SUNY Binghamton University Women's Lacrosse

Head Coach Stephanie Allen enters her 13th year at the helm of the Binghamton Women's lacrosse program in 2025-26.  In 2025, Allen guided Emma Blloshmi and Angelina Suau to America East All-Conference First Team selections. Blloshmi set a new Binghamton single-season record with 59 goals and 30 free position goals, finishing the regular-season atop the conference scoring leader board and first in the NCAA rankings with 2.0 free position goals per game. Under Allen's direction, Suau became the first Bearcat women’s lacrosse player to earn three first team designations after she ranked second in the America East for ground balls per game and third for caused turnovers per game. Allen led the Binghamton women's lacrosse team to a multitude of firsts in 2024. The Bearcats captured their first America East Championship in program history over UAlbany, 12-11, the team’s first ever win over the Great Danes. Binghamton appeared in its first NCAA Championship vs No. 6 Yale and claimed its first share of the conference’s regular season title. The campaign also featured the most wins (12) and longest win streak (8) in the team’s 23-year history.  Under Allen's leadership, the Bearcats led 2024 America East opponents in points (22.17), goals (15.17) and assists (7.00) per game and ranked in the top-25 nationally in draw controls per game (15.32). Olivia Muscolino, Kristen Scheidel and Angelina Suau earned America East First Team honors while Madison Murphy and Hayley Weltner were named to the Second Team. Emma Blloshmi and Mia Forte took home All-Rookie nods and Scheidel grabbed an All-Academic distinction. Her 2023 squad produced an historic season after being picked to finish fifth of seven in the conference preseason poll. The season ended one goal shy of an NCAA berth after a 14-13 loss at top-seed Albany in America East championship game. Allen and her coaching staff were voted America East Staff of the Year and Binghamton’s record-breaking season included its first-ever title game appearance in 22 years, best conference record (5-1) and tournament seed (#2). The Bearcats produced a program-record and conference-high eight all-conference selections. Binghamton led the America East in points per game (21.2) and was second in both scoring offense (14.6) and scoring defense (10.2). During the regular season, Binghamton posted a 13-12 road win over Cornell – the program’s first-ever win over an Ivy League member. Other impressive results were a 17-10 road loss to then No. 2 Syracuse in a game where Binghamton outscored the Orange in the second half and an 11-5 win over Pitt – the program’s first-ever win over an ACC member. Senior Emily Manning was named America East Goalkeeper of the Year - the first Bearcat to ever win the award. Joining Manning as a first team all-conference selection were sophomore midfielders Abby Carroll, who ranked sixth in the nation in free position goals, and Angelina Suau, who ranked ninth in caused turnovers. The three first-team selections were a program record.  In 2022, Allen led Binghamton to an appearance in the America East semifinals. Allen guided the Bearcats to three wins over the course of the shortened 2020 season. Binghamton won its last two contests before COVID-19 ended spring sports, and Allen produced two America East All-Academic team members. Prior, Allen and the Bearcats ended a three-year stretch with 20 victories, the winningest stretch in program history. In 2018, Binghamton won eight games, also the most in program history. That season the Bearcats had a balanced offense, with five members scoring 20 or more goals. Allen guided Jacqueline Kennedy to an America East All-Conference First Team selection. Also under Allen, Rebecca Golderman (2017) and Allie Rodgers (2016) received the same accolade over the three-year stretch. The 2016 season also saw the program's first-ever America East Rookie of the Year in Golderman. The conference awarded Binghamton one first team, one second team, two All-Rookie, and two All-Academic selections to wrap up the team’s decorated season.  Allen was named the Bearcats' head coach in 2013 and in 2014, led the team to seven wins. Her passionate, mentoring leadership model served to quickly unite the Bearcats, who made significant strides on and off the field. Allen also coached the program’s first-ever Under Armour/IWLCA North-South All-Star, Katherine Hunsberger. As an assistant coach, Allen recruited an ESPN top-50 recruit and played a key role in the development of Binghamton’s first two-time America East all-conference selection, defender Siobhan Menz in 2009 and 2010. As the program’s academic liaison, Allen steered the 2011 squad to the top GPA in the America East for women’s lacrosse. In addition, Allen serves as the America East WLAX NCAA Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) Representative.  Prior coming to Binghamton in 2007, Allen was the inaugural head coach at Presbyterian College (S.C.), where she built an NCAA Division I program from the ground level in four years at the helm. A Columbus, Ohio native, Allen graduated from Limestone College in 2003, earning a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and studio art. Allen then earned her master’s degree in sports management from SUNY Cortland in 2010. At Limestone, Allen was a captain and four-year starting midfielder. Allen has been very active throughout campus and in the community. She served as the Director of the Broome County Girls Lacrosse Club and Youth League from 2007-2012 and currently sits on the Section IV Board of Women’s Lacrosse Officials, helping grow the sport throughout the Binghamton area. She is a member of the Women In Sports and Events (WISE) organization and was featured on their website this past September in the Member Spotlight segment. Allen also recently served on the University’s Presidential Yield Task Force Committee and has shared her expertise as a member of the Celebrating Women’s Athletics Committee. EXTRAS Stephanie Allen on Wake Up Call With Dan Tortora 5/7/24

