament on May 9th at Bowdoin College.

The loss signaled the end of the 2015 campaign, a season during which the Monks set program single-season records in points (423), goals (288), assists (135), man-up goals (21), draw controls (249), and goals against average (7.23).

Following the regular season, freshman attack Elyse Caiazzo (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) was selected as the 2015 GNAC Rookie of the Year while juniors Mary Leasure (South Portland, Maine/McAuley), Kat Gadbois (Scarborough, Maine) and Meghan Williams (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) earned First Team All-GNAC honors.

Lewis, the first head coach in Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse history, played a significant role in lifting the former club program to NCAA DIII varsity status, as the Monks played under his watch during the squad's inaugural season (2008). In two seasons at the helm for the fledgling program, Lewis posted an 11-16 record, including a 5-6 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, with conference tournament appearances both years.

DOUBLE-DUTY:

Lewis continues to serve as the head coach of the Saint Joseph's field hockey program, a title he has held since the fall of 2004. The most successful skipper in SJC field hockey history, Lewis owns a 156-87 (.642) career record and led the Monks to five conference championship appearances, including GNAC titles in each of the last two years, along with a 61-11 (.847) in conference mark over the last 10 seasons.

PERSONAL:

In 2010, Lewis also earned personal accolades for his efforts as a men’s soccer player at University of Southern Maine when he was inducted into the Huskies’ Hall of Fame on October 2nd, 2010. Lewis, a 1982 USM graduate, helped lead USM to an NAIA District 5 Championship in 1979, a pair of trips to the NAIA Final Four, and a 52-19-7 (.732) record during his four years. Among his numerous awards, Lewis earned All-District 5 honors in 1981 and 1982, All-New England honors in 1982 and All-State honors in 1981 and 1982.

Coach Lewis is a native of Jamaica, where he began his illustrious career in field hockey and soccer. While in high school in Jamaica, he represented his country nationally in both sports. During his senior year, he played and coached his high school team through a winning season at Cornwall College High School located in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

 

LACROSSE CAREER RECORD:

	OVERALL			CONFERENCE			ACHIEVEMENTS
YEAR	W	L	W%	W	L	W%
2008	5	8	.385	2	3	.400
2009	6	8	.429	3	3	.500
2015	17	2	.895	9	0	1.000	GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP/NCAA TOURNAMENT
2016	16	3	.842	9	0	1.000	GNAC Regular Season Champions
2017	13	4	.765	8	1	.889
2018	11	5	.688	7	3	.700
2019	9	8	.529	7	4	.636
TOTAL	77	38	.670	45	14	.763