On Dec.  23, just a month prior to the start of the season, Mary Kate Scardillo stepped down as the head women’s lacrosse coach of Castleton State College, leaving athletic director Deanna Tyson in a state of panic, although the solution was right in front of her.
“I stepped back, and assessed who we had on staff now, and I realized that we had Hannah Corkery, who was a graduate assistant for us here, and did a great job,” she said.
And just like that, assistant coach Hannah Corkery was promoted to lead the Spartans program, but now she feels the pressure of defending a North Atlantic Conference title.     

Despite feeling that pressure, Corkery has embraced the situation with enthusiasm

“It was a long-term goal for myself that I did not expect to come so quickly. I didn’t feel a whole lot of pressure because I knew the players, and the program. I felt more prepared than anything,” she said with enthusiasm.
Corkery is not the only one excited.
Junior defenseman Chelsea Fisher feels that Corkery’s lacrosse IQ will help the team exploit a more strategic game plan than in the past.
“They would have been crazy not to hire coach Corkery. She will do great things as a coach,” she said.
Corkery graduated from Saint Lawrence University in 2011, where she said she learned a vast amount about the game of lacrosse under Coach Jodi Canfield. Using this knowledge, Corkery has adopted a completely different strategy than the Spartans have seen in the past stressing the use of lots of personnel.
“Our midfield is very dynamic, our defense is very aggressive and our attack has more fluidity than they’ve had in the past,” she said.
Corkery’s goal is to beat more out-of-conference opponents like Williams College, Saint Joseph’s College and Plymouth State. Corkery and the Spartans are determined to not only win the NAC Championship game, but also to win games in the NCAA Tournament.
“Making it first round isn’t going to be enough for us anymore, were a little hungrier this year,” she said.
 Corkery has set the bar high on and off the field for the Spartans this season

“We want to maintain a 3.0 cumulative team GPA, and as coaches we want to emphasize our girls to be well rounded involving personal life, school life and lacrosse,” she said.  

Corkery has also emphasized simply enjoying the game of lacrosse. Her calm attitude and coaching style have had a positive effect on the team, said freshman midfielder Grace Johnson

“Her coaching style helps a lot she gets to the point, and makes me feel comfortable as a player,” Johnson said.
With a talented retuning roster including former NAC player of the year Amanda Flodstrom, NAC tournament MVP Brandi Whittemore and a new game plan, Corkery is poised to make a stunning debut in the 2014 season as head coach.