Associate Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Shannon Mackesey enters her third year with the Bearcats in 2025-26.  Mackesey's guidance led senior defender Angelina Suau to her third consecutive America East First Team honor in 2025, making her the first player to program history to earn the award three times. A two-time America East Defensive Player of the Week, Suau rose to first in program history with 87 career caused turnovers.The senior ranked second in the conference with 2.80 ground balls per game and third with 1.87 caused turnovers per game. Suau matched Binghamton’s single-game record of nine ground balls against UMBC, March 29.  Under Mackesey's direction, freshman defender Norah Kelly also received an All-Rookie selection after she recorded 16 groundballs and three caused turnovers in 2025.  In her first season with Binghamton,  Mackesey aided the Bearcats to their first America East Championship in program history over UAlbany, 12-11, the team’s first ever win over the Great Danes. Binghamton appeared in its first NCAA Championship vs No. 6 Yale and claimed its first share of the conference’s regular season title. The campaign also featured the most wins (12) and longest win streak (8) in the team’s 23-year history.  Under Mackesey’s leadership, Suau picked up America East First-Team honors and ranked among the top 10 players in the conference for caused turnovers per game. Goalkeeper Sofia Salgado ranked second against America East opponents in goals against average (10.22) and saves percentage (.475). She was also named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week, April 29.  Former America East women's lacrosse defensive standout Mackesey joined the staff in August 2023 after serving five years at two previous Division I programs.  A native of Altamont, N.Y., Mackesey came to Binghamton directly from MAAC member Marist, where she was the lead assistant for two years. The Red Foxes celebrated a first team all-conference selection and three All-Rookie picks under her tutelage. Prior to that, Mackesey spent three years at St. Bonaventure, where she coached four Atlantic 10 all-conference players.     As a student-athlete at UAlbany, Mackesey was a starting defender for a Great Danes program that twice earned NCAA at-large berths and posted a conference win percentage of 81% during her tenure. Her Great Danes teams advanced to the America East title game four straight years and produced an average of nearly 12 wins per season. Mackesey also has coached several youth lacrosse teams in the Albany area, including a two-year stint as head coach of 518 eXcelerate.   She was a three-sport athlete at Guildereland High School, where she competed in lacrosse, cross country and basketball.   Mackesey earned her bachelor's degree in history from Albany in 2018 and received her master's degree in integrated marketing communication from St. Bonaventure in 2021. 

Following a decorated and resilient collegiate playing career that included winning two national championships, Alecia Nicholas enters her first season as an assistant coach for the Binghamton women's lacrosse program in 2026.   Nicholas, who hails from Ithaca, N.Y., had a stellar career as a goalie at North Carolina from 2022-25. In 2023, she was named an Honorable Mention All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine and was also selected to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List. That season, was one of six Tar Heels to start all 21 games, finishing the year tied for the team lead in ground balls with 33. At the end of the season, Nicholas led the Atlantic Coast Conference in goals against average at 8.51, while also ranking seventh in the country in that category.   In the fall of 2023, Nicholas faced a difficult challenge off the field when she was diagnosed with cancer. After immediately undergoing treatment, Nicholas appeared in every game for the Tar Heels in 2024, starting in 16 of them. Her return to the field was named the Best Comeback Story in USA Lacrosse’s, “Best of Lacrosse 2024,” campaign.   In her final season in Chapel Hill, Nicholas appeared in three games. She finished her collegiate career with 24 wins, 231 saves made, a goals against average of 9.26 and a save percentage of .415.   Nicholas also succeeded in the classroom, being named to the All-ACC Academic Team in both 2023 and 2024. She graduated from North Carolina in May of 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science. Aside from coaching, Nicholas is also able to continue her playing career in national competition. In September of 2025, she was named by Lacrosse Canada to one of the women’s national teams to compete in the World Lacrosse Super Sixes – Canada in Oshawa, Ontario.