Emilia Ward
YJ Midwest Director
A Bit About Me
Emilia Ward was named the second lacrosse coach in Central Michigan history in July 2022 by Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President/director of athletics Amy Folan.
Ward orchestrated the program's first outright regular season season conference title in 2024, the fourth overall (regular season, tournament) since the Mid-American Conference began sponsoring a women's lacrosse championship in 2021. The season was led by 2024 MAC Goalkeeper of the Year Alexa Martel and 2025 MAC Defensive Player of the Year Jozy Allen, both players marked the first to earn their respective award in program history. Martel and Allen were two of six All-MAC honorees in 2024, joined by first-team attacker Skye DePrado.
Martel became the first in program history to record a 200-plus save season in 2024, one of few to do so across NCAA I that season, then led the nation with 12.00 saves per game in 2025. The Rochester, N.Y.-native graduated as the all-time saves leader (586) in 2025.
Allen set the season draw controls record in 2025 as the first to eclipse 100 (104) in a single season, graduated in 2025 second in both career caused turnovers (81) and draw controls (183).
In Ward's inaugural season, Central Michigan continued its streak of league championships with a MAC tournament run of victories over second-seed Kent State and host Robert Morris en route to the program’s reappearance in the NCAA tournament, after falling to both programs in back-to-back weeks to close the regular season. Coach Ward’s first season in Mount Pleasant featured seven All-MAC selections, including first-team nods for attackers Maggie Diebold, Kelly Hoyt, and Audrey Whiteside and defender Hailie Moore.
Ward served as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan in 2022 and before that was an assistant at Marquette from 2020-21. She also coached at Northern Michigan from 2015-19, serving as the inaugural head coach of the program.
In 2022 at Michigan, Ward worked with the goalkeepers, a unit that ranked second in the Big Ten, and was among the top 10 in the nation, in goals against average and save percentage as the Wolverines advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.
Ward helped goalie Arielle Weissman to a bevy of postseason honors: Inside Lacrosse All-America second team, Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-America third team, USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America honorable mention, IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region first team and second team All-Big Ten.
During Ward's time at Marquette, she worked directly with the defense and goalkeepers. She also handled operations duties and served as the academic liaison as the program compiled a 3.45 cumulative grade point average during her two seasons.
Ward helped Sophia Leva to 2021 All-BIG EAST honors, the first Marquette goalie in history to earn the honor, after she led the conference in saves, saves per game and save percentage. In 2020 under Ward's leadership, Marquette ranked second in the Big East in saves per game and save percentage. Leva set the season program record for save percentage and Jules Horning broke the career record for saves.
Along with starting the Northern Michigan program, Ward also started the program at Kalamazoo College in 2014. Ward led her 2019 NMU team to a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament berth. She also served as an assistant at Adrian College from 2009-11.
Ward earned four letters at Manhattan College from 2005-08. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2008. She earned a master’s in sports science from the US Sports Academy in 2013.
Kati Robbins
2030/2031Head Coach
A Bit About Me
Kati Robbins- 30/31 CoachKati Robbins is a veteran lacrosse coach with more than 20 years of experience at the NCAA Division II and III levels, including head coaching roles at Thiel College, St. Andrews University, and Wittenberg University. She has led all aspects of program development, from recruiting and player mentorship to game preparation, budgeting, and alumni engagement. Kati is currently serving as an assistant coach with Ursinus College. Robbins has also contributed nationally through her work with the IWLCA on All-Region and All-American committees and as an NCAA postseason Site Representative. Beyond college coaching, she has worked extensively with high school and club athletes, including serving as a Recruiting Coordinator and coach for True Dynamite Lacrosse. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Wittenberg University.
Erica Brown
2028 Head Coach
A Bit About Me
The 2025-26 season will be Erica Brown's fourth as the head coach of the women's lacrosse program.
The Maroons racked up the postseason accolades once again under Brown's guidance in 2025.Grace Koutouzis was named a IWLCA and USA Lacrosse All-American as well as the ODAC Player of the Year and a IWLCA Senior All-Star. Maddie McDonald was also named an All-American by USA Lacrosse. Additionally, Brown's squad racked up seven All-ODAC, two All-Region, two All-State, and four CSC Academic All-District selections.
Brown's second year was even better than her first. Her efforts with the Roanoke program garnered her ODAC Coach of the Year honors after the squad went 17-5 overall, 8-1 in ODAC play, and made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournment. Brown also led the Maroons to their first undefeated season at home, going 10-0, since the early 1990s. Post-season awards included two All-Americans in Grace Koutouzis and Libby Bowman as well as an All-State and ODAC Rookie of the Year in Maddie McDonald. The squad also picked up eight All-ODAC, four All-State, four All-Region, 28 ODAC All-Academic, 10 IWLCA All-Academic, and five CSC Academic All-District honorees.
Brown had an outstanding first season with the Roanoke College women’s lacrosse team. The Maroons went 16-4 overall and 7-1 in the ODAC and advanced into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Post-season awards included seven All-ODAC, four All-Region and three all-state honorees. Five Maroons earned spots on the CSC Academic all-district team and Lilly Blair was named a first-team Academic All-American.
Brown completed her 10th season as head coach at Tiffin University in 2021-22. She guided Tiffin to eight straight conference tournament appearances (no conference tourney in 2019-20 due to Covid-19 pandemic) and had a career record of 84-67.
In the 2020-21 season Brown led the Dragons to a three-way tie at the top of the GMAC standings. Senior standout Elle Hamilton was named GMAC Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Region, and Third Team All-American.
She has coached numerous All Conference standouts, including 43 selections in the last six seasons. In TU's first year in the GMAC in 2019, she led the Dragons to the regular-season conference championship with a perfect 7-0 record and earned a spot in the GMAC title game. Standout Elle Hamilton was named the GMAC Attacker of the Year, while Brown was named conference Coach of the Year.
She led the Dragons to three straight GLIAC Tournament Championship game appearances from 2013-2015. Goalkeeper Jessica Bombard and attacker Emily Roussel were named IWLCA All Americans, while in 2014, they also had two players earn top honors in the conference, as GLIAC co-Attacker of the Year Emily Roussel and two-time GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year Jessica Bombard were honored. Bombard was also named Goalkeeper of the Year in 2013, while Alexandria Quast earned All-American honors after setting numerous game, season, and career NCAA Division II records.
Brown previously served as Head Coach at Lycoming College, leading the team to a 19-17 overall record, 15-8 in the Middle Atlantic Conference over her two seasons. During that span she coached three All-Region and nine All-Conference players while also guiding 18 student-athletes to Academic All-Conference honors.
She played lacrosse at Wagner College. A standout goalkeeper, Brown still ranks second all-time in Wagner history in career minutes played, career saves and career goals against average. She also holds the record for minutes played in a season and ranks second in saves in a season. A co-captain of the team in her senior year, she was ranked on lax.com as one of the top-12 goalies in all of Division I.
Brown earned a bachelor's degree in public policy and administration from Wagner College in 2005 and is finishing her master's degree in liberal arts from Lock Haven. She is certified as a lacrosse referee by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and U.S. Lacrosse.