Stonehill College

Katie (Lambert) Conover, '03, one of Stonehill's most decorated student-athlete alumnae, is entering her 19th season as head women’s lacrosse coach at her alma mater in 2026.

Since returning to Stonehill as head coach, Conover has led the Skyhawks to a record of 193-112 (.633), two NEC tournament appearanaces 12 Northeast-10 Conference postseason appearances, three conference titles and four NCAA Tournament bids. She owns a career coaching record of 238-132 (.643) over 22 seasons, which includes 45 wins over four years leading Merrimack College. Since Stonehill was elevated to Division I status prior to the 2023 campaign, Conover has guided the Skyhawks to a 25-26 overall record, including 20-7 in the NEC (.741), reaching the NEC tournament final in 2025. Prior to that, Conover led Stonehill to a 123-46 (.728) mark in NE10 play, winning regular season championships in 2008, 2009 and 2022, having posted a career mark of 154-54 (.740) in NE10 play over her career.

Since joining the Division I ranks, Conover's squad has placed 16 players on the NEC all-conference teams. In 2023, Stonehill's five All-NEC selections include first team honors for Emma Sullivan, Lydia Rudden and Lilly Leach, while Molly Mae Hughes and Mallory Crispens both earned second team honors. Following the 2024 campaign, Molly Mae Hughes was named the NEC Offensive Player of the Year, while Lilly Leach collected the NEC's Midfielder of the Year, marking the program's first NEC major award recipients in the Skyhawks second year at the NCAA Division I level as members of the conference. In addition, Hughes, Leach and Sofia D'Agostino earned All-NEC first team accolades, while Karly King, Natalie Coutu and Grace Murphy garned second team nods.

This past spring, Natalie Coutu and Caroline Davey were named to the All-NEC first team in 2025. Grace Murphy and Julia Kogan took home second-team honors, and Meaghan Fealy was recognized on the All-Rookie team.

Stonehill also saw 50 student-athletes earn All-Northeast-10 honors during Conover’s 12 seasons in charge, including 19 first team selections. Michelle Kelly, ’09 earned NE10 Player of the Year honors following Conover’s first season in 2008, while Jaclyn Craig, ’10 was named the NE10’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and Kelsey Reilly, ’13 received the first-ever NE10 Midfielder of the Year award as a senior. Conover has also produced 11 freshmen who have garnered NE10 All-Rookie team status.

Stonehill has seen 19 student-athletes earn All-America honors over Conover’s tenure, including five first team selections, featured by Craig, a four-time first team pick. The Skyhawks have also had 36 IWLCA All-Region performers over Conover’s 18 seasons.

Stonehill women’s lacrosse has performed in the classroom under Conover, led by Craig, the 2010 IWLCA Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Kayla Green, ’13, who earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-America team her senior year. Nine Skyhawks have received CoSIDA Academic All-District honors and 15 have received NE10 Academic All-Conference accolades.

Conover guided Stonehill to NCAA Tournament bids in 2010 and 2015. The Skyhawks posted a 13-4 record overall, including a 10-1 mark in the NE10 during the 2010 season, earning the program’s sixth NCAA Tournament bid and first since 2007, falling to eventual national champion Adelphi. The 2015 team finished 15-5, including a 10-3 NE10 mark, again eliminated by Adelphi on its way to the national title.

In Conover's first season as head coach, Stonehill went 14-3 and a perfect 10-0 in NE-10 competition, extending their conference unbeaten streak to 80 games and capturing the school's tenth consecutive regular-season conference title. The Skyhawks added an 11^th-straight NE10 regular season championship in 2009, finishing 9-1 in NE10 play as part of a 10-6 season overall.

Prior to Stonehill, Conover spent four seasons as the head coach at Merrimack, compiling a 45-20 overall record and making back-to-back NE10 Championship appearances. Under Conover's watch, Merrimack set records for most wins in a season (12 in 2005 and 2006), produced four All-Americans, and posted their best conference record (9-1 in 2006.)

Conover enjoyed a Hall of Fame career at Stonehill, capped by an NCAA Championship in her senior season. She was named to the IWLCA All-America first team all four years, making her the first Stonehill student-athlete to become a four-time All-American in any sport. She was the NE10 Player of the Year in 2001, 2002, and 2003, following her selection as the NE10 Rookie of the Year in 2000. Conover was additionally honored as the IWLCA Attacker of the Year as a senior.

Conover finished her career as the NCAA Division II all-time leader in goals (220), assists (106), and points (326). The Skyhawks went 60-16 during her four years, posting a 34-1 record in conference competition and winning the NE10 regular-season and tournament titles all four years.

Conover was inducted into the Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility in the fall of 2008, becoming the second lacrosse player to enter the Hall of Fame and is the first women's lacrosse player enshrined in the Northeast-10 Conference Hall of Fame in 2010.

A native of Milton, Mass., Conover graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management. She currently resides in Milton with her husband, Justin, and their son, Justin, Jr. (16), and daughter, Lila (14).

Conover's Count