Maineiax Coaching Staff
Maineiax takes great pride in giving you the best coaching possible. We have multiple college coaches, elite high school coaches and college players on staff to help you grow your game throughout the year. We are the premier club program in Maine ensuring that you or your daughter are receiving the top coaching in the state while meeting new friends and having a blast! Meet our coaches below.
LAUREN REID KANE
CO-OWNER, CO-DIRECTOR & COACH
Lauren has been with the Maineiax program since its inception. She is the former Bates College women’s lacrosse assistant and has also been head coach for University of Southern womens’ program since the fall of 2009. The two-time Little East Conference Coach of the Year (2010, 2013), Reid guided the Huskies to their first LEC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament in 2010. The fifth seed in the LEC tournament, Reid led the Huskies to three straight road wins to clinch their first title and a spot in the NCAA tourney. In her five seasons as head coach, Reid has compiled a 44-50 mark, including a record-setting 12-8 mark last season.
A four-year letter winner and high school All-American at Deering High School (1999-2002), Reid went to the University of Maryland for a year, playing on the Terrapins’ squad that advanced to the NCAA Division I semifinals in 2003. Reid later transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and played three seasons with the Minutemen. She completed her undergraduate degree in hospitality and tourism management at UMass Amherst in 2007.
Lauren also has taken her coaching expertise to the international stage as she helped lead a team, SIS Flamingo, in The Prague Cup in the Czech Republic in 2015. Lauren is Co-Owner of CrosseCoach, a service that offers scouting and recruiting advice, as well as small group training and private lessons on field. Lauren is currently a Sales Associate at Sea Bags.
HEIDI HOWARD ALLEN
CO-OWNER, CO-DIRECTOR & COACH
Heidi graduated from Middlebury College in 1999 where she was a decorated athlete, earning six national All-American honors on the field hockey and lacrosse fields. She was a member of the school’s first DIII NCAA Championship team in field hockey, while also winning two DIII NCAA Championships in lacrosse. She was named DIII National Lacrosse Player of the Year, NESCAC Player of the Year in both sports and graduated as the school’s field hockey leader for most goals and points in a career. In 2015, Heidi was named to the Middlebury College Inaugural Hall of Fame class.
Heidi’s extensive career began while working at Sports Illustrated in New York from 2000-2004, where she played an integral role in developing and selling multi-media sponsorships such as Sportsman of the Year and executing marketing events such as the Swimsuit Party. Heidi also managed SI’s 50th Anniversary Tour in over 30 cities and the SI client & Olympic athlete hospitality center during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Heidi spent two seasons (2005-2007) with the field hockey and lacrosse teams at her alma mater, Choate Rosemary Hall. While at Choate, Heidi also worked as an Assistant Director of Athletics and an Associate Director of Admissions. From 2007-2009, Heidi served as assistant coach of the field hockey and lacrosse programs at Middlebury College. From 2009-2011, Heidi spent two years in the Advancement Office at Bates College planning and executing events for leadership level donors including Presidential and Trustee events.
From 2009-2017, Heidi was the Associate Head Coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Bates College and the Co-Founder of collEdge Camps. In 2014, she became a Co-Owner and Co-Director of Maineiax Lacrosse Club. In November of 2017, Heidi assumed responsibility for all event scheduling, program direction, and oversight of the Maine Athletic Complex (the MAC) in Portland.
BRETT ALLEN
CO-OWNER, CO-DIRECTOR & COACH
A 1996 graduate of St. Lawrence University, Brett has a master’s degree in kinesiology with a focus in athletic administration/coaching from James Madison University.
Brett was appointed as the head women’s lacrosse coach at Bates College in 2006 after serving as the team’s assistant coach during the 2005 season and earning an appointment as Bates’ head volleyball coach in the summer of 2004. No longer coaching volleyball, Brett is directly involved in the women’s lacrosse team’s recruiting efforts as well as implementing practice plans and developing and adjusting team strategy throughout the season. Prior to arriving at Bates, Brett was an assistant women’s lacrosse and volleyball coach at Washington and Lee University in Virginia for two years.
