Women's Lacrosse Program Overview

In their third season as a varsity program, the 2021 campaign was their most successful yet. UChicago earned its first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) tournament title and made its debut appearance in the NCAA postseason. The squad recorded a pair of wins en route to the NCAA Quarterfinal round.

Head Coach - Kate Robinson

UChicago women's lacrosse launched a new era with the hiring of Kate Robinson as the program's first head coach in May 2017. UChicago's newest varsity program began competition in spring 2019 as the school's 20th intercollegiate sport.

2021 was a landmark campaign for UChicago. The Maroons were regular season co-champions in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), then won the CCIW Tournament to qualify for their first-ever NCAA postseason. UChicago advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals and finished with an 11-2 overall record. The squad was nationally elite on both sides of the field, ranking 16th in scoring (16.9 goals/game), seventh in scoring defense (5.69 goals/game), seventh in scoring margin (+11.2/game), 18th in shots on goal per game (27.8 SOG/game) and 21st in shots per game (35 shots/game). Goalkeeper Emily Feigen ranked fifth in the nation with a 6.16 goals against average. Midfielder Katie Large was named the first All-American in program history, achieving Third Team status. Eight Maroons were named All-CCIW, including Ali Sheehy as CCIW Offensive Player of the Year and Lulu Hardy as CCIW Newcomer of the Year. Four players secured All-Region status.

In her 2019 debut season, Robinson led the Maroons to a 15-3 record and a second-place finish in the CCIW. She was voted as the CCIW Co-Coach of the Year. Her squad posted elite numbers on a national scale, ranking 17th in scoring (16.44 goals/game), 16th in scoring margin (+8.28/game), 15th in draw controls (16.39/game), 21st in ground balls (26.44/game) and 21st in shots (34.4/game). Midfielder Karina Schulze was named the CCIW Offensive Player of the Year and CCIW Newcomer of the Year.

Robinson began her coaching career at Whitman, which competes at the NCAA Division III level within the Northwest Conference. She was also that program's first head coach as the Blues moved from club to varsity status under her guidance. Over her three years, Whitman doubled its win totals in each subsequent season. After posting two victories in 2015 and four in 2016, Robinson's squad peaked with a 9-6 record in 2017. The Blues also took second place in the NWC with a 6-2 conference record.

The continued ascent in the win column helped Robinson earn recognition as the NWC Coach of the Year in both 2016 and 2017. Her teams produced 12 All-NWC players during her tenure, including five this past season. Sophomore Lindsay Schwartz was named the NWC Player of the Year and Mary Noyes garnered NWC Freshman of the Year accolades. Schwartz was also picked as a First Team All-Region honoree by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).

Before her arrival at Whitman, Robinson spent two years as assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology and one year as graduate assistant coach at her alma mater, The Catholic University of America.

Robinson was a record-setting lacrosse player for Catholic as an undergraduate and pulled in three All-American honors in the process. She was a four-time All-Region selection and a two-time Landmark Conference Player of the Year. Robinson ranks as Catholic's career leader in goals (268) and points (383), while also holding single-season records for goals (91), assists (44), points (121) and caused turnovers (45). Additionally, she was a two-time team captain on the basketball team.

Conference Association
When UChicago women's lacrosse makes its varsity debut, it will do so as an associate member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) at the start of the 2018-19 academic year. 

The CCIW began sponsoring women's lacrosse during the 2014-15 academic year. UChicago will become the eighth women's lacrosse team in the league and the second associate member alongside the University of Dubuque. The six CCIW full members include Augustana College, Carroll University, Carthage College, Elmhurst College, Illinois Wesleyan University and North Central College.

At the end of the conference schedule each season, the top four women's lacrosse teams will take part in the CCIW's conference tournament. The eventual champion will receive an automatic qualification into the NCAA Division III Championship field.