Cornell College Women's Lacrosse

Merce, a native of Oakhurst, N.J., will guide the Rams into their third year of NCAA Division III competition in the spring of 2017. The support of Cornells athletic department and college community made me feel very comfortable and welcome. I really felt connected to the campus, said Merce, a 2013 graduate of New England (Henniker, N.H.) College, where she earned a bachelors degree in kinesiology. We are a building program, Merce said. My goal is to build depth on the roster and teach the game. I want to build players who are passionate for the game. Merce was a four-year starter for the NCAA Division III New England Pilgrims, playing the midfield and defender positions. She was named to the North Atlantic All-Conference Team her senior season after leading the team with 29 goals and 38 points. Merce was voted New Englands Female Athlete of the Year in 2012-13. Merce earned team MVP honors as a sophomore and senior. She served as captain of the 2013 team. Merce compiled 55 goals and 13 assists in 70 career starts at New England. She was a key member of the 2012 squad that advanced to the North Atlantic Conference East Division championship match.    Merce played on the American International Sports Team that won tournaments in Munich and Prague in 2012. She was head junior varsity girls lacrosse coach at Red Bank Catholic (N.J.) High School from 2013-15, and also coached an area youth team for one year. I have always loved lacrosse, Merce said. Ever since I started coaching a few years ago, this is something I wanted to do. Merce was an all-conference athlete in soccer and lacrosse at Ocean Township (N.J.) High School. She played attacker in lacrosse and was a senior team captain in 2009.  Hopper, a 2007 Cornell graduate and former multi-sport athlete for the Rams, joined the women's lacrosse coaching staff in the fall of 2015.   A native of Springfield, Ill., Hopper has served as assistant director of residence life/coordinator of first-year programs at Cornell since July 2008. She spent eight seasons (2008-15) as an assistant on Cornell's softball staff. Hopper held previous positions on campus as assistant volleyball coach, geology lab instructor and coordinator of the Brackett House.   During her time as a Ram student-athlete, Hopper earned four varsity letters each in softball and volleyball, and lettered one year in basketball. She was named Cornell's Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 2007. Hopper earned a bachelor's degree in geology and environmental science in the spring of 2007.