He has led the Bates program to seven appearances in the NESCAC Championships while also leading them to a Division III Top 20 ranking in each of those years. He was named the 2016 NESCAC Coach of the Year. He has coached six All-Americans, including the 2015 and 2016 Division III Goalie of the Year, and each of his teams has been honored as an IWLCA Honor Squad (team GPA above 3.0). He has served as the Division III National All-American Committee Chair and on the NCAA Division III Championship Committee.
In 2010, Brett became Co-Founder of collEdge Camps, while also becoming a Co-Owner of Maineiax Lacrosse Club in 2014, the premier girl’s lacrosse club in Maine. In November of 2017, Brett assumed responsibility for all event scheduling, program direction, and oversight of the Maine Athletic Complex (the MAC) in Portland.
CHRISTIE BARNES
SKILLS PROGRAM
Christie is a 2010 graduate of Duke University and was a 4 year member of the Women’s Lacrosse team. The team made the NCAA Final Four her freshman and sophomore year. After graduation, Christie went to Durham University in England where she pursued her Masters in Education while also being the assistant coach and player for the University’s Women’s Lacrosse team. The team won the 2011 British Universities College Sport (BUCS) National Championship. Christie received the MVP of the National final game vs. Cambridge.
After returning from England, Christie was the assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Haverford College for their 2011-2012 season, where she gained great experience as a coach at the college level from making scouting reports and practice plans to recruiting.
Christie has worked various lacrosse camps throughout the years, most notably the Duke Lacrosse Camp from 2007-2011. She has also spent 2 years teaching English in China, and then spent a year teaching ESL and coaching soccer and lacrosse at the Hyde School in Woodstock, CT. Christie is currently teaching and coaching girls lacrosse at Berwick Academy.
HAYLEY BRIGHT
TRAVEL COACH
MORGAN CASPARIUS
SKILLS PROGRAMS
Born and raised in upstate New York, Morgan graduated in 2013 from Siena College where she was a defender on the Women’s Lacrosse team. Morgan played with the Saints for three seasons (2011-13) after transferring into the program following her freshman season playing at Sacred Heart. She appeared in all 49 of the Saints’ games over that three-year span, making 41 starts on defense and serving as team captain during her senior year.
Following graduation, Morgan joined Siena’s coaching staff for the 2014-2015 season as an assistant coach while completing her Master’s Degree in Communications.
Before moving to Maine, Morgan coached multiple youth leagues in New York. Morgan currently works on the Partner Marketing team at WEX.
TAYLOR COLANGELO
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS
Taylor graduated from Windham High School where she was part of the girls swimming and lacrosse teams. After high school, she went on to a semester at Elmira College in NY, before transferring to the University of Southern Maine. At USM, Taylor was a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team for 5 seasons as an attacker. During her time at USM, Taylor was also a coach for the 7/8th grade girls team at Windham for 3 years. During her final year at USM, Taylor spent the season coaching the JV lacrosse team at Cheverus.
Upon obtaining her nursing degree from USM, Taylor has been able to work as a school nurse at Windham School Systems. She is excited to be coaching the 2025s this summer!
MEGHAN CUSHING
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS
MORGAN CUSHING
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS
Morgan is a 2014 Gorham High School graduate. She attended Assumption College in Worcester, MA from 2014-2018 where she graduated with a degree in Biology. Morgan was a member of the women’s lacrosse team during her 4 years at Assumption, playing in a total of 62 games on defense. As a senior she was named to the IWLCA Division II Senior All-Star team. Her senior year was also the first year in which the team garnered their first national ranking in program history, and the team has maintained this status since. Morgan went on to attend MCPHS University where she graduated with a degree in nursing. She currently works at Maine Medical Center in Portland as an oncology nurse.
