Danielle Spencer - Women's Lacrosse Coach - Dartmouth College Athletics

Photo by: John and Matt Risley

Danielle Spencer

Title:
Head Coach
Alma Mater:
Northwestern ’10
Email:
Danielle.M.Spencer@Dartmouth.edu
Phone (603):
646-3955
At Dartmouth:
3rd Season

- New England Lacrosse Journal’s Division I Women’s Coach of the Year
- 2019 Ivy League Co-Coach of the Year
- 2018 Ivy League Co-Coach of the Year
- 2019 Ivy League Champions (6-1)

Danielle Spencer was named the head coach of the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team on August 8, 2016. With her

Spencer's Career Record
Season	Overall	Ivy League
2017	7-8	2-5
2018	11-5	5-2
2019	11-6	6-1 (1st)
Total	29-19	*13-8*
First Team All-Ivy League Under Spencer
2018	Katie Bourque	M
2018	Ellie Carson*	A
2018	Kiera Vrindten	GK
2019	Kathryn Giroux*	M
2019	Elizabteh Mastrio	M
2019	Kierra Sweeney	A
Ivy League Honors Under Spencer
2018	Kiera Vrindten \| Goalkeeper of the Year
All-Americans
2018	Kathryn Giroux	Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention
2018	Kathryn Giroux	Inside Lacrosse Third Team

* - Unanimous

hiring, Spencer became just the fourth head coach in the program's 44-year history.

In 2019, Spencer guided the Big Green to its first Ivy title since 2011, tying Princeton for the top spot in the conference standings. Dartmouth would also earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, a first for the program since 2013.

Along the way, Spencer's 2019 team set a wealth of program and Ivy League records. The 272 goals and 401 total points both set new program standards, while the 312 draw controls set a new Ivy standard and eclipsed the old mark by more than 50.

In total, eight players received All-Ivy honors under her guidance, while Spencer was honored with her second straight Ivy League Coach of the Year honor, once again shared with the Tigers' Chris Sailer.

Spencer’s second season was a resurgence for the Big Green as the team returned to the postseason for the first time since 2013 and finished the year 11-5. For her part in guiding the team back to the Ivy League Tournament and maintaining a spot in the nation’s top-20 most of the season, Spencer was named the Ivy League Co-Head Coach of the Year.

Under her leadership, several Big Green players earned individual accolades during the 2018 season as Ellie Carson, Katie Bourque and Kiera Vrindten were named to the All-Ivy League First Team, while Kathryn Giroux was an Ivy League Second Team honoree as well as a Inside Lacrosse All-American Honorable Mention selection. Additionally, Vrindten was tabbed as the Ivy League Goalkeeper of the Year.

The 2017 season was Spencer's first on the Big Green's sidelines, guiding the team to a 7-8 overall mark. Under Spencer's leadership, Kathryn Giroux and Courtney Weisse were named members of the Second Team All-Ivy League with Elizabeth Mastrio earning Honorable Mention.

Spencer came to Hanover after four seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Northwestern. Prior to joining the Wildcats' staff in 2012, the Brighton, New York, native spent a season working on the sidelines at Stanford.

During her time in Evanston, Spencer helped Northwestern to four NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of berths in the Final Four (2013, 2014). The Wildcats were also winners of the 2013 American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) Championship and finished in the top 10 of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll in all four seasons.

As the recruiting coordinator, Spencer was responsible for continuing to bring top players into the program, including the group in 2014 that was ranked as the best recruiting class in the nation.

A four-year standout at Northwestern from 2006-10, Spencer was a part of three national championship teams (2007, 2008, 2009) and one national runner-up (2010) during her outstanding playing career.

As a player, Spencer was a two-time All-American, nabbing first-team honors as a senior in 2010 a year after claiming second-team recognition. As a senior, Spencer also earned All-America honors from WomensLax.com and WomensLacrosse.com in addition to a spot on the All-ALC First Team and ALC All-Tournament Team. A three-time All-ALC player, she earned first-team recognition as both a junior and senior, while being honored on the second team during her sophomore campaign.

Spencer finished her four seasons with the Wildcats having played in 83 games, making 65 starts. Her career totals rank among the best in Northwestern's storied history as she finished with 193 goals (7th), 238 points (8th) and 203 draw controls (3rd). The 110 draw controls as a senior was the third-most by a collegiate player in NCAA history at the time.

In October of 2018, Spencer was named a member of the US Lacrosse Greater Rochester Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2018.

Most recently, Spencer played with the Boston Storm of the United Women's Lacrosse League (UWLX) during the first season for both the team and league. Spencer and her teammates finished as the league runner-up, falling in the championship game. In 2018, she played for Upstate Pride of the Women's Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL). She was tied for third in the league, averaging 4.0 goals per game, while also leading the league with 8.0 draw controls per contest.

Spencer graduated from Northwestern in 2010 with a degree in social policy.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"This is a great choice by Dartmouth. I could not think of a better role model and mentor for the Dartmouth Women's lacrosse student athletes. Losing a great coach and loyal friend is tough, but Spence is ready. I could not be happier for her."
- Kelly Amonte Hiller
Northwestern Women's Lacrosse Head Coach
“Danielle is a remarkably talented person and coach. She and Dartmouth will be a perfect fit.”
- Morton Schapiro
Professor and President, Northwestern University
“I could not be more pleased to welcome Danielle to our athletics department and the Dartmouth community at large. Her philosophy, competitive spirit and work ethic will make her transition to the Hanover plain seamless. I know she will be a wonderful role model for the women of Dartmouth lacrosse.”
- Harry Sheehy
Dartmouth Director of Athletics and Recreation

(May 2019)