A new era for Kean Women’s Lacrosse

By Craig Epstein | Published by March 16, 2018

This season marks a new beginning for Kean Women’s Lacrosse as they have named a new head coach in Barbara “B.J.” Johnson. Coming in as just the sixth head coach in program history, Johnson takes over the reins from Jordan Trautman. Trautman went 51-37 during her five seasons at Kean before accepting the head coaching job at Division I Monmouth University.

“Head Coach B.J. Johnson is a welcomed addition to the Cougar family, she has implemented this regenerated connection that the mind and body plays in a student-athlete,” senior defender Giulia Vitolo said. “Her initially unfamiliar outlook has grown on the players and allowed each to adapt these set of skills not only to greater their mental toughness, but in translating the power of your mind off the field and in life in general.”

As excited as Vitolo is to play under her new head coach, she is well aware that this season will not just be defined by coaching, but by the commitment and unity of the players as well.

“Our success is not entirely measured by the professional wearing the coaching hat because at the end of the day it is the group of girls that take the field side by side,” Vitolo said. “It is the unity within those girls to come together and find selfless strength in not stepping off the field until they have truly left everything out there for one another, and for the better of this program.”

Johnson began her coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at The College of New Jersey. From there she proceeded to make stops at Rutgers University, Temple University, her alma mater Penn State, and Mount St. Mary’s University where she led the Mountaineers to their first Northeast Conference Championship game since the 2007 season.

“She [Johnson] has brought a lot of new things so far in preseason which has been great and we have learned a lot of different skills and techniques and are very excited to get the season started,” senior attacker Emily Stasuk said. “I am expecting to do big things because we have a very large group of girls this season as well as a large upper class, I know that this year we can do anything that we put our mind to.”

As a two-sport standout in both lacrosse and field hockey, senior defender Shauna LaMaina feels that although it will take some time to adjust to a new head coach, it won’t detract them from having a successful season.

“I feel that this upcoming season will be somewhat of a rebuilding year, we have a very strong upper class group of girls that will be the force of this team,” LaMaina said. “We came into some challenges with a new coach and a big group of freshman this year but I don’t think that will stand in our way of having a successful year.”

Johnson will make her Kean coaching debut on Saturday, March 3, when the Cougars take on SUNY Old Westbury at home at 4:00 p.m.

“I am excited to be here at Kean University with the Women’s Lacrosse Program,” Johnson said. “Our team has been working very hard this preseason and I am excited to see what they can do. Watch out for this team, we are full of experience and passion, 2018 should be a great year.”

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