OUR COACHES
Get to know the dedicated coaches and passionate staff behind MACLAX. All teams will be coached by current High School coaches and assisted by collegiate players! We’re fortunate enough to be working with the best in the industry.
Grace Goodman
Owner & Director of MACLAX
Coach Goodman's love for the sport started back in her hometown of Sayville, NY where she played lacrosse for 8 years. In 2009, Grace graduated from Limestone College in Gaffney, SC, where she played four years at a DII level, and went to the Final Four three years. After graduating with a degree in Physical Education with a focus in fitness and wellness and minor in coaching , Grace pursued a masters degree in Health Education at Hofstra University and is a dual certified teacher.
Grace coached both varsity lacrosse for Babylon High School and multiple club lacrosse teams for the Long Island Yellow Jackets. After relocating to Georgia in 2014, Grace continued coaching and is currently the community coach at Lambert High School. Grace is dedicated to developing skills and love for the game in female athletes.
In her free time, Grace enjoys spending time with her friends and family, husband Riggs, and children Riggs IV and Joan.
Matt Lawler
Assistant Director & Coach
Coach Matt has been coaching lacrosse since 2009 when he started at the U9 level. He has coached at every level since then and has been at the High School level for 5 years. He served as the Head JV coach at Lambert High School in 2014 and been a Varsity coach at Lambert for 4 years. He helped Lambert to their first GHSA playoff appearance in 2015 and again helped guide the Longhorns to the State Semifinals in 2017. Matt is a US Lacrosse Learn to Play instructor as well as a Level 3 Certified coach. Additionally, he is a Board member of the Georgia Lacrosse Foundation where he oversees the organization of Coaching Education Programs in the state of Georgia. Matt has an Incredible passion for the game, the players, and the MACLAX program and dedicated to helping guide the growth of the sport and building a lasting and successful program that is sustainable for years to come.
Andrea Braun
Coach
Coach Braun has been involved in Atlanta girls lacrosse since 2009 as a coach, official, and administrator. She recently became the head women’s lacrosse coach at the Georgia Tech. Since 2014, she has coached at Mill Creek High School where she has helped lead the team to the playoffs every year, including their first state championship game appearance in 2019. Coach Braun has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Gwinnett High School Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2021 and the Georgia Lacrosse Woman of the Year in 2019. In 2021, she was inducted into the Georgia Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Coach Braun is very involved in training and mentoring junior officials as well as her coaching responsibilities. She is an avid LSU fan and is very happy to be joining the MACLAX family.
Travis Church
Coach
My name is Travis Church. This will be my 7th year coaching lacrosse and 4th as head coach at Lambert High School and 2nd with the MACLAX Club Program. Before that I was the Head Coach a St. Paul Catholic High School in Connecticut for two years and spent a year coaching boy’s lacrosse at my High School alma mater, Farmington High School in Connecticut as well. I started playing lacrosse in 5th grade and fell in love with the sport. I continued through high school as a three year varsity letterman at Farmington High School. After that I went on to play Club (At the D1 Level 😊) Lacrosse at UConn…Go Huskies! I am also a School Counselor at Lambert High School, serving 9th and 10th grade students. My goal is to help young athletes discover the same passion that I have for this sport. I have learned much from this sport; how to handle adversity, knowing my role as part of a TEAM, and how to be a strong leader. I love lacrosse with all of my heart and I want to share that love and passion with the players I coach in hopes that they find love in the sport as well. Hook Em Horns!
Brittany Farnum
Coach
Brittany Farnum is the Varsity Assistant Girls Lacrosse Coach at Denmark High School. Originally from Long Island, NY, Coach Farnum was a four-year, three-letter varsity athlete, record holder, and All-County lacrosse player at Sayville High School in Sayville, NY. She started playing the game at age 10, and was a pioneer player on one of the first girls lacrosse programs on Long Island. Farnum also played on a travel club team, the Long Island Express, for ten years, and was a girls lacrosse referee for six years. She is passionate about the game and building a strong, positive team culture.
Coach Farnum currently works as a School Counselor at Denmark High School. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, husband Pearce, and dog Henry.
Jessi Alderdice
Coach
Jessie is from Cumming, Georgia and was a part of the first youth girls lacrosse team in 2006. She played Varsity lacrosse at South Forsyth High School where she had three playoff appearances of her 4 years at South Forsyth.
Jessie played lacrosse at Kennesaw State University as a part of the first Women’s Division I team in the state of Georgia from 2013-2016, where she played attack and midfield. She had three conference tournament appearances out of her 4 seasons at Kennesaw. She also coached various girls lacrosse teams from U9 to high school travel as well as officiating youth lacrosse.
Jessie has coached at both South and West Forsyth High School. She currently works as a Health and Physical Education teacher and Head Girl’s Lacrosse Coach at Peachtree Ridge High School.
Megan Smith
Coach
Megan Smith is originally from Marietta, GA. She is in her 4th year as coach at Lee University. She also coaches with Georgia FCA. Megan played four years at Limestone College, where she was a captain and played in the 2013 National
Championship. She is the IWLCA Service Award Recipient 2021. Previously, she has worked as Assistant Coach at Limestone College, Head Coach at Converse College, and Assistant Coach at Chowan University.
