Cecil C. Pilson is in his 12th season as head coach of the Mercyhurst University women’s lacrosse program.
The team finished the 2015 campaign ranked tenth in the country according to the final Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll. The Lakers finished the season with a 15-4 overall record and advanced to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship game for the second straight year, and third time in the last four seasons.
The Lakers finished in second in the PSAC standings with a 10-2 conference mark and edged West Chester, 10-9 in overtime, in the conference semifinals to advance to the title game.
The team had seven players named All-Conference, led by First Team selections Rebecca Himes and Christa Morrison. Himes was also an IWLCA First Team All-American and an ECAC First Team All-Star after leading the squad with 41 goals and 47 assists for 88 points during her final collegiate campaign. The senior attack became the second player in program history to reach 300 career points and she also became the all-time leader in career assists, surpassing the previous record of 132 set by Ally Keirn. She finished her career with 189 goals and 136 assists for 325 points - second on the school's all-time list.
Seniors Rebecca Muscella and Mackenzie Jordan were selected to participate in the IWLCA North-South All-Star Game, which takes place on June 6.
Mercyhurst's 15-4 record in 2015 marked the tenth consecutive winning season for the program and gave the Lakers a 31-7 overall record over the last two years.
Among Pilson's accomplishments over the years are these:
- 11 IWLCA All-American Selections (4 - First Team; 7 - Second Team)
- 21 IWLCA All-Region Selections (12 - First Team; 8 - Second Team; 1 - Third Team)
- 35 All-PSAC Selections (13 - First Team; 15 - Second Team; 7 - Third Team)
- 9 IWLCA Academic Squads
- 43 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll Student-Athletes
- 3 PSAC Top Team GPA Honors (2013, 2014, 2015)
- 1 PSAC Champion Scholar-Athlete Recipient (2014)
- 99 PSAC Scholar-Athletes
Before taking over at Mercyhurst, Pilson spent several seasons assisting head coach Janet Grubbs at Longwood University, a then-Division II institution located in Farmville, Va.
As a member of the staff, the Lancers posted a 75-17-1 (.806) record and reached the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2002 before advancing to the National Championship game in 2003. In both of those seasons, the Lancers were ranked in the top-10 and had 10 players combine for 19 All-America awards and three IWLCA Player of the Year honors.
Outside of coaching, Pilson spent eight years with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and served overseas with the Regimental Combat Team I during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
He played two years of lacrosse at Western New England College before transferring to Longwood, where he earned a degree in physical education with a minor in coaching in the spring of 2004.
Pilson is married and currently resides in Erie, Pa. The Pilsons have a son, Fletcher, who was born in 2014.
| Overall |
| Conf. |
|
Year | W | L |
| W | L |
|
2005 | 6 | 9 |
| -- | -- | |
2006 | 9 | 8 |
| -- | -- | |
2007 | 7 | 5 | | -- | -- |
|
2008 | 12 | 3 |
| -- | -- |
|
2009 | 14 | 4 |
| 6 | 2 | NCAA D-II Quarters; PSAC Semis |
2010 | 16 | 2 |
| 9 | 1 | PSAC Quarters; PSAC West Co-Champs |
2011 | 13 | 6 |
| 7 | 4 | PSAC Semifinals |
| 20 2012 | 13 | 7 | | 8 | 3 | PSAC Tournament Second Place |
| 2013 | 12 | 6 | | 7 | 4 | PSAC Quarterfinals |
| 2014 | 16 | 3 | | 11 | 1 | PSAC Regular Season Co-Champs |
| | | | | | PSAC Tournament Second Place |
| 2015 | 15 | 4 | | 10 | 2 | PSAC Tournament Second Place |
| Career | 133 | 57 | | 58 | 17 | | |
| .700 | | | .773 | | |
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