HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The High Point University women's lacrosse team has added Staci Passafiume as assistant coach for the 2012 season, head coach Lyndsey Boswell announced on Wednesday. Passafiume joins the coaching ranks after an All-American playing career at C.W. Post, where she helped the team to an NCAA Div. II Championship.
"We're very excited to have Staci join our staff – she's young, enthusiastic and ready to get started on her collegiate coaching career," said Boswell. "I got a very good recommendation from her former coach Megan McNamara, who is a good friend and colleague. Staci has a winning background, a positive attitude and will be a great asset on the field, especially working with our goalies."
In her senior season at C.W. Post in 2010, Passafiume was a first-team All-American and led the team with 42 assists and 71 points. She also scored 29 goals and picked up 44 ground balls. The attacker also collected All-East Coast Conference and ECAC All-Star accolades.
In addition to C.W. Post's 2007 NCAA title, the Pioneers made it to the Final Four in each of the four seasons Passafiume was on the roster and the team went 66-7 in that time. She helped the Pioneers to a perfect 17-0 record en route to the program's second national title in 2007. She played in all 17 games that season, scoring 14 goals and collecting 15 ground balls.
Passafiume was a three-time All-Conference honoree while also earning second-team All-America honors as a junior. She was also a three-time All-East Coast Conference All-Academic selection. Passafiume graduated from C.W. Post in May 2010 with a degree in Early Childhood Education.
Originally from Port Jefferson, N.Y., Passafiume collected All-League and All-County accolades while at Comsewogue High School.
Passafiume has previously coached at the club level and high school level. For the 2011 season, she was an assistant coach for the Comsewogue girls' varsity team. She spent the summer of 2006 working for the Long Island Yellow Jackets. She taught fundamental lacrosse skills to 12- and 13-year-old girls while scheduling and organizing practices.
Passafiume joins Boswell and assistant coach Whitney Michele for High Point University's second season of women's lacrosse. In their inaugural season in 2011, the Panthers went 15-4 and set a record for wins by a first-year NCAA Div. I program. High Point beat Jacksonville in the National Lacrosse Conference title game and featured the NLC Player of the Year, Grace Gaeng, as well as four other All-Conference selections.