MEREDITH BLACK
Black Lax Program Director, Marquette University Head Coach
Meredith Black completed her tenth season and eleventh year at Marquette in 2021-22. She was named the first head coach in Marquette women's lacrosse history on Feb. 4, 2011, taking over the program prior to the 2012 season, after which time she oversaw its transformation into an NCAA Division I varsity team before leading it into its first season in 2013.
The former Meredith Simon arrived at Marquette after spending the previous seven years as an assistant coach at Towson, Notre Dame, and the University of California-Berkeley. She helped Towson and Notre Dame to a combined four NCAA Championship appearances and coached one season at Cal where she worked with the Golden Bears' attack and goaltenders.
She took her first coaching job at Towson in 2005 after a standout career as a student-athlete at Notre Dame and helped the Tigers to their first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and NCAA Championship berth in school history. Following three years at Towson (2005-07) under head coach Missy Doherty, Black returned to her alma mater as an assistant under Tracy Coyne, for whom she played as an undergraduate.
During her playing career at Notre Dame, Black helped the Fighting Irish to the first two NCAA Championship appearances in school history in 2002 and 2004. She was also the school's first student-athlete to be named an Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) First Team All-American in 2004 while setting the then-Notre Dame single-season scoring mark with 74 points on 46 goals and 28 assists. Black led ND to the NCAA Tournament that season and became the first ND player nominated for the Tewaaraton Award, honoring the nation's top player.
She was also a two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection (2003 and 2004) and was named the BIG EAST Attack co-Player of the Year in 2004.
The Flemington, N.J., native concluded her career with the Irish first in school history in games played (64), third in goals (109), fourth in assists (49), third in points (158), tied for fourth in ground balls (123) and third in draw controls (91).
Black graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in American studies in 2004 and was a four-time dean's list selection. She prepped at Hunterdon Central High School in New Jersey, where she was a three-sport standout in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse.
The former Meredith Simon married Adam Black in October 2010. They currently reside in Whitefish Bay with their two daughters, Juliet (born January 2015) and Belle (born April 2018).
MEGAN BIANCO
National 2023 Team Head Coach, Former WNS Head Coach
Being from New Jersey, lacrosse was one thing that Megan couldn’t go without. She picked up a stick when she was 5 and her stick might have been bigger than her at the time, but her love of the sport only helped her grow into it. She played for Moorestown High School, ranked #1 in the nation during her sophomore season. Went undefeated for her junior and senior year, serving as a team captain, and gained back-to-back New Jersey Tournament of Champions trophies. After high school, Megan took pride in being a part of a Marquette Lacrosse team that was new to Division I competition. Bianco red-shirted two seasons due to injury at Marquette but did not let that stop her from being a competitive teammate in the weight room and a supportive teammate for every practice and game. During her senior game having been on crutches the week prior, Bianco went to score her first-ever career goal on her only shot ever taken in college. Bianco is the former Varsity Head Coach for the WNS High School girls' team and has coached for MKE Elite in the past.
BECCA CONGEL
National 2024 Team Head Coach, Carthage University Assistant Coach
Congel comes to Carthage after spending two seasons as the head coach for the Summit Lacrosse club team. During her time there, Congel implemented practice plans and game strategies, assisted in recruiting with college coaches, evaluated prospective athletes, maintained communication with athletes and current staff, and held yearly evaluations of players.
Prior to the Summit Lacrosse club team, she was the assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo. where she successfully ran the program's freshman team improving the season's record to 5-6-1 from a 2017 season record of 0-12. Congel organized practice plans, created a conditioning program, and managed the team schedule in regard to games, training, and off-field activities. Congel also assisted the head coach with practice, games, scheduling, and program events as needed.
Congel, a two-sport athlete at Syracuse University, played field hockey and lacrosse. While on the field hockey team from 2013-15, the team made two NCAA and ACC tournament appearances while making it to the National Championship game in 2015.
As a member of the lacrosse team from 2015-17, the team made an NCAA and ACC tournament appearance. Congel graduated from Syracuse with a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies in 2017 and is currently in the Pre-Nursing program at Metropolitan State University.
SARA TUESCHER
National 2025 Team Head Coach, Arrowhead Head Coach
Sara began playing lacrosse on the inaugural team at Arrowhead Union High School. She went on to play club lacrosse at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse where she turned the fledgling program into a competitive team (now a DIII program!). As club president and captain, she led her team to a conference championship and set school records for most assists in a single season and most career points. While living in La Crosse, Sara started a youth lacrosse program and created the first high school girls' lacrosse team in Holmen, WI, where she was the head coach for two years.
She graduated from UWL with a degree in Secondary Education - Broad Field Social Studies with a double minor in History and Political Science and began teaching high school government and history. After graduation, she continued her involvement with the UWL Women’s club team as a coach until deciding to move back to the Milwaukee area in 2013. She began coaching field hockey and lacrosse at Arrowhead Union High School and teaching youth lacrosse. In 2018, she was the assistant coach for the Wisconsin National Team at the US Lacrosse Tournament and began coaching with MKE Elite and Black Lax.
Sara is the current head girls lacrosse coach at Arrowhead Union High School, the head coach of the 2025 Black Lax National Team, the head varsity reserve field hockey coach at Arrowhead Union High School, and the Program Director for the Milwaukee Elite youth lacrosse club. Sara was married in 2016 and she and her husband welcomed their first child, Beau, in 2020.
MICHAEL HODGE
National 2026 Team Head Coach, Carroll University Head Coach
2022 will mark Michael Hodge’s eighth season leading the Pioneers. In 2021, Hodge was chosen as the CCIW “Coach of the Year”. As the program's first head coach, Hodge has led the Pioneers to four straight winning seasons. Most recently the 2021 squad shared a piece of the regular season CCIW championship after a 4-1 league mark. It was the school’s first CCIW championship since 1988 and was the first time a Carroll women’s team had won a CCIW championship in school history.
Since 2018, Hodge has led the Pioneers to 38 wins including a program-best 13 straight to open the 2018 season. The 2018 season also saw significant growth as they finished the season leading the country in ground balls per game. The 2019 team earned Carroll University’s Athletic Department “Team of the Year” award. After a shortened 2020 season, the 2021 team reached new heights with a final NCAA West Regional ranking of no. 2 and an At-Large berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament.
During his tenure, Hodge has guided 11 all-conference selections, 1 IWLCA All-Regional selection, and 1 CoSIDA Academic All-district athlete. Hodge’s teams have also been successful in the classroom. The Pioneers have earned IWLCA’s Academic Honor Squad every year (no awards given in 2020) and 14 have been named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to Carroll, Hodge spent two seasons with the State University of New York in Canton. He served as the primary defensive coach for the Roos. Hodge began his coaching career in 2008 with Holy Cross College (Notre Dame, Ind.) after a three-year playing career. Additionally, he serves as the girls' lacrosse director for the Nike Xcelerate Lacrosse Camp at Carroll University and has worked with numerous club programs throughout southeast Wisconsin.
Hodge resides in Waukesha with his wife Meghan and 2 daughters Hannah and Henley.
GRACE BARLOW
Regional Select Team Head Coach
JILL GOLDAMMER
Regional Team Head Coach
