Women's Lacrosse
Cermack, Sammy
Sammy Cermack
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- sac314@lehigh.edu
Former Johns Hopkins standout Sammy Cermack enters her eighth season with the Lehigh women’s lacrosse program in 2022, and fifth as associate head coach. In her time, Cermack has played significant role in recruiting as well as team travel, equipment and apparel. She has also assisted in all areas of team preparation, including video breakdown, scouting and player development. Cermack was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2018 season, and has helped the Mountain Hawks to the Patriot League Tournament every season in her tenure.
Cermack has helped the Mountain Hawks to some impressive sustained success. In 2020, Lehigh was going strong, recording a 6-2 record when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the rest of the season. The Mountain Hawks were averaging 14.50 goals per game, led by senior Sondra Dickey and freshman Gabby Schneider. Dickey was sixth nationally goals (32) and 12th in points (42), while Schneider was seventh in assists (21) and 14th in points (41). Dickey became Lehigh women’s lacrosse’s second student-athlete ever named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List.
In 2019, Lehigh bounced back from a tough start to win its final four regular season games for its sixth straight Patriot League Tournament, a program record. Dickey was named IWLCA second team All-Region for a second straight year – only the Mountain Hawks’ second two-time honoree since the turn of the century.
The success continued in 2021 as Lehigh advanced to the Patriot League Championship Game for the first time since 2010, finishing the season 9-4 (6-1 in the league). Offensively, Cermack oversaw an offense that consistently produced, which included scoring 20+ goals twice (for the first time since 2009). The Mountain Hawks ended the regular season winning seven of their last eight games (which extended to nine of 10 with a pair of postseason wins). Lehigh defeated a ranked Navy team in the regular season (12-7), then beat the Mids again in the Patriot League Quarterfinals (13-12 in overtime) to advance to the semifinals where the Mountain Hawks beat Army West Point for a second time (10-8, after a 14-7 regular-season victory). Individually, Dickey was named a third team IWLCA All-American, Lehigh’s first All-American since Lauren Dykstra in 2011. She was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List once again, and was named the Patriot League Midfielder of the Year (also Lehigh’s first since Dykstra in 2011). Dickey finished the season leading the nation in caused turnovers per game (3.15) and ended her career as the only player in program history in the top 10 in goals, assists, points, groundballs, caused turnovers and draw controls. Six Mountain Hawks were named All-League, Lehigh’s most since the Patriot League expanded with the additions of Boston University and Loyola in 2014. Along with Dickey, Schneider received first team All-League and joined Dickey on the All-Region squad.
From 2016-18, the Mountain Hawks posted a 38-17 record, among the most wins in the nation in that stretch. Lehigh qualified for the Patriot League Tournament in each of Cermack’s her first five seasons (the sixth season was cut short due to the pandemic), reaching the semifinals in three.
In 2018, Lehigh went 13-6, including a school-record seven Patriot League wins (compared to just two losses). For the second straight season, Lehigh earned the No. 3 seed in the league tournament, hosting a Patriot League Quarterfinal for a third straight year. Despite losing multiple key players to season-ending injuries, Lehigh won seven straight games spanning the end of the regular season and beginning of the postseason. The Mountain Hawks ended nonleague play with a thrilling 9-8 triple overtime win at Mount St. Mary’s followed by a 12-11 win at eventual MAAC Champion Fairfield. Lehigh followed by dominating Boston University in the Patriot League opener 15-8, handing the Terriers their largest-ever Patriot League defeat.
Cermack helped sophomore Dickey emerge in 2018 as Dickey led the team in goals (54) and points (76) to earn first team All-League and second team All-Region. Despite missing the last seven games due to injury, Courtney Henig still finished second on the Mountain Hawks with 43 points (19 goals, team-leading 24 assists) and earned second team All-League despite the missed games. Henig’s 59 career assists are already seventh in school history. Four others recorded 29 or more points in 2018: Haley Wentzel (40), Kellie Gough (39), Julianne Puckette (30) and Olivia Kelly (29). Meanwhile, Dickey and Kayleen Kelly each broke the previous school record for draw controls in a season. Kelly broke (at the time), Lehigh’s single-game (10), season (86) and career (169) records for draw controls, while Dickey added 81, each shattering the previous school record of 47. Both Kayleen Kelly and Kierstyn Voiro were named All-Patriot League and Academic All-League, impressing on and off the field.