Morgan joined Maineiax in the Summer of 2020. She is also currently coaching 7th grade girls’ lacrosse at Scarborough Middle School. She is excited to be working with our 2025 team this summer!
MEGHAN FLANAGAN
SKILLS PROGRAMS
Meghan Flanagan grew up in upstate New York and graduated from Averill Park High School in 2009. She was a four-year member of the Springfield College women’s lacrosse team where she played midfield and played in every game of her career while graduating in 2013. A team captain her senior year, her team made NCAA appearances in 2012 and 2013, while also capturing the NEWMAC championship the same years. Coach Flanagan was awarded the Springfield College Athletic Unsung Hero Award in 2013 and was named a First Team All Conference in 2012.
Upon graduation, Coach Flanagan got her Masters of Science from Springfield College and graduated in 2015. During this time, she worked as a graduate fellow in the Physical Education Department and was also an assistant coach with the Women’s Lacrosse team for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
In 2016, Coach Flanagan taught Adapted PE in upstate NY and coached at Guilderland High School in 2016. She then moved to Plymouth, MA and taught high school PE at Marshfield High School, MA from 2016-2019. During this time, she also coached the freshmen girls lacrosse in 2017 and varsity lacrosse teams in 2018 and 2019.
Coach Flanagan has also coached club lacrosse for Albany Elite, Lax Plus, and Laxachusetts. She is currently teaching PE and Health at Windham High School, while coaching JV volleyball at Westbrook High School.
KIAYA GATCHELL
TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Kiaya is from Portland, Maine and started playing lacrosse in sixth grade. She attended Deering High School where she was a four-year varsity member on the lacrosse and soccer teams. She was named to the All-Conference Team during her freshman season, SMAA Second-Team her sophomore year, and SMAA First-Team her junior year. Kiaya achieved her 100 career points her junior year and ended 30 goals shy from hitting her 100th career goal. She was elected captain of the girls lacrosse team for her junior year and was also named spring female athlete of the year. Kiaya graduated from Deering in 2020.
Kiaya is currently majoring in Exercise Science at the University of Southern Maine. She is an attacker/midfielder for the women’s lacrosse team along with playing right back for the women’s soccer team. Kiaya is a Maineiax alum and will be working with the Middle School Green 27/28 team this summer!
LIZ GROTE
GUEST COACH
A native of Simsbury, Conn., Liz Grote is a 1994 graduate of the University of Vermont. Coach Grote has previously coached at Wooster, Monmouth University (1995), Princeton University (1996) and the University of New Hampshire (1997-99). In 2002, Grote led Wooster to a school- record 12 victories (12-6 overall), surpassing the 29-year program’s previous top mark of 10 wins in a season. Even more noteworthy, she helped direct the Scots to their first conference title and first NCAA appearance. Grote has been named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III West Region Coach of the Year twice (2000, 2002) and was tabbed as North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in both 2001 and 2002.
Coach Grote has spent the last 17 years as the Head Women’s lacrosse coach at Bowdoin College. At Bowdoin, Coach Grote has won over 65% of her games, made two NESCAC Championship game appearances and qualified for five NCAA Division III Tournaments. In 2011, her team accumulated the most wins in school history (18), the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA “Final Four” and runner-up finish in the Division III Championship. Coach Grote was honored as the IWLCA’s New England Coach of the Year in 2005 and has had at least one IWLCA Division III All-American in 11 of the last 12 years.
KAREN HENNING
GUEST COACH
Karen MacCrate Henning, who won national titles as a player and coach, is in her ninth season as head coach of the Colby College women’s lacrosse team in the 2015-16 academic year. Henning reached 200 career wins during the 2014 season and has a 211-60 overall record as a head coach. She has a staggering 78 percent winning percentage in her coaching career.
