HAVERFORD, Pa. – Haverford College Director of Athletics Wendy Smith '87 has announced the hiring of Lauren Wray as head women's lacrosse coach.
Wray arrives at Haverford after spending the past two years as the assistant coach at nearby Temple University where she helped guide the Owls to a pair of Atlantic 10 conference tournament appearances.
"Lauren brings a competitive drive grounded in an appreciation for the well-rounded experience of a collegiate athlete," said Smith. "Lauren's commitment to supporting our student-athletes' efforts to excel academically, athletically and extracurricularly during their four years at Haverford made her an ideal choice for this position. Lauren understands and welcomes the challenges ahead of her and I look forward to her establishing a successful program within the highly competitive Centennial Conference and beyond."
Prior to her position at Temple, Wray served as the head coach at Cedar Crest College from 2008-09 after spending one season as the assistant at Lafayette College. Wray also founded the Triumph Lacrosse Club in Bethlehem, Pa., in May of 2008 and has continued to manage and coach the first high school women's lacrosse club travel team in the Lehigh Valley.
"I'm honored and incredibly excited to become the head coach at Haverford College," said Wray. "Haverford's extraordinarily strong academic and athletic traditions provide the ideal student-athlete experience, and I am excited to meet and begin work with the team. I am grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to working with the student-athletes, the administration and the athletic staff to take the program to the next level."
Wray (nee Gallagher) was a four-year letterwinner at Duke University from 1999-2003 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and economics in 2004. Over her career with the Blue Devils she played attack and accumulated 140 goals and 53 assists earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons. Wray began her coaching career as an undergraduate assistant with Duke during the 2003-04 season while finishing work on her degree.
In the summer before heading to Duke, Wray played for the United States Under-19 Women's Lacrosse Team which competed at the 1999 World Championships in Perth, Australia. She was later selected to the USA Developmental Squad, training as a member of Team USA with thirty developmental players in the summers from 2001-03.
Wray inherits a Haverford squad that in 2011 posted its third straight 10-plus win season and qualified for the Centennial Conference tournament for the second consecutive postseason. The 2012 Fords return three of their top four scorers including Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-America selection Jose Ferri who amassed 51 goals while adding 22 assists during the 2011 campaign. Perrin Downing scored 25 goals and Alexa Pesce tallied 18. Wray's Haverford squad also returns All-Metro Region goalkeeper Leah Hammerschlag who finished with a 9-7 record and an 8.73 goals against average.
Wray's husband, Taylor, was announced as the head men's lacrosse coach at St. Joseph's University on August 1. The couple have a son, Jackson.