Cermack worked extensively with former Lehigh standout and current assistant coach Allison LaBeau and the Mountain Hawks’ offense in 2017, which saw six individuals record 25 or more points in 2017. Cermack helped LaBeau, who led the team with 91 points, turn into one of the nation's most prolific offensive players. Henig also emerged on the offensive end, posting 51 points in 2017 (22 goals, 29 assists). Julianne D’Orazio posted a career-high 36 goals and 42 points after just 21 goals and 24 points over her first two seasons combined. In 2017, the Mountain Hawks beat Bucknell 15-5 in the Patriot League Quarterfinals, marking the first time in school history Lehigh won a Patriot League tournament game in back-to-back seasons. LaBeau highlighted the victory, setting a Patriot League Tournament single-game record with 11 points, which included a record-tying six assists. LaBeau finished the year with a school-record 46 assists along with 91 points - second in school history. The Mountain Hawks went on to play a hard-fought game against Navy in the league semifinals, dropping a slim one-goal final against a Mids’ team that went on to beat Penn, UMass and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament to advance the Final Four.
Lehigh finished the 2016 season with a strong 13-5 record, including a 6-3 record in the Patriot League. The six league victories marked a school record while the Mountain Hawks hosted a league tournament game, and won a postseason contest, for the first time since 2010. Lehigh beat Colgate in the Patriot League quarterfinals to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011. LaBeau was named the league’s Attacker of the Year while D’Orazio and Kendall Garden were also named first team All-League, and Lauren Beausoleil garnered second team laurels. The Mountain Hawks earned a big road victory at Boston University while taking Loyola into overtime during the regular season, then playing a competitive back-and-forth game against the Greyhounds in the Patriot League Semifinals.
In her first season on the Lehigh sidelines, Cermack helped lead the Mountain Hawks to their second straight Patriot League Tournament. Along the way, Lehigh defeated eventual NEC Champion Bryant on the road while also topping Big Ten foe Rutgers in front of a nationally-televised audience. The Mountain Hawks hung tough against eventual Patriot League Champion and National Quarterfinalist Loyola, trailing by just three with 6:51 still remaining.
Individually, Lauren Willcox was named first team All-Patriot League for a second straight season, earning All-League honors for a third consecutive year. As a team, the Mountain Hawks finished 2015 with the league’s third-best goals against average (8.06) while leading the Patriot League in caused turnovers per game (9.71). Sukonik’s 42 goals were firth in the league while LaBeau’s 48 points stood eighth. Garden led the league with 31 caused turnovers.
Cermack enjoyed a standout career for the Blue Jays, posting 149 career points behind 98 goals and 51 assists capped off by a 59-point effort in 2014. Johns Hopkins finished 15-5 in a tremendous season that resulted in an NCAA Tournament appearance. Cermack was named an IWLCA All-American after her senior campaign.
A Ridgewood, New Jersey native, Cermack was also named first team All-American Conference, garnering first team Mid-Atlantic All-America laurels. In addition, she received the Blue Jays Unlimited Award given to the Johns Hopkins varsity senior athlete who most exemplifies the spirit of Blue Jays Unlimited by demonstrating team spirit and leadership, promoting team unity and morale, and enhancing the athletic experience of her teammates.
Cermack received several other awards and honors over her career, including second team All-Conference laurels as a junior and Johns Hopkins Midfielder of the Year as a sophomore.
Cermack has played for the Philadelphia Force in the United Women's Lacrosse League since the professional league's inaugural season in the summer of 2016.
Even before Lehigh, Cermack already owns extensive experience as a coach. She has worked for Stick2Stick Club Lacrosse, providing high-level lacrosse training for girls between ages 9-16. She was also a coach for STEPS Elite Lacrosse Club, coaching and mentoring two teams at the eighth grade levels. While at Johns Hopkins, she worked as a coach for the Blue Jay Elite Camp which included skill instruction and demonstrations for high level school aged participants.