Henning spent eight years as head coach at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. She started the women’s lacrosse program at C.W. Post in June 1999 and won NCAA Division II national titles in 2001 and 2007. She was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II National Coach of the Year after the championship seasons in 2001 and 2007.
Henning has achieved success throughout her lacrosse career. She was an attacker for the University of Maryland, which won national titles in 1995 and 1996 and finished unbeaten in both seasons. Henning was an NCAA Division I First Team All-American in 1995 and 1996 and finished her career with 78 goals and 76 assists for 154 points. Maryland had a 61-3 record during Henning’s four seasons.
Henning was a member of the United States National and Development teams from 1995 to 1998.
TAYLOR HOPKINS
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS (GOALIES)
Taylor is from Pelham, NY where she was a four-year varsity starter on her high school girls lacrosse team. Taylor played goalie for The University of New England Women’s Lacrosse team.
Taylor is currently working on completing her Master’s in Athletic Training and a minor in coaching from The University of New England. She has accepted an immersive internship with the fall semester at The University of Michigan where she will be working with the Women’s Lacrosse team. She has been with Maineiax since 2019 and will be working with the travel team goalies this summer!
KELSEY HOWARD
GUEST COACH
Kelsey is a 2012 graduate of Scarborough High School, where she was named a 2011 US Lacrosse All-America, 2012 honorable mention and a US Lacrosse Academic All-America. She helped lead Scarborough to three straight state titles (2010-2012) and was a two-year team captain while earning both First-Team All-State and All-Conference honors in 2011 and 2012.
Kelsey is a 2016 graduate from Bentley University and majored in Accountancy. She was a key contributor to Bentley’s record breaking 2016 season which saw them run off a program record 11 game winning streak and advance to the Northeast-10 semifinals.
As an attacker, Kelsey finished 2nd on the squad in each of goals (38), assists (17) and points (55). She finished her career with 121 points, which ranks 11th most in the program’s history and was previously selected Second-Team All-Conference and to the All-North 3d Team Region by the IWLCA.
SOPHIE JOSEPH
TRAVEL PROGRAM
Sophie started her lacrosse career at Kennebunk High School where she played defense with a specialty in face guarding. She played for Maineiax throughout her middle and high school career.
After graduating from Kennebunk in 2014, Sophie headed to Western New England University for Elementary Education where she was a defensive midfielder for the women’s lacrosse team. During her freshman campaign, she helped led her team to a DIII Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship and a DIII NCAA playoff berth.
Sophie transferred to the University of Maine in Orono for her sophomore year. She was a member of their women’s lacrosse team and was captain of the team during her junior and senior seasons. After graduating with a B.A. in Elementary Education, Sophie coached at Kennebunk Middle School and is currently coaching JV for Kennebunk High School. She is excited to be a member of the Maineiax coaching staff and will be coaching the Green 2024 team this summer!
MIRA KUNI
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS
ANGELA MALLIS
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS
Angela graduated from Falmouth High School in 2013, where she was a member of the girls soccer and lacrosse teams. Angela then went on to to play lacrosse at Wheaton College as a midfielder and graduated with a degree in sociology. During her four-year collegiate career at Wheaton, Mallis played in 73 games scoring 62 goals and dishing out 18 assists for 80 points. During her freshman season, her team won the NEWMAC Championship. She received New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference second team honors during her senior season.
Upon graduation in 2017, Angela was the women’s lacrosse assistant at USM for one year before spending three seasons (2018-2020) as an assistant coach at Springfield College. She helped guide the Pride to a NEWMAC conference championship in 2019 and NCAA tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019. Angela also was a Travel Coach and Skills Program Coach for LaxPlus Lacrosse Club from 2018-2020.
Angela is currently the Interim Head Coach at the University of Southern Maine. She is excited to be coaching the 2022 team this summer!
