Sara Tisdale - Lacrosse Coach - Central Michigan University Athletics

Photo by: Ike Han

Sara Tisdale

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
CMUwlacrosse@cmich.edu
Phone:
(517) 285-2705

In six years, Sara Tisdale has put Central Michigan lacrosse on solid ground, taking the program from its infancy to a consistently competitive program.

In 2021, Tisdale successfully guided CMU through its inaugural season in the Mid-American Conference, posting a 7-2 record in league play, good enough for a second-place finish. Facing the most rigorous nonconference slate in its six-year existence, CMU captured its biggest win in program history when it knocked off Oregon, 12-11, in overtime.

Senior Natalie Karlen emerged as one of the nation's top offensive weapons in 2021, rewriting the Central Michigan single-season and career record book en route to earning MAC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MAC honors. Three other players -- Brennan Paddy, Tyra Prince and Brianna Hart -- received first team all-league recognition while Audrey Whiteside, Jillian Baldwin and Sierra Savage were named to the second team.

Tisdale led the CMU Chippewas to a 2-3 finish in the abbreviated 2020 season as they closed with a 14-11 home victory over Stetson. Though the season lasted just three weeks, four Chippewas earned individual weekly honors from the Southern Conference.

Tisdale, a Michigan native and CMU alumna, saw her very first recruiting class graduate in 2019. That group of 11 seniors boldly embraced the monumental task of joining Tisdale as freshmen in 2016 and building the fledgling program; by 2018 they were champions, claiming the SoCon regular season title for the program’s first trophy.

In 2019, the Chippewas set program records for goals (232), points (330), shots (517), shots on goal (397), draw controls (241) and saves (202) as Tisdale’s program further took hold and made its second consecutive appearance in the SoCon Tournament. Senior Jocelyne Lemay, part of the nucleus of Tisdale’s first class, was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2018, Tisdale guided the Chippewas to an 11-7 finish including 4-1 in the SoCon as CMU claimed the league regular-season championship. The 2018 season was marked by myriad highlights, including a program-record six-game win streak, which came during a span in which the Chippewas won nine of 10.

As the program has grown, so too has recognition of the Chippewas’ individual accomplishments. CMU has boasted 10 first team all-conference selections among 33 total all-league postseason honorees in six seasons of competition.

The success of the Chippewa lacrosse program has not been limited to the field. CMU has thrived in the classroom under Tisdale, earning a combined 67 Southern Conference academic honors, including the Commissioner’s Medal, the Honor Roll and membership on the All-SoCon Spring Academic Team in the two years that CMU was a conference member. For the 2021 season, a total of 17 members were named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team.

In addition, CMU has been named an Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Honor Squad in each of its six seasons of varsity lacrosse, and seven Chippewas were honored individually by the IWLCA for their respective academic achievements in 2021.

Tisdale was named the first lacrosse coach in CMU history in July 2014. Tasked with constructing the program from the ground up, she built a solid first recruiting class around the likes of Lemay, Dominique Hamman, Anna Schoonover and Logan Halvorson.

Competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference for their first two seasons, the Chippewas put together respectable finishes, posting a 6-10 record in 2016 and a 7-10 mark in ’17, despite a roster composed almost exclusively of underclassmen.

Lemay was named to the All-Atlantic Sun First Team in 2017, becoming the first Chippewa to earn all-league first team recognition, while teammate Emma Hamilton received the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year Award.

Tisdale, who earned a bachelor’s degree in education from CMU in 2006, sports a track record of success in leading a brand new program.

In 2010, she was named the first women’s lacrosse coach in the history of Augustana (Ill.) College. Tisdale led the Vikings to a combined 51-8 record over three seasons including a 19-1 slate in 2013, when they won the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The league tournament title was Augustana's second consecutive. Tisdale earned league coach of the year honors and was named Great Lakes Region coach of the year by the IWLCA.

The Vikings outscored their opponents, 355-137, and led all Division III schools in two statistical categories: scoring margin (plus 10.9 per game) and total points (goals plus assists) with 576. The Vikings' winning percentage (.950) was third best out of 257 Division III programs.

Tisdale played club lacrosse at CMU and coached the Michigan State women's club team from 2008-10.