Shannon Algeo joined the Gwynedd Mercy University Athletics staff in 2016, serving as the head women’s lacrosse coach and assistant sports information director. She recently assumed the Department’s Senior Woman Administrator role in 2021. Under her leadership, the Griffins have shown great improvement, reaching the conference postseason tournament in each season and posting their highest win-total in eight seasons with 2022’s eight victories (8-10).
Gwynedd Mercy University's 2022 season opened with early success as a 3-1 February and a 3-1 start to March landed the Griffins a 6-2 record through their first eight contests. They completed their non-conference schedule with a 7-5 record and battled for a 1-4 conference mark that earned them the #6 seed in the 2022 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament. All-conference accolades were earned by defender
Seydel Acuna ’22 (1
st Team), midfielder
Laura Pelczar ’22 (1
st Team), goalkeeper
Reilly Owens ’23 (2
nd Team), and attack
Kristin Varilla ’24 (2nd Team).
Gwynedd Mercy University opened their 2023 season with a home win over King's College (Pa.) (W, 9-7 on Feb. 18) and finished February with a 2-1 record before concluding the year with a 4-6 non-conference mark and 1-5 standing in Atlantic East Conference (AEC) play. The journey to 5-11 was highlighted by career milestones and All-AEC Second Team selections for team captains junior attack
Kristin Varilla '24 (2nd Team) and
Reilly Owens '23 (2nd Team), and capped with a #6 seed in the 2023 AEC Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament.
The 2018 campaign was a record breaking year for Gwynedd Mercy University as Coach Algeo guided the Griffins to a four-win improvement - from 3-12 in 2017 to 6-11 in 2018 - and a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship Tournament appearance.
That season, Gwynedd Mercy University was the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Statistical Champion and set the program’s all-time mark in draw controls with 338. At the individual level, midfielder
Lauren Mitros ‘18 broke the CSAC single-season draw control record with 157 and midfielder
Victoria Braeunle ’21 was the CSAC Rookie of the Year with Top-Five conference rankings in assists per game (4
th, 1.94), goals per game (4
th, 4.06), and points per game (2
nd, 6.00), as well as national rankings in shots-on-goal per game (10
th, 5.59), points per game (21
st), free position percentage (37th, .806), and shooting percentage (33
rd, .590).
Off of the field, Coach Algeo stresses academic excellence. In 2022, the women’s lacrosse program posted a Gwynedd Mercy University-best 3.68 grade point average (GPA) to claim their second AEC Women’s Lacrosse Team Academic Award in four seasons. The Griffins also captured the conference’s academic title in 2020 with a 3.57 GPA. Their first academic accolade came in 2018 (3.53 GPA) as the member of the CSAC.
Algeo graduated from Moravian College where she was a letterwinner for the Greyhound lacrosse team and a Landmark Conference Honor Roll member. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in economics. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, Algeo pursued a master’s degree in sport psychology from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill, California. During her time in California, she coached U15 lacrosse teams and summer travel teams while providing extensive personal lacrosse training for 6
th through 11
th graders. Algeo started a high school program in Pleasant Hill, California, that doubled in size after only one year and she also directed lacrosse camps throughout the bay area.
As a sport psychology professional, Coach Algeo brings a variety of mental training experience to the Gwynedd Mercy University women’s lacrosse program. Focusing on building teams’ mental toughness through confidence, motivation, and focus, she has helped collegiate lacrosse teams, collegiate dance teams, and several high school football, basketball, volleyball, and tennis teams reach their full potential.
Coach Algeo resides in Lansdale, Pennsylvania with her husband, Pete, and their daughters, Sloane and Francesca.
Career Coaching Record
|
Overall |
Conference |
|
| Year |
W |
L |
W |
L |
Notes |
| 2017 |
3 |
12 |
3 |
6 |
CSAC Tournament |
| 2018 |
6 |
11 |
3 |
5 |
CSAC Tournament |
| 2019 |
5 |
12 |
1 |
5 |
AEC Tournament |
| 2020 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Season halted due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
Season shortened due to COVID-10 pandemic |
| 2022 |
8 |
10 |
1 |
4 |
AEC Tournament (#6) |
| Totals |
31 |
50 |
11 |
23 |
|
