LF_071218

LakeForestLeader.com SPORTS
the lake forest leader | July 12, 2018 | 29
LFC installs Wilson at helm of women’s ice hockey program
Submitted by Lake Forest
College
Jennifer Wilson was
hired as just the fourth
head coach of the women’s
hockey program.
Lake Forest College Director
of Athletics Jackie
Slaats announced Wilson’s
addition to the program
June 26, according to a release
from the school.
Wilson takes over as head
coach after longtime coach
Carisa Wahlig, who was
with the team for 13 seasons,
steps down to coach
for Brown Unveristy’s Division-I
program.
Wilson comes to Lake
Forest from NCAA Division
III Buffalo State, a
member of the Northeast
Women’s Hockey League.
The Bengals posted a 13-
11-2 overall record in
2017-18, Wilson’s first
season at the helm of the
program. Buffalo State
was 9-6-1 in conference
play and earned a home
game in the inaugural NE-
WHL playoffs by placing
second in the standings
behind perennial national
power Plattsburgh State.
Prior to her time at Buffalo
State Wilson spent a
pair of seasons as the head
coach at ACHA Division I
Robert Morris University
in Chicago and associate
head coach at the high
school level at Loyola
Academy. She helped
lead Robert Morris to the
Eagles’ first appearance in
the conference tournament
semifinals in four years
and Loyola to a state title
and runner-up finish.
Wilson’s coaching career
began at NCAA Division
III St. Michael’s in
Vermont, where she was
an assistant for two seasons.
She helped lead the
Knights to their first postseason
appearance in the
program’s 12-year history
and was selected as an intern
coach for the U15 National
Development Camp
in St. Cloud, Minn. Wilson
remains active with USA
Hockey as a certified level
4 coach and has additional
experience as a talent evaluator,
instructor, and coach
for several high-level state
programs and showcases.
Wilson began her collegiate
playing career at
NCAA Division III Manhattanville
College, where
she was part of the 2006
ECAC-East Championship
team that posted a 23-
4-1 record. She played her
final two years at Robert
Morris, where she served
as an assistant captain and
amassed 49 points on 22
goals and 27 assists in 68
games. The Manitowoc,
Wisc., native was also
one of the state’s top high
school players and was selected
to Team Wisconsin
for the Chicago Showcase.
“I would like to thank
Jackie Slaats and her athletic
staff for this amazing
opportunity to be part of
the Forester Family and it’s
tradition of excellence,”
commented Wilson. “I am
humbled and ecstatic to
be back home in the Midwest
and looking forward
to continuing the success
of the Forester women’s
hockey program.”
“I am extremely excited
to add Coach Wilson to our
staff,” Slaats said. “She has
excelled at every stop during
her coaching career and
I look forward to Lake Forest
College being added to
that list. Our program has
established itself as one of
the strongest in the west region
and I am confident her
energy and passion for the
sport will help continue and
enhance its success.”
Wilson takes over a Forester
team that was 20-9-0
Jennifer Wilson takes over for longtime coach Carisa
Wahlig as the new head coach of the women’s hockey
team. Photo Submitted
overall and finished second
in the Northern Collegiate
Hockey Association standings
at 15-3-0 in league
play. Lake Forest has posted
three consecutive 20-
win seasons and reached
the championship game
of the Northern College
Hockey Association playoffs
in four of the last five
years with a pair of NCAA
Tournament appearances
during that span.
Foresters promote former cross-country, track assistant to top spot
Submitted by Lake Forest
College
Ciara Kissane was promoted
to the head coach position for
both the men’s and women’s
cross-country and track programs.
The promotion was announced
by Lake Forest College
Director of Athletics Jackie
Slaats June 27, according to a
release from the school.
Kissane will replace Dan
Simpson, who is now the head
cross-country and assistant
track and field coach at North
Park University.
Kissane was an assistant for
both programs in 2017-18 and
helped lead the Forester crosscountry
teams to top-half finishes
at the 2017 Midwest Conference
Championship Meet.
The men (3rd) and women (5th)
Ciara Kissane (middle), shown here last season, will head the men’s and women’s cross-country and
track and field programs. Photo Submitted
matched the best league placing
in program history and five
athletes were named All-MWC.
The College added track (distance
events only) to its slate of
varsity programming and had a
conference title in one event and
added 10 other Top 10 finishes
during its first appearance at the
MWC Championships.
Prior to coming to Lake Forest,
Kissane was the head crosscountry
coach and assistant track
and field coach for a year at
Coe College. Her cross-country
teams combined to post 10 new
entries on the Kowawks’ alltime
performance list and, in the
classroom, earned the United
States Track and Field and Cross
Country Coaches Association
All-Academic Team Award for
having a GPA over 3.10.
Kissane is a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
and she added a master’s
degree in sports management
from Florida State University in
2013.
“I am looking forward to
leading the Lake Forest cross
country and distance track
teams and would like to thank
Jackie Slaats for giving me
this opportunity,” Kissane said.
“This is an exciting time as we
enter the second year of varsity
track competition and look
to build on our past success in
cross country.”
A search to fill Kissane’s vacated
assistant coach position
will begin immediately.