Grand Valley State University

GVSU Athletic Department
192 Fieldhouse Allendale, MI 49401

Division 2 Michigan Midwest

Public Very Large Competitive team

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Coaches

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Mackenzie Lawler

Mackenzie Lawler capped off her fifth season at the helm of the women's lacrosse program following the completion of the 2022-23 school year, as she has posted a record of 64 wins and 14 losses. Grand Valley State Director of Athletics, Keri Becker, announced the hiring of Lawler as the new head coach of the Lakers' women's lacrosse program on July 10, 2018. Lawler becomes the second head coach in Laker lacrosse history.

Under Lawler's tutelage, six Lakers have earned All-American honors from the IWLCA, 24 Lakers have earned regional honors from the IWLCA, while 44 have earned All-GLIAC honors.

The 2023 season saw the Lakers make their longest run in the NCAA Tournament in program history, making it to the Final Four after winning their first Midwest Regional crown. GVSU went 16-5 this season, sweeping the GLIAC regular season and conference tournament crowns for the third consecutive season. Qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in the history of the program, the Lakers took down the top two seeds in the region en route to the Regional title. Molly Bursinger was named First-Team All-American by the IWLCA, while Maddy Champagne earned Second-Team honors. Seven Lakers were named All-Region players by the IWLCA, and 10 players earned All-GLIAC honors. Finishing out the year ranked number five in the IWLCA rankings, GVSU earned their highest ranking ever, and they were ranked the entire season, with four weeks inside the top-10.

The Lakers enjoyed their most successful season during 2022, winning a program record 19 games, and making the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. GVSU won their second consecutive GLIAC regular season and conference tournament championships, going undefeated in league play for the second straight season. Molly Bursinger earned IWLCA First-Team All-American honors, while Sophie Conroy was named to the IWLCA Second Team All-American team and Leigha Johnson earned IWLCA Third-Team All-American honors. Eight Lakers were named to the IWLCA All-Region team and 12 players received All-GLIAC honors. The Lakers reached as high as number seven in the IWLCA rankings, the highest in team history, and finished the year ranked eighth, which was the highest ranking to end the season in program history.

In the 2021 season, the Lakers finished 12-2 overall and a perfect 8-0 in the GLIAC. The Lakers were not only crowned GLIAC regular season champions, but defeated Davenport 20-15 to win the post-season GLIAC Championship title. Senior Anna Gritter earned IWLCA Second Team All-American honors and sophomore Molly Bursinger received IWLCA Third Team All-American honors. Six players earned IWLCA All-Region honors, while 12 players received All-GLIAC accolades.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cut short, but the Lakers posted a 3-1 record that includes a win over No. 3, Lindenwood. Senior Abbi O'Neal was named to the Inside Lacrosse Women's DII Media All-America First Team with 21 points (17 goals, 4 assists). GVSU ended the season as the No. 10 team in the country in the final IWLCA DII Coaches Poll.

The 2019 season saw the Lakers go 14-4 overall, including a 10-1 mark in GLIAC play and an appearance in the GLIAC Tournament championship. The team ranked second in the conference in goals against average (7.14) and goals per game (16.83). Carly Shisler, Abbi O'Neal and Elizabeth Yeomans all earned IWLCA regional honors while ten earned All-GLIAC accolades. Shisler was named GLIAC Midfielder of the Year and was also honored with the opportunity to play in the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game.

Prior to joining the Lakers, she most recently spent four seasons as the first assistant coach at Central Michigan University, helping to launch the newly formed Chippewa lacrosse program. During her time at CMU, Lawler served as offensive coordinator as well as coordinator of recruiting, camps and film. In her final season at Central Michigan, the Chippewas held the tenth-best shooting percentage (47.8%) in Division I.

Lawler has also built one of the premier youth lacrosse programs in the state of Michigan. She founded Michigan Elite in 2011, serving as the administrator and head coach of a program that has grown to a staff of 10 coaches and over 150 athletes spread across seven teams; five in her hometown of Okemos and two in Grand Rapids. She graduated from Robert Morris University in 2014, where she was a three-year starter in the Division I Colonials' midfield and amassed 35 goals, 21 assists, 38 ground balls, 27 draw controls and 21 caused turnovers. During her collegiate career, Lawler also spent time as a youth and high school coach in both her home state and in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area where RMU is located.

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Nora Boerger

Nora Boerger completes her fifth season with the Lakers at the start of the 2022-23 academic year. Head coach MacKenzie Lawler announced the hire on Friday, August 10, 2018. Boerger serves as defensive coordinator and assist with camps and clinics and recruiting while also formulating and implementing the team's strength and conditioning program.

During the 2022-23 season, Boerger helped coach a defense that was ranked 15th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing less than 10 goals a game. Additionally, she coached two defenders to IWLCA All-Region honors, as well as three defensive players to All-GLIAC accolades.

In the shortened 2020 season, Boerger coached a defense that caused 29 turnovers and posted 69 draw controls in just four games. Additionally, the Laker defense held their opponents to 41 goals, compared to GVSU's 64.

In her first season coordinating the defense, the Lakers ranked second in the GLIAC in goals against average (7.14). Three defenders earned All-GLIAC honors as did freshman goalie Payton Neil. The Lakers went 14-4, including a 10-1 mark in GLIAC play, and reached the GLIAC Tournament championship.

Boerger has extensive experience in NCAA lacrosse coaching. She most recently spent two seasons as an assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University, a Division II program in Hickory, North Carolina. She was heavily involved in both skill development and practice and game planning for the Bears, helping the team to their first-ever South Atlantic Conference (SAC) regular season championship.

Boerger has also coached at Findlay University, where she was a defense and goalie coach, and Ohio State University, where she served as coordinator of performance analysis. On a club level, she coached in the high school division for both Midwestern Force and Northstar Lacrosse.

Boerger was hired as the associate head coach of the Swiss Women's National Team in 2018 and led the team to qualify for the 2020 World Championships (which were canceled due to COVID-19) after their success in 2019 European Lacrosse Championships in Israel. Less than two seasons later, Boerger was promoted to head coach in January of 2020 and is currently preparing the team for the 2022 World Championships.

A two-sport athlete at Urbana University, Boerger played both basketball and lacrosse for the Blue Knights. She was a USAcollegelacrosse.com honorable mention All-American in 2011, ranked sixth among Division II independents in ground balls and 12th in caused turnovers in 2012 and ranked fifth in the entire nation in ground balls in her final season in 2013. Boerger earned a B.S. in Exercise Science from Urbana and a M.A. in university leadership from Lenoir-Rhyne.