BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College has selected Kristen Schuster to be the head coach of the women's lacrosse program as the school works towards reinstituting the program as a varsity sport in 2016.
"We are very excited to be bringing back our women's lacrosse program and feel Kristen Schuster was the perfect fit to lead this program," stated Director of Athletics Scot Dapp. "We had a number of very qualified applicants for this job, but Kristen stood out among all of them and we are confident that she will get this team moving in the right direction very quickly."
Schuster will serve as the coach Moravian's club women's lacrosse team in 2015 as the program prepares to transition back to varsity status in 2016, and she will also spend the next year recruiting her first class of freshmen. The Greyhounds will eventually return to action as a member of the Landmark Conference.
"The opportunity to restart a lacrosse program at an institution with such a renowned and time-honored reputation is what originally attracted me to Moravian," Schuster explained. "This was a unique undertaking to not only restart but recreate the foundations of the women's lacrosse program at Moravian, offering the chance to develop a winning tradition. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create a positive, progressive and competitive culture incorporating the existing Moravian athletic traditions.
"As Moravian women's lacrosse moves back to a varsity program, the current club team players will be offered the opportunity to compete in the NCAA," Schuster continued on her plans for the next year. "Recruiting talented and motivated student athletes will be my objective for the coming year. I will attend tournaments, showcases, high school games, camps and clinics to seek out student athletes that will add to the women's lacrosse program and campus community. The future 2019 graduating class of Moravian women's lacrosse will be filled with energetic and driven individuals.
"I am excited to start this new chapter for Moravian women's lacrosse and I hope to reestablish the lacrosse family that previously existed. I will reach out and encourage our alumni to become involved with the future of our program. One of my main objectives is to foster a positive relationship between the alumni, the current program and the athletes," finished Schuster.
Schuster comes to Moravian after three seasons on the staff at FDU-Florham. She began as an assistant coach in 2012 for her alma mater but stepped into the role of interim head coach for the 2013 campaign while Adrienne Carr was on maternity leave. Under Schuter's tutelage, the Devils posted a 13-8 mark and captured their second straight Freedom Conference Championship and a berth in the ECAC Tournament.
As a player at FDU-Florham from 2007 through 2010, Schuster netted a career total of 179 points on 131 goals and 48 assists, and she added 77 ground balls and 60 draw controls. During her senior season, Schuster served as a team captain and was named to the Middle Atlantic All-Conference Second Team. She also led the squad to the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Championship while being named the Most Valuable Player of the title match. The Devils played in the postseason in all four of Schuster's seasons, winning the MAC title in 2008 for a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Schuster earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts as an undergraduate, and she also earned her Master's Degree in Sports Administration from FDU-Florham.
