Melissa Rausch begins her fifth year with the UCCS Mountain Lions women's lacrosse program, and her third season as the head coach in 2024.
Rausch and the Mountain Lions recorded the third best record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2023 behind a 5-5 league mark, earning them their fourth straight trip to the conference tournament. UCCS closed out the season recording a 6-11 overall mark and a 4-2 record at home and finished the season winning two of their last three games. UCCS led the league in saves per game (11.8), finished second in saves percentage (.449), and third in assists per game (5.2) and points per game (16.4). Madison McGriff and Brielle Fannin led eight Mountain Lions on the All-RMAC Team. McGriff was named the RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight year while Fannin was voted the RMAC Freshman of the Year. McGriff made history and became the first Mountain Lion to receive Academic All-America accolades after she and Julia Patrick were named Academic All-District.
In her first year at the helm and third year with the program in 2022, Rausch led the women's lacrosse team to their most successful season in their sixth year as a varsity program. The Mountain Lions finished the season 11-7 overall and 8-4 in RMAC contests that included two wins by forfeit from Adams State University. The Mountain Lions had a breakout year with awards as 14 Mountain Lions earned 31 awards. Madison McGriff led the squad with eight awards that included an academic regional selection, two RMAC individual awards and five RMAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Natalie Church left her mark on the program after receiving CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 First Team, RMAC All-Academic First Team, RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. She holds the program record for most points (67) and assists (30) in a season and is the career leader in points (206), goals (124), assists (82), shots (264), shots on goal (206) and draw controls (324).
On the field, Rausch works with both offensive and defensive units. Her primary focus is on the defensive end of the field. After installing a new defense in 2021, the Mountain Lions decreased their opponents' efforts in goals against, shots, shot percentage, and shots on goal.
Rausch, who joined UCCS from Nichols College, a Division III institution in Dudley, Mass., held the roles as Assistant Athletic Director, Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, and Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach at Nichols College.
Rausch left Nichols College as the second-winningest coach in program history. In three years at the helm, Rausch and the Bison tallied 12 wins while 20 student-athletes earned academic all-conference accolades. In 2019, the Bison women's team set a school record for most free position goals, accumulating 57 in 16 games. As an assistant coach for the men's team, Rausch helped the Bison qualify for the conference tournament for the second consecutive season, while coaching multiple academic all-conference and all-conference student-athletes.
Administratively at NC, Rausch ran the day-to-day operations for the department's transportation, marketing and sports information departments.
Prior to Nichols College, Rausch spent five years in Colorado working at 3d Lacrosse, Team 180 Sports, and as a boys and girls high school coach. At 3d Lacrosse, she served as the Girls National Director, providing over site for five regions and 50 teams, including developing national level camps, clinics and tournaments.
Rausch spent the 2015-16 season as the Head Lacrosse Coach at Kent Denver School, leading the Sun Devils to the state semi-final game for the first time in six years. Before coaching at Kent Denver School, Rausch was the Co-Head Coach at Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs in 2015-16, starting the inaugural boy's lacrosse program while managing seven assistant coaches. She started her high school coaching career in Colorado Springs at Rampart High School from 2011-15, while also serving as the Team Colorado Head Coach. She was named the 2016 3d Lacrosse Coach of the Year and the 2015 Gazette Preps Lacrosse Coach of the Year.
Rausch received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y. A three-year captain and a two-time Empire 8 all-conference performer, Rausch competed in lacrosse and field hockey for the Soaring Eagles.