NANCY MCADAM
SKILLS PROGRAMS
Nancy is a graduate of Portland High School where she was a three sport varsity athlete during her four years, participating in soccer, hockey and lacrosse. After high school she went on to play lacrosse at Assumption College where she studied Mass Communication and Spanish. After her freshman year season she was named to the NE-10 All Rookie team. She was also named to the Student Athlete Honor Roll all four years. After her senior season she received the Albert S Banx Award for service to Athletic Department from Assumption College.
After graduation, Nancy moved to Boston where she worked as a medical sales representative and coached for the Storm Lacrosse Club. In 2017 she moved home and coached a season at Deering High School.
Nancy joined Maineiax in February of 2018 and is currently teaching Spanish and coaching at Edward Little High School.
KATHERINE LAMBERT
TRAVEL & SKILLS PROGRAMS
Katherine grew up in Nashua, NH and graduated from Bishop Guertin High School in 2014. She attended University of Mary Washington (VA) in 2018 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. At UMW, Katherine was a 4 year midfielder on the lacrosse team and captain her senior year. During her time there, her team attended the NCAA National Tournament in 2016, 2017 & 2018. During her senior season, Katherine helped lead her team to the most successful season in program history with a record 17 wins and was consistently ranked in the top 10, with a highest ranking of 5th, on the IWLCA National Division III Ranking. At the end of the 2018 season Katherine was named the recipient of the One Love Foundation’s “Unsung Hero” Award which is awarded to one men & women’s lacrosse player in Divisions I, II & III.
Katherine has been coaching travel teams and skills programs for Maineiax since 2019. Prior to moving to Portland, she coached travel teams for the NH Tomahawks and the Yellow Jackets South out of Richmond, VA. Katherine moved to Portland to pursue her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree at UNE where she is in her third year and will graduate in 2022. She is thrilled to be coaching the Black 2024 team again this summer!
LAUREN LESSARD
SKILLS COACH
A native of Lewiston, Maine, Lauren graduated from Kents Hill School in 2013 and played lacrosse at the University of Southern Maine for Lauren Kane. While at USM, Lauren received her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology and served as the Women’s Lacrosse captain for 3 years. Lessard was an All-Little East Conference midfielder in 2015 and 2016. In her final year, Lessard was recognized at USM with the Senior Husky Achievement Award and the Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award. While at USM, Lauren was the assistant coach for the Lewiston girls’ lacrosse team in 2014-2015 and the Cheverus girls’ lacrosse team in 2016.
After graduation, Lauren pursued a master’s degree at Springfield College in Recreational Therapy and Adaptive Sports. Within graduate school, she served as the assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach for the Worcester State University Women’s Lacrosse Team.
In 2019, Lauren returned to Maine to turn her education and passion of coaching to serve as the Sports and Competitions Director at Special Olympics Maine. In the spring of 2019, Lessard was the Head Coach of the Cheverus Girls’ Lacrosse Team and led the team to the Class A North Quarterfinals. Lauren is excited to coach athletes that share the same passion as her!
EMMA TRENCHARD
TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Emma was named the 2021 Preseason Defender of the Year by US Lacrosse Magazine. She is a standout defender at the national level. She is currently a member of the University of North Carolina Women’s Lacrosse team and a member of the U.S National Team. A two-time, first-team All-America pick and on Inside Lacrosse’s list of the top 50 players in college lacrosse (men and women) in 2021, ranked 10th overall, sixth among female players and was the top-ranked defender (male or female).
Emma was the 2019 ACC Defender of the Year and has been a Tewaaraton Award nominee. She is widely regarded as the top 1v1 matchup in the women’s game and US Lacrosse Magazine calls her “the best of the best on the defensive side of the ball” and “capable of locking down the top option on any offense.” Emma returns as our 2023 team coach this summer but will be working with all of our high school teams as well!
ALEX SPARK
SKILLS PROGRAMS
Alex joined the Maineiax coaching staff in 2014 and is one of our Middle School Travel Team Coach in the summer and fall. She is currently the Head Coach of the girls lacrosse team at Cape Elizabeth High School.
