Phone: (443) 352-4255
E-mail: ath-kath@mail.vjc.edu

Kathy Railey begins her third year as Head Women's Lacrosse Coach and SWA/Compliance Director, after serving for five years at Eastern Connecticut State University as the Head Lacrosse and Head Field Hockey Coach.  Railey takes her impressive resume south to her native Baltimore where her college coaching career began. 

In each of the last five years at Eastern Connecticut State, Railey has guided her team to the post season, including winning the 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Division III Tournament and reaching the ECAC title match again in each of the last two years. She led the Warriors to a spot in the New England Women's Lacrosse Alliance (NEWLA) playoffs in her first season as a head coach in 2000, then improved upon that in 2001 when Eastern shared the South Division regular-season title and won its first playoff match since 1998. 

Three years ago Railey took ECSU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in which her team lost to eventual national champions Salisbury University.  Railey is a member of both the United States Lacrosse Association and the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association.

Prior to getting the head job at ECS, Railey served as an assistant women's lacrosse coach on the collegiate level for three seasons at McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) and Goucher College and as a head collegiate field hockey coach for four seasons at McDaniel (Western Maryland) and Goucher.

As a college athlete, Railey was a four-year letterwinner and a team captain in both field hockey and lacrosse at Gettysburg (PA) College between 1987 and 1991.

Railey graduated from Gettysburg University in 1991, earning a B.A. Degree in Economics, and from Western Maryland College in 1993, earning a Master's Degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Physical Education.

Assisting Kathy Railey on the sidelines of the field, Melanie Ruppert will be bringing her extensive knowledge as a player and a coach. Ruppert has a 14-year playing history in lacrosse and an 11-year playing history in field hockey, dominating midfield in both sports.

Ruppert graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts from Washington College. There, she played four years of varsity field hockey and varsity lacrosse. Her field hockey accomplishments include receiving the Most Improved Player Award and the prestigious "Rudy Award" in 2005. For lacrosse, she was named the Most Valuable Player and was a tri-captain in 2007. Ruppert ranks among Washington College's top 10 all-time leaders in career ground balls (130) and draw controls (61) and the top 20 all-time leaders in career goals (62), assists (26), points (88) and caused turnovers (43).

Off the field, Ruppert was a student-athlete mentor of women's lacrosse from 2005-2007 and participated in the Snell-Shillingford coaching symposium in 2007. She was on the NFHCA Academic Squad from 2003-2006, the Field Hockey Centennial Conference Honor Roll in 2005 and 2006, IWLCA Academic Honor Roll in 2006, and the Women's Lacrosse Centennial Conference Honor Roll in 2004, 2006, and 2007.

Ruppert is the first assistant to work full-time with the Mustangs. She is excited to be dedicating herself to the programs and looks to help improve a talented group of athletes on and off the field.