Cermack graduated from Johns Hopkins in May of 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
Cermack has helped the Mountain Hawks to some impressive sustained success. In 2020, Lehigh was going strong, recording a 6-2 record when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the rest of the season. The Mountain Hawks were averaging 14.50 goals per game, led by senior Sondra Dickey and freshman Gabby Schneider. Dickey was sixth nationally goals (32) and 12th in points (42), while Schneider was seventh in assists (21) and 14th in points (41). Dickey became Lehigh women’s lacrosse’s second student-athlete ever named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List.
In 2019, Lehigh bounced back from a tough start to win its final four regular season games for its sixth straight Patriot League Tournament, a program record. Dickey was named IWLCA second team All-Region for a second straight year – only the Mountain Hawks’ second two-time honoree since the turn of the century.
The success continued in 2021 as Lehigh advanced to the Patriot League Championship Game for the first time since 2010, finishing the season 9-4 (6-1 in the league). Offensively, Cermack oversaw an offense that consistently produced, which included scoring 20+ goals twice (for the first time since 2009). The Mountain Hawks ended the regular season winning seven of their last eight games (which extended to nine of 10 with a pair of postseason wins). Lehigh defeated a ranked Navy team in the regular season (12-7), then beat the Mids again in the Patriot League Quarterfinals (13-12 in overtime) to advance to the semifinals where the Mountain Hawks beat Army West Point for a second time (10-8, after a 14-7 regular-season victory). Individually, Dickey was named a third team IWLCA All-American, Lehigh’s first All-American since Lauren Dykstra in 2011. She was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List once again, and was named the Patriot League Midfielder of the Year (also Lehigh’s first since Dykstra in 2011). Dickey finished the season leading the nation in caused turnovers per game (3.15) and ended her career as the only player in program history in the top 10 in goals, assists, points, groundballs, caused turnovers and draw controls. Six Mountain Hawks were named All-League, Lehigh’s most since the Patriot League expanded with the additions of Boston University and Loyola in 2014. Along with Dickey, Schneider received first team All-League and joined Dickey on the All-Region squad.
From 2016-18, the Mountain Hawks posted a 38-17 record, among the most wins in the nation in that stretch. Lehigh qualified for the Patriot League Tournament in each of Cermack’s her first five seasons (the sixth season was cut short due to the pandemic), reaching the semifinals in three.
In 2018, Lehigh went 13-6, including a school-record seven Patriot League wins (compared to just two losses). For the second straight season, Lehigh earned the No. 3 seed in the league tournament, hosting a Patriot League Quarterfinal for a third straight year. Despite losing multiple key players to season-ending injuries, Lehigh won seven straight games spanning the end of the regular season and beginning of the postseason. The Mountain Hawks ended nonleague play with a thrilling 9-8 triple overtime win at Mount St. Mary’s followed by a 12-11 win at eventual MAAC Champion Fairfield. Lehigh followed by dominating Boston University in the Patriot League opener 15-8, handing the Terriers their largest-ever Patriot League defeat.
Cermack helped sophomore Dickey emerge in 2018 as Dickey led the team in goals (54) and points (76) to earn first team All-League and second team All-Region. Despite missing the last seven games due to injury, Courtney Henig still finished second on the Mountain Hawks with 43 points (19 goals, team-leading 24 assists) and earned second team All-League despite the missed games. Henig’s 59 career assists are already seventh in school history. Four others recorded 29 or more points in 2018: Haley Wentzel (40), Kellie Gough (39), Julianne Puckette (30) and Olivia Kelly (29). Meanwhile, Dickey and Kayleen Kelly each broke the previous school record for draw controls in a season. Kelly broke (at the time), Lehigh’s single-game (10), season (86) and career (169) records for draw controls, while Dickey added 81, each shattering the previous school record of 47. Both Kayleen Kelly and Kierstyn Voiro were named All-Patriot League and Academic All-League, impressing on and off the field.