Alex was born and raised in New Jersey. She played lacrosse for Division III powerhouse The College of New Jersey. In 2011, her team advanced to the NCAA national tournament final four and she was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. In 2012, Alex was named an IWLCA 2nd-Team All-American while netting a career-high 76 goals with 18 assists for 94 points. She also tied a program record with nine goals in a game in a victory over Rowan University. Her accomplishments were recognized within the conference as well being named All-NJAC First Team.
SOPHIE PADDON
TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Sophie grew up in Wilton, Connecticut, where she began playing lacrosse at age 7. During her playing career, Sophie was a goalie and was coached by some of the best men’s and women’s collegiate goalies. She played for the premier club team, CT Chargers, who placed 9th at Nationals. By Sophie’s sophomore year in high school, she was listed as “a player to watch” during the preseason and went on to be the starting varsity goalie.
Due to injury, Sophie ended her high school playing career during her junior year and switched to coaching. Since then, she has had the opportunity to coach middle school teams and goalies from Fairfield County, Connecticut, Portland, Maine, and Nashville, Tennessee.
In 2015, Sophie moved to Maine to attend the University of Maine, Orono, where she was a four-year member of the Women’s Club Lacrosse program. Sophie graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and currently works at a law firm in Portland. She is excited to be joining the Maineiax coaching staff this summer and is looking forward to working with the goalies!
ALEX VIGNONA
SKILLS & TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Alex is from Long Island, NY and played four years of varsity lacrosse at Ward Melville High School. During high school, her club team, LI Top Guns, won gold at the US U15 tournament in 2013. Alex was ranked in the top 100 girls lacrosse players on Long Island during her junior year of high school.
Alex graduated from the University of Vermont in 2019 and played for the Catamounts for four years (2015-2019). During her time at UVM, Alex appeared in 45 games and was nationally ranked in the NCAA D1 top 10 for assists and assists per game (2019). She was also tied for 1st in America East for assists (2019), 10th for overall points per game in America East (2019), and ended her career in the record books at UVM for 41 assists in a single season.
Alex graduated from UVM with a degree in Public Communication and a minor in Sports Management. She recently moved to Portland, Maine and is working for MEMIC. She is excited to start working with Maineiax and to coach the 2022s!
In December 2013, Alex graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science. She is currently completing an internship at the OA performance center/Parisi speed school in Saco.
CELIA BEGONIA
TRAVEL PROGRAM
Celia is from Gorham, Maine and started playing lacrosse at age 5. She attended Gorham High School where she was named to the All-Conference Team during her freshman season. Celia then transferred to Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) prep school during her sophomore year of high school. At NMH, Celia was a three-sport varsity athlete on the soccer, hockey, and lacrosse teams. She was named female athlete of the year during sophomore year at NMH, while also being elected captain of the girls lacrosse team for junior and senior years. She graduated from NMH in 2020.
Celia is currently an attacker on the Division I University of Vermont Women’s Lacrosse team and her team recently placed 3rd in the America East conference. She is majoring in Psychology and Minoring in Sports Management. Celia is a Maineiax alum and will be working with the Middle School Black 26/27 team this summer!
KARLI CHAPIN
TRAVEL PROGRAM
A 2020 graduate of Cape Elizabeth High School, Karli was a four-year member of the lacrosse, soccer, and basketball teams. Karli was a standout athlete at Cape Elizabeth, leading her lacrosse team to back-to-back state championships during her sophomore and junior seasons. Karli was named captain of the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams her senior year. Karli also led her soccer team to back-to-back state championships during her junior and senior seasons. Karli was named to the all-academic team in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse her senior year while also being named Cape Elizabeth Athlete of the Decade.
Karli is currently playing as an attacker at Roger Williams University where her team just made it to the sweet sixteen of the NCAA tournament. Karli is a Maineiax alum and will be working with the Green 2024 team this summer!
