Hartford Names Peter Lawrence Head Lacrosse Coach
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:11 pmFormer Whittier and UNH Assistant gets varsity head coaching gig at U of Hartford.
Hartford Names Peter Lawrence Head Lacrosse Coach
WEST HARTFORD, CT – The University of Hartford has named Peter Lawrence as head coach of the lacrosse program, as announced by Director of Athletics Pat Meiser-McKnett Tuesday afternoon.
Lawrence, formerly the head lacrosse coach at Division III Elmira College, will make the transition to the Division I level with the Hawks. He becomes the seventh head coach in the program's Division I history.
"I'm pleased to add Peter to our staff," said Director of Athletics Pat Meiser-McKnett. "Our lacrosse program will benefit from his leadership and enthusiasm, and I know he will take the program in the right direction."
Lawrence spent the last three seasons as head coach at Elmira, where he led the Soaring Eagles to an overall record of 8-6 in 2005, only the fifth winning season in school history. His squad also finished 3-4 in the Empire 8, which is considered to be among the best lacrosse conferences in the nation at the DIII level. He also recruited the school's first national team player and high school All-American and currently has five former players competing in the National Lacrosse League.
Lawrence began his coaching career as an assistant at Whittier College, where he directed the Poets' defense in their first two seasons of NCAA competition. He spent one season as an assistant for the club team at the University of New Hampshire, guiding the Wildcats to a Pioneer League Championship and a berth in the national tournament. He is also currently a co-director of the Powell Brothers Lacrosse Camps.
A standout player at Roanoke College, Lawrence led the Maroons to three straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. After earning All-American honors twice, as well as recognition as the 1998 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year, he was drafted by the MLL's Bridgeport Barrage in the league's inaugural season (2001). He graduated from Roanoke College in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education.
Lawrence inherits a team that showed improvement last season after going winless the year prior. The Hawks finished the 2005 season with an overall record of 2-12.