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| Florence Rounds Out Lacrosse Coaching Staff Release: 01/31/2013 Courtesy: Marlee Horn, Graduate Assistant SID | ||||||
| Katie Florence rounds out the first University of Colorado women's lacrosse coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. One of the nation's top defenders, Florence helped the University of Massachusetts to four consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference championships and two NCAA appearances. "I could not be more excited to have Katie Florence on board," CU head coach Ann Elliott said. "Katie was a tremendous goalie at UMass and has a wealth of knowledge not only at her position, but for the game as a whole. She is an experienced leader and knows what it takes to play at the highest level. Katie will be a huge asset to our two freshman goalkeepers next year and our entire defense. I feel with the addition of Katie to our staff we truly have a complete, well-rounded staff that has the experience and capability to teach and challenge our players at all positions." Florence started every game of her four-year career at UMass, serving as the team-elected captain from 2010-12 and earning numerous accolades. In her freshman season, she led the Minutewomen to an 11-8 record and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team. As a sophomore, she had five games with 10 or more saves. Not only did Florence stand out in the conference, but she also gained national attention. She helped UMass to a 17-3 mark as a junior and was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. She was also a first-team All-Conference and second-team IWLCA All-Region selection. Her 8.80 goals-against average ranked 12th in the nation, and UMass' defense finished the season ranked No. 10. In her final season, Florence had an 18-2 record and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic team. Florence graduated from UMass in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in sport management and a minor in education. Prior to joining the Buffs, she was a three-year coach for Amonte Sports Camps, owned and managed by Kelly Amonte-Hiller, a nine-time NCAA champion (seven as a coach, two as a player at Northwestern). While there, Florence assisted the director of goalie camp in developing drills for appropriate skill groups, helped form strategies and daily camp plans and instructed campers in skill development. Florence was also an intern at Fenway Sports Management in 2011, organizing events such as the JetBlue "Swing for Good" Golf Classic and the Stop and Shop Golf Classic, and analyzing revenue and sponsorships for Boston College athletics, Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox. She was a high school standout at King Phillip Regional, where she helped the team to four straight league championships and South Sectional championship as a sophomore. With 56 career wins, she is the winningest goalie in school history. She was a three-time Hockomock League Goalie of the Year and earned Boston Globe All-Scholastic and Eastern Massachusetts All-Star honors in her junior and senior seasons. |
from cubuffs.com