Cermack worked extensively with former Lehigh standout and current assistant coach Allison LaBeau and the Mountain Hawks’ offense in 2017, which saw six individuals record 25 or more points in 2017. Cermack helped LaBeau, who led the team with 91 points, turn into one of the nation's most prolific offensive players. Henig also emerged on the offensive end, posting 51 points in 2017 (22 goals, 29 assists). Julianne D’Orazio posted a career-high 36 goals and 42 points after just 21 goals and 24 points over her first two seasons combined. In 2017, the Mountain Hawks beat Bucknell 15-5 in the Patriot League Quarterfinals, marking the first time in school history Lehigh won a Patriot League tournament game in back-to-back seasons. LaBeau highlighted the victory, setting a Patriot League Tournament single-game record with 11 points, which included a record-tying six assists. LaBeau finished the year with a school-record 46 assists along with 91 points - second in school history. The Mountain Hawks went on to play a hard-fought game against Navy in the league semifinals, dropping a slim one-goal final against a Mids’ team that went on to beat Penn, UMass and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament to advance the Final Four.
Lehigh finished the 2016 season with a strong 13-5 record, including a 6-3 record in the Patriot League. The six league victories marked a school record while the Mountain Hawks hosted a league tournament game, and won a postseason contest, for the first time since 2010. Lehigh beat Colgate in the Patriot League quarterfinals to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011. LaBeau was named the league’s Attacker of the Year while D’Orazio and Kendall Garden were also named first team All-League, and Lauren Beausoleil garnered second team laurels. The Mountain Hawks earned a big road victory at Boston University while taking Loyola into overtime during the regular season, then playing a competitive back-and-forth game against the Greyhounds in the Patriot League Semifinals.
In her first season on the Lehigh sidelines, Cermack helped lead the Mountain Hawks to their second straight Patriot League Tournament. Along the way, Lehigh defeated eventual NEC Champion Bryant on the road while also topping Big Ten foe Rutgers in front of a nationally-televised audience. The Mountain Hawks hung tough against eventual Patriot League Champion and National Quarterfinalist Loyola, trailing by just three with 6:51 still remaining.
Individually, Lauren Willcox was named first team All-Patriot League for a second straight season, earning All-League honors for a third consecutive year. As a team, the Mountain Hawks finished 2015 with the league’s third-best goals against average (8.06) while leading the Patriot League in caused turnovers per game (9.71). Sukonik’s 42 goals were firth in the league while LaBeau’s 48 points stood eighth. Garden led the league with 31 caused turnovers.
Cermack enjoyed a standout career for the Blue Jays, posting 149 career points behind 98 goals and 51 assists capped off by a 59-point effort in 2014. Johns Hopkins finished 15-5 in a tremendous season that resulted in an NCAA Tournament appearance. Cermack was named an IWLCA All-American after her senior campaign.
A Ridgewood, New Jersey native, Cermack was also named first team All-American Conference, garnering first team Mid-Atlantic All-America laurels. In addition, she received the Blue Jays Unlimited Award given to the Johns Hopkins varsity senior athlete who most exemplifies the spirit of Blue Jays Unlimited by demonstrating team spirit and leadership, promoting team unity and morale, and enhancing the athletic experience of her teammates.
Cermack received several other awards and honors over her career, including second team All-Conference laurels as a junior and Johns Hopkins Midfielder of the Year as a sophomore.
Cermack has played for the Philadelphia Force in the United Women's Lacrosse League since the professional league's inaugural season in the summer of 2016.
Even before Lehigh, Cermack already owns extensive experience as a coach. She has worked for Stick2Stick Club Lacrosse, providing high-level lacrosse training for girls between ages 9-16. She was also a coach for STEPS Elite Lacrosse Club, coaching and mentoring two teams at the eighth grade levels. While at Johns Hopkins, she worked as a coach for the Blue Jay Elite Camp which included skill instruction and demonstrations for high level school aged participants.
Cermack graduated from Johns Hopkins in May of 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
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