Devyne Doran
Devyne Doran

Bio

Devyne Doran enters her third season as head coach of the Mitchell College women’s lacrosse program in 2021-22.

Mitchell produced three all-conference selections in 2021, Doran's first full season at the helm of the program. Included in that group were Lindsey Fairbank and Hannah Corrigan, two of the top scorers in the New England Collegiate Conference.  

The fourth coach in program history, Doran's head coaching debut came to an abrupt halt in 2020 due to Covid-19. Mitchell opened the season against Eastern Connecticut State University, where Doran coached for two seasons following a four-year playing career. However, it was the first of only two games the Mariners would play before all spring sports were canceled amid the pandemic. 

Doran joined Eastern’s coaching staff in January 2018 under the direction of head coach Christine Hutchison, assisting in all aspects of the program while also serving as recruiting coordinator. During her tenure the Warriors produced eight all-conference and nine all-academic selections, and in 2018 Eastern finished with an overall record of 11-7 and advanced to the Little East Conference finals.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Doran was a four-year starter at Eastern where she was twice named LEC Defensive Player of the Year (2016, 2017). She was a four-year All-LEC pick on defense, earning first-team honors in each of her final three years. As a senior she became the program's seventh selection to the IWLCA/STX Farewell Lacrosse Festival North-South Senior All-Star Game, and was also a second-team IWLCA All-Berkshire Region pick.

In addition to individual accolades, Doran led Eastern to at least a share of the LEC regular season title in each of her final two years. The Warriors compiled an 11-1 LEC regular season record and 25-11 overall mark during that span.

Doran started and played in 66 career games and ranks third all-time in draws (193) and eighth in ground balls (181) in ECSU history. She led the team in ground balls and caused turnovers each year and was the leader in draws in each of her final two seasons.

A native of South Kingstown, R.I., Doran graduated from Eastern with a degree in sociology in 2017.

 

 

Meet The Coach
Kristin Ventresca

Kristin Ventresca was hired as the next head coach of the Mitchell College women’s lacrosse team in September of 2023.

Ventresca will make her collegiate head coaching debut for the Mariners, who posted a 3-9 record in 2023, the most wins for the program since 2018.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kristin Ventresca as our next head coach for our women’s lacrosse program,” said Mitchell College Director of Athletics, Matt Finlayson. “Her passion for the sport, coaching experience and dedication to providing a first class-student athlete experience will all have a positive impact for our women’s lacrosse program. Kristin has proven the ability to build successful programs and recruit quality student-athletes which is exactly what this team needs as we enter the GNAC.”

Prior to her arrival in New London, Ventresca spent the previous three season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Connecticut. During her tenure with the Warriors, she coordinated and implemented offensive strategy and skills, organized and managed team fundraising activities, and identified and cultivated high level potential recruits through clinics, tournaments, the transfer portal, and correspondences. Ventresca’s roles also included developing and presenting in-depth scouting reports for all opponents, as well as maintaining academic progress reports for student-athletes.

“I would like to thank Matt Finlayson, Ashley Kishorn, Todd Peretz, and the entire search committee for this opportunity,” shared Ventresca. “The support I have felt within this community is amazing. I am excited to build the women’s lacrosse program here at Mitchell into a program that is competitive in the GNAC, while enhancing our student-athletes experience both academically and athletically.”

Additionally, Ventresca has extensive experience at the high school level, having served as the head girl’s lacrosse coach at Montville High School in Montville, Connecticut, from 2012-2020. Under her guidance, the program made their first appearance in the CIAC Class S tournament in 2015, and went on to make it back to the state tournament in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The team also took home a pair of Eastern Connecticut Conference division titles in 2016 and 2018.

A resident of Montville, Connecticut, Ventresca and her husband Jon have four children; Shay, a graduate student at the University of Connecticut, Sean, a junior at Eastern Connecticut State University, Jack, a freshman at American University, and Liam, a high school senior at the Pomfret School.

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