Coaching Staff
Heather Semelmacher
Head Coach
Heather Semelmacher will begin her first season as the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team and will be the assistant coach of field hockey.
Prior to SUNY New Paltz, Semelmacher started the lacrosse program at Saugerties High School in Saugerties, New York and served the position for seven years. In 2006-2007, Semelmacher was named Coach of the Year and in 2007-2008 was named Team of the Year.
Before Saugerties, she was the assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York for two years from 2000-2001. For the past seven years, she has worked at Anaconda Sports Inc. as the National Marketing Director for women sports and men’s lacrosse.
Semelmacher stays active in the community coaching STX and Nike Lacrosse Camps and coaches clinics for the US Lacrosse.
Semelmacher is a 1999 graduate of Lynchburg College with a degree in Sports Medicine and Sports Marketing with a minor in Business Administration. While at Lynchburg College, Semelmacher played three years of field hockey and three years of lacrosse before suffering a season ending injury. She played in the Scholastic Division from 1994-1996 and the Open Division from 2003-2006 in the National Field Hockey Festival.
Contact Heather Semelmacher at ext. 3925 or semelmah@newpaltz.edu.
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Shanna Vitale
Assistant Lacrosse Coach
Shanna Vitale enters her first season as assistant coach of the women's lacrosse team. She is also the head field hockey coach.
Prior to New Paltz, Vitale served as the assistant coach for Lock Haven University’s program for six years. She was responsible for assisting in all phases of the program, including game plans, scouting, academic monitoring and recruiting. During her time at Lock Haven, Vitale helped guide the program to a 106-25 record, including three North East Conference Championships.
Vitale is a 2002 graduate of Lock Haven University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education with a concentration in Sports Administration and Coaching. Vital was a forward on the Lady Eagles field hockey program from 1998-2000; she spent the 1997 year on the field for Mansfield University. In 2000, she achieved recognition as the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and Honda Broderick nominee. She is a three-time All-American (2000, 1998, 1997), a three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) first team selection (2000, 1998, 1997) and the PSAC Athlete of the Year in 2000.
Over the span of her career at Lock Haven, Vitale recorded a total of 39 goals, including 17 during her senior season, to rank ninth on the Lady Eagles’ all-time goals list. She was a member of the 2000 national championship squad and two PSAC championship teams (1998, 2000).
Prior to her return to Lock Haven, Vitale served as an assistant coach at Wooster College, working with the field hockey and lacrosse teams.
Contact Shanna Vitale at ext. 3929 or vitales@newpaltz.edu.