Sydney Sheahen
Coach
Sydney is from Marietta, Georgia and is currently a senior at The University of Georgia. She started playing lacrosse her freshman year of high school and has been in love with the game ever since. She graduated from Pope High School in 2018 where she was a 4 year Varsity letterman at attack and midfield, with a special focus in draw control. Sydney was honored as a Brine National All-American in 2016-2017 year and the 2017-2018 year. Sydney has previous experience playing with the University of Georgia’s club lacrosse team, coaching Pope Junior lacrosse, and officiating girls high school and junior lacrosse. She currently helps coach at Lambert High School and intends to be a full-time math teacher and coach there next year. Above coaching and playing, her love is for the girls she gets to share it with!
Kelsey Piefke
Coach
Coach Piefke is the Head Coach at Mount Pisgah. She played lacrosse at Collins Hill High School and then at Berry College as a 2-year starting defender. She has since coached at St. Pius X Catholic High School for a year and at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania for two years as well as coaching for various camps and clinics around the Atlanta area.
Audrey Dutton
Coach
Audrey is from Lawrenceville, Georgia and currently plays midfield at Lee University. In high school she played for Peachtree Ridge where she was a three year captain and named to the all county team two years in a row. She played travel with Hotlanta Lacrosse for 6 years and FCA Georgia for 4 years. Audrey has coached youth lacrosse from 3rd graders to high schoolers for 6 years. Audrey is studying Biology and plans to attend PA school after she graduates. She was just named captain at Lee.
Gabby DiVirgilio
Assistant Coach
Gabby currently plays midfield for Mercer University. During her high school career at Lambert High School, Gabby was named to the Forsyth County's All- County team all 4 years and named to the All State team in 2019. She helped her team make GHSA State Playoff appearances in 2016 (Final 4) & 2019. Gabby set a season and State record in 2019 with 89 goals and currently hold the ground ball record for Lambert with 182. In 2020, Gabby was named Captain and was Forsyth County Grind Player of the week.
Georgia Kennedy
Assistant Coach
Georgia is from Cincinnati, OH and played midfield at Lenoir-Rhyne University (Hickory, NC). She started playing lacrosse in 3rd grade through the Indian Hill Recreational League and continued her high school career at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati, OH where she was a 3 year varsity starter, 2017 Ohio State Champions, and team Captain her senior year 2018. Georgia played travel lacrosse with the Cincinnati Royals for 6 years and with Velocity Lacrosse for 1. After playing her final travel season with Velocity Lacrosse, she assisted in coaching for 2 years. She has been coaching youth lacrosse since 2016 and absolutely loves growing the game. Along with lacrosse in high school, she played field-hockey and was a varsity starter and captain all 4 years. She continued her lacrosse career at Lenoir-Rhyne University from 2018 – 2021 and was President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for 2 years.
Kayla Casey
Assistant Coach
Kayla currently plays goalie for Mercer University. During her high school career, Kayla was named Forsyth County Player of the year in 2020, All-State in 2018-2020, all-region 2017-2020, and War Eagle MVP in 2019 and 2020. She was a captain for 2 years. She had 487 saves during her high school career. She was also selected to the Under Armour All- American South Highlight team.
Emily Flynt
Assistant Coach
I am originally from Lawrenceville GA where I attended Archer High School and graduated in May 2020. Now, I play DII lacrosse (as a midfielder) at Young Harris College (Class of 2024). I was named All-County (In Gwinnett) three years in a row in highschool, as well as was Archer's most valuable middie for three. I made the Gwinnett County Super Six for Lacrosse. I also won the Vince Dooley Award for Athletes alongside one of my male peers in high school. I was a captain the last two years of highschool and am now part of our class representative group on our team at YHC (1 person is picked to lead/represent from each class). I have played lacrosse since 6th grade and have refed lacrosse since 9th grade and have helped coach elementary kids-highschool kids. I played for Laxsanity, Hotlanta, FCA, and Storm. I am currently a Biology major and Chem minor with hopes to go to medical school.
Ruthann George
Assistant Coach
My name is Ruthann George and I’ve been playing lacrosse for 9 years! I have played on maclax, FCA Georgia and South, and I have been on the South Forsyth Varsity team for 3 years, 2 years as a captain! I play midfield and attack.
Carolyn Braun
Assistant Coach
Carolyn is from Hoschton, GA, and is currently a freshman defender for Georgia Tech. In high school, she played for Mill Creek where she was a three-year starter and senior captain who helped the team to their 2019 state championship appearance. She played with Atlanta Storm Lacrosse, FCA Lax, and the Georgia National team and has been an official for four years.
Hadley Bates
Assistant Coach
Coming Soon
Avery Wyckoff
Assistant Coach
My name is Avery Wyckoff and I have been playing lacrosse for 10 years! During my high school career I played varsity on the South Forsyth high school team for 4 years and was captain for 3 of them! I played with MACLAX and LB3 throughout the summers. I played midfield and attack! I was all county for the 2020 season and also helped lead my team to playoffs in 2021 for South. I now attend the University of Georgia studying business and love to stay involved with helping younger girls find their love and passion for lacrosse!
