MADISON, N.J. – Stefani Peluso has been selected as the new women's lacrosse head coach at Drew University, Director of Athletics Christa Racine has announced.
 
Peluso comes to the Forest from Division I Manhattan College, where she served as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator, and recruiting coordinator over the last two seasons. She was also a Division I student-athlete at Wagner College, where she was a 100-point scorer for the women's lacrosse team.
 
"I am so grateful for the opportunity to be the head coach of Drew University's women's lacrosse team," said Peluso. "I want to thank Christa Racine, the search committee, and Drew University for believing in me to lead this program. I have already felt so welcomed by the Athletics Department and student-athletes and have been inspired by their excitement surrounding the University."
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Stefani to the Ranger family," said Racine. "She has coached and competed at a very high level, and her energy and enthusiasm for the game of lacrosse are contagious. I look forward to what's in store for both her and the women's lacrosse program."
 
In her role at Manhattan, Peluso was highly-involved in numerous areas on and off the field. She developed offensive sets, philosophies, and game plans while also organizing recruiting materials, attending recruiting events, and evaluating and identifying prospective student-athletes. She also assisted in everything from developing practice plans to monitoring academic progress for team members to overseeing off-field player development through the organization of various workshops and events.
 
During her time in Riverdale, Peluso coached three players who earned a combined four All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) honors, including one First-Team All-MAAC selection. 
 
Peluso has also coached for 3d Lacrosse and Ultimate Lacrosse, and she served as the Girls Lacrosse Director and Social Media Manager for Q4 Lacrosse.
 
At Wagner, Peluso was a five-year team member, appearing in 71 games while making 49 starts as an attacker. A team captain and member of the Wagner Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, she tallied 114 points on 64 goals and 50 assists. Peluso helped the Seahawks capture back-to-back Northeast Conference championships in 2018 and 2019 and in both seasons, Wagner also notched a victory in the NCAA Championship tournament. The team set a school record with 14 victories in 2018, then improved upon that mark with a 16-win season one year later.
 
"Drew University is a special place that is near and dear to my heart and a place that means a lot to me and my family," added Peluso. "I am excited to begin working with such an amazing group of student-athletes, share my passion for the game of lacrosse, and develop our team on and off the field. I look forward to working with staff and alumni to continue building the legacy of the Drew Women's Lacrosse program.
 
"I would also like to thank Manhattan College, [Head Coach] Jenna Dingler, and the administration for their support, mentorship, and friendships," continued Peluso. "Go Rangers!"
 
Peluso inherits a Ranger squad that finished 10-8 last season and earned a berth in the Landmark Conference Championships for the third time after finishing 6-3 in Landmark Conference play.