Boissonneault Signs First Five Student-Athletes to Lacrosse Program

PITTSBURGH – After being named the first University of Pittsburgh head lacrosse coach in program history in July of 2019, Emily Boissonneault announced the first signees to the program Tuesday afternoon.

The first players to the program are Emily Coughlin, Kate Elam, Madigan Lublin, Maureen McNierney and Riley Patrick.

These student-athletes will arrive on campus for the 2020-21 academic year as the first competitive season for lacrosse will be 2021-22.

Emily Coughlin | Midfield | Plum Borough, Pa. | Oakland Catholic High School

Helped Oakland Catholic to a WPIAL title and three section titles
Plays for True Lacrosse state team under the guidance of Kevin White
Was named Team MVP as a junior
Honor Roll student

Boissonneault on Coughlin:
"Emily is a Pittsburgh native that attends Oakland Catholic down the road from the University of Pittsburgh. Emily will be a connector between the city and our team as our athletes begin to familiarize themselves with Pittsburgh. On the field, her speed and work ethic will be important as we begin to set our expectations and goals for our first season."

Coughlin on why she chose Pitt:
"The University of Pittsburgh has always been a goal of mine to attend and to be given the chance to play at the collegiate level has made it complete."

Kate Elam | Midfield | Pamplin, Va. | St. Anne's-Belfield School

Attended Virginia Episcopal School for first two years of high school before transferring to St. Anne's-Belfield School
In her first season at STAB, recorded 55 points off 42 goals and 13 assists, making her the second-highest scorer on the team
Captured back-to-back conference titles while at Virginia Episcopal School
Earned a runner-up finish in the state as a sophomore
Played for Yellow Jackets South in 2019 and 2018 … Team finished 9-4-3
Was a member of the Virginia National Team in 2019
Played for Storm Elite Club Lacrosse in 2017
Awarded the Bishop Scholarship while at Virginia Episcopal School, which is award to one person in that grade that meets the set requirements for excellent grades
Was a cross country, basketball, swimming and lacrosse athlete as a freshman and sophomore

Boissonneault on Elam:
"Kate will add size and power to our team. She is fearless in the way she attacks a defensive unit by taking contact and dodging her way through defenders to get quality shots. Additionally, her rough and tough play will be an asset on both ends of the field as we prepare to compete in the ACC. She was one of our last commits in the 2020 class but fills a big role and we are excited to get her on campus!"

Elam on why she chose Pitt:
"Pitt was my dream school not only because of how beautiful it is, but also because it is an incredible academic school. I love the idea of starting a new program at a great place like Pitt in the most competitive conference for lacrosse."

Madigan Lublin | Attacker | Penfield, N. Y. | Penfield High School

Three-year varsity team member
Two-time Second Team Monroe County All-League selection as a sophomore and junior
Finished top three in scoring as a junior
Helped lead the Patriots to a Section V Class A title, NYS Class A Championship finalist and finished the season ranked 12^th by U.S. Lacrosse
Plays club for Monster Elite under the guidance of Ronnie Davis
Attended the Nike Elite 120 and Northstar Invitational last year
High Honor Roll and Honor Roll student
Extracurricular activities include: Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf, Community Book Sale, led a school supply drive for Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf and volunteers at the Rochester River Run to benefit organ transplants
Competed on the varsity indoor track team as a freshman and sophomore

Boissonneault on Lublin:
"We are excited for Madigan to get on campus. Madigan's strengths include her impressive lacrosse IQ and technical skill that we will need to help establish a strong offensive unit. She is tough and knows how to handle the ball under pressure. We are looking forward to having her push the skill level of our program as we prepare to compete in the ACC."

Lublin on why she chose Pitt:
"I chose Pitt because of the competitive and motivating atmosphere, along with everything they have to offer their student-athletes. I am very excited for the opportunity to be a part of building the women's lacrosse program and competing in the ACC."

Marueen McNierney | Attacker | Malverne, N.Y. | Kellenberg Memorial High School

First commit to Pitt lacrosse program
Two-year member of varsity team at Kellenberg Memorial
Finished third in the Catholic League Conference as a sophomore and junior
Member of the JV A team as a freshman and finished second in the Catholic League Conference
Plays club for Long Island Liberty under the guidance of Daniella Gallagher
Four-year Honor Roll student, member of the National Honor Society
Extracurricular activities include: S.A.L.T (service, allegiance, leadership team work), C.R.O.S.S (Christians reaching out spreading spirituality), and Community Marianist Leader (seniors mentoring freshman)
Three-sport athlete as in addition to lacrosse played soccer and basketball

Boissonneault on McNierney:
"I am thrilled to have Maureen join Pitt as our first ever lacrosse commit. Maureen strives for success in every area of her life. She is an ambitious young lady who will help lead this team by example on and off the field. We believe she has all the tools to be a solid two way midfielder that has an opportunity to really establish herself here at Pitt."

McNierney on why she chose Pitt:
"I chose Pitt academically and athletically because of the amazing opportunities it had to offer. I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere of the school, the city, and the athletic community. I am extremely excited to start my career here as a student-athlete and look forward to my future as a Panther."

Riley Patrick | Goalie |Bel Air, Md. | St. Anne's-Belfield School

Three-year varsity letterwinner
3A runner-up in the region as a junior
3A Regional Champions as a sophomore
3A/4A regional and state champions a freshman
Plays club for Sky Walkers under the guidance of Scott Bentkowski, Melissa Diepold and Allyson Carey
Part of the biomedical program at STAB, has earned the Principal's Award for Excellence every quarter and has been involved with Minds in Motion all three years
Extracurricular activities include: Math Honor Society, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, Academic Team, Class Vice President, Student Government Senator and Treasurer, Fundraising Committee Leader in SGA, School orchestra, All-Country Orchestra, first chair viola in school orchestra, volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and English Language Learners program for students at STAB learning English

Boissonneault on Patrick:
"Riley wanted to come to Pitt the day we announced the start of a new program. She comes to us from Sky Walkers, a dominant program in Maryland that has prepared her to compete at this level. We are looking forward to having her positive attitude over the next year as we prepare for our first competitive season in 2022."

Patrick on why she chose Pitt:
"Pitt has always been a school I've wanted to go to academically, so when the lacrosse team was announced, it felt perfect. When I visited, I felt so at home and knew it was exactly where I wanted to be. I couldn't be more excited to begin my career here and to start building a new legacy."

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Boissonneault Signs First Five Student-Athletes to Lacrosse Program

Players Mentioned

Emily Coughlin

Kate Elam

Madigan Lublin

Maureen McNierney

Riley Patrick

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