Former Harvard assistant coach will take over the head coaching position at Stonehill College.
Former Harvard assistant coach will take over the head coaching position at Stonehill College.
Lee-J Mirasolo has stepped away from her role with Harvard's women's hockey program to accept the head coaching role at Stonehill College.
Mirasolo fills the recently created vacancy at Stonehill created by the departure of Tara Watchorn to coach at Boston University. Mirasolo had stepped away from Harvard's women's program in March taking a leave.
"We are excited to welcome Lee-J Mirasolo to Stonehill as the next head coach of our women's ice hockey program," said Dean O'Keefe, Stonehill's Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics in a school news release. "Lee-J's name quickly rose to the top of our search with her experience coaching and playing at the highest levels of women's college hockey in the Northeast. She brings great energy and passion for the sport and will be a tremendous leader and mentor for our young student-athletes as the program continues to grow and build its culture for success both on and off the ice."
The move came as Harvard continued to face criticism for the alleged abuse and toxic environment from head coach Katey Stone.
According to The Athletic in a recent update on the situation at Harvard, "An investigation into Harvard’s women’s ice hockey program is winding down, according to comments investigators have made to interviewees, and a report of findings could be sent to the university within the next few weeks." Stone was facing numerous allegations of mistreatment of players, as well as accusations of hazing.
Mirasolo, removing herself from that situation, will get a new start at Stonehill.
She spent more than a decade coaching Ivy League women's hockey, first with Princeton, before joining Harvard for the 2015-2016 season.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Stonehill women's ice hockey program and the broader campus community," said Mirasolo. "Everything I understood Stonehill to be from a distance – supportive, welcoming, and connected– proved to be exactly as it was up close and in person."