Struss enters her fifth season with the Lakers and third as head coach in 2024.
In 2023, the Lakers finished 9-9 while going 6-3 in PSAC play to claim the three-seed in the PSAC West. The team ended the season on a high note, winning three of their last four games including an 11-10 win over IUP in the opening round of the PSAC Tournament.
She led the Lakers to a 14-6 record in her first season at the helm of Mercyhrust Women's Lacrosse. Her squad would make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they fell in the opening round to eventual NCAA Division II Runner-Up East Stroudsburg. She guided the Lakers to wins in eight of their last nine regular season games to clinch the No. 2 seed in the PSAC West.
Prior to joining Mercyhurst, Struss spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Seton Hill and one season as an assistant at NCAA Division I Gardner Webb as an assistant coach.
In 2020, she helped the Lakers to a 3-1 mark before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her time at Mercyhurst she has coached one All-American (Kira Kolb) and three all-PSAC players (Emma Hubert, Kira Kolb, Lacey Netti).
Struss made the move into coaching following a stellar playing career at Liberty of the Big South Conference, where she complied 108 goals and 55 assists in just 73 games. Her best season was in 2015, when the attacker accounted for 36 goals and 20 assists while helping Liberty to a runner-up finish in the Big South Tournament.
A native of Evans City, Pa., Struss was named to the All-Big South Conference Second Team as a senior in 2015. The two-time Big South All-Conference honoree holds a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Science from Liberty and holds her MBA in Entrepreneurship from Seton Hill.
Struss has a wealth of coaching experience at the club level as well, most recently serving as an assistant coach for Pittsburgh Premier Lacrosse Club (PPLC). She also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with Pittsburgh Select Lacrosse, where she worked with the offense, implemented drills and advanced player's knowledge and individual skills.
Struss By the Numbers
| Year |
Team |
Overall
Record |
Conference Record |
| 2022 |
Mercyhurst |
14-6 |
9-3 |
| 2023 |
Mercyhurst |
9-9 |
6-6 |
| Career Record |
|
23-15 |
15-9 |
