Maria DeStefano was named the top assistant for the Utica College women's lacrosse program in the Summer of 2011. DeStefano will assist Head Coach Kristen St. Hilaire with all facets of the program including recruiting, scouting, practice and game preparation.
She is a 2011 graduate of Merrimack College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Marketing.
DeStefano joined Merrimack (NCAA Division II) in 2008 on an athletic scholarship and garnered the NCAA Women's Lacrosse DII statistical title for draw controls in her freshman campaign. Over the course of four seasons, she tallied 104 total points, including 78 goals and 26 assists, while scooping 65 groundballs and registering an 82.5 shots on goal percentage.
She started all 19 games in her senior campaign and totaled a career-best 43 goals and five assists for a total of 48 points. She guided the Warriors to four straight winning seasons, three consecutive North East 10 Conference Tournament semi-final appearances and 40 wins over the course of four years.
Before Merrimack, DeStefano was a two-time All-American at Marshwood High School, where she holds the school’s all-time records in goals, assists, total points, and groundballs. She was the 2007 Female Athlete of the Year, a three-time all-conference selection, and a four-time participant in the US National Tournament, representing Upper New England. She was one of three Upper New England girls selected to try out for the United States U-19 team. She participated in four sports during her time at Marshwood, including basketball, skiing, lacrosse and cheerleading, all while being a member of the national honor society.
Originally from Eliot, ME, Maria currently resides in Utica, NY and is enrolled in the master’s program here at Utica College. She is the daughter of Paul and Lisa DeStefano and she has two siblings- Alaena and Sarah.
