Newly hired Women’s Lacrosse head coach Tricia Molfetta knows all about pressure. Two years ago, Molfetta was faced with the challenge of turning around a program that had not posted a winning record since 2009.

In the summer of 2015, Molfetta was promoted from assistant coach to head coach of the Division III Manhattanville College Valiants, a program that went 1-15 and 4-11 its previous two seasons.

Despite the lack of success the team had, Molfetta was just grateful for the chance to be the head coach of a college team.

“It was a great feeling becoming the head coach at Manhattanville,” Molfetta said. “As a young coach, I was very grateful for the opportunity and really excited to continue to work with the players.”

Leading a team from “worst to first” seems like a daunting task for most, but for coaches like Molfetta, it is what they live for. After serving as the founder and head coach of Rye Neck High school’s Women’s Lacrosse program, Molfetta was inspired to prove she can be a head coach on the collegiate level.

In her first season as head coach, Molfetta improved the team’s win total to six and in her second season, Molfetta coached Manhattanville to an 11-6 record and a tournament berth.

“I think my strong suits as a coach are building relationships and getting players to believe in themselves,” Molfetta said.

Molfetta guided players to believe and that belief led Manhattanville’s Women’s Lacrosse team from laughing stock to a serious team in the MAC Freedom conference.

“Coach Molfetta saw the potential in people, even if they didn’t see it themselves,” says Mariana Lopez, who is a senior and lacrosse player at Manhattanville. “She would push you because she knew you could handle it. She would always say it ‘was all mental,’ and she was right, it was.”

As a result of the relationship she built, Molfetta says it was difficult leaving the program that gave her an opportunity to prove herself.

“It was really difficult because you build strong bonds with the players,” Molfetta said. “But those Manhattanville players are destined for great things this year and my leaving won’t change that.”

Molfetta is now the head coach of Pace Women’s Lacrosse Team, a program that was founded in 2015 and has improved every year since, including a NE-10 Conference Championships Tournament appearance last season.

Molfetta says she is looking forward to leaping over any barrier her position brings, which includes challenging games in the NE-10 Conference.

“[Pace] is a great university with a very strong women’s lacrosse program,” she said. “Pace competes on a national stage, against the best of the best, and to me, that’s an exciting opportunity.”

What will benefit Molfetta’s transition to Pace is the 19 upperclassmen on the Lacrosse team roster, many of whom have been playing for the team since its inaugural season.

“It’s a really great situation,” Molfetta said. “They’re the ones who have set the standards and traditions for Pace Women’s Lacrosse, and they know what it will take to reach our goals.”

Molfetta has already met with every player on the roster and talked with them individually. She says she recognizes the goals the players have.

“In meeting the players this week and talking about their goals, I think their main thing is continuing to build on the strong foundation and pushing the program to new heights,” she said.

While it is unknown if Pace will be Molfetta’s final stop in her coaching journey, she has had an admirable career path: From head coach of a small high school team in Mamaroneck, NY to head coach of a Division II college team with playoff hopes.

Throughout her experience, Molfetta says there’s one lesson she’s learned and it will likely stick with her during her tenure at Pace: “Trust the process.”