The Ithaca College women’s lacrosse team’s 24–0 win against Bard College on April 7 was not too different from any other game the team might play during the season. But for head coach Karrie Moore, the win signified her 100th career victory.
This win made Moore just the second coach in program history to hit the 100-win mark and doing it in record time, as Andrea Golden won 118 career games as head coach between 1981 and 1995. For Moore, who has been the coach since the 2016 season, the milestone was on her radar but not something she was focused on coming into the season.
“I knew it was gonna be soonish,” Moore said. “I wasn’t really paying attention to exactly when it was, but I knew I knew that it would happen at some point this season.”
While Moore was not focused on the milestone, her players definitely anticipated it. Senior goalkeeper Kayla Howley said that in the post-game huddle after the Bombers beat Bard, the players stepped in and congratulated Moore on her 100th win. Howley said it seemed to shock Moore, but left her with a smile nevertheless.
Graduate student defender Rachel Rosenberg said the team was not focused on the number, but when it started to become clearer that Moore would hit it soon, the players started planning how to celebrate their coach.
“We had talked to the team that if we win that game that it was gonna be [Moore’s] 100th win,” Rosenberg said. “So I think, like, there was really good energy, everyone was saying let’s win this game for coach and get this 100th win for her. We had a card for her and balloons and everything. We were just really hoping that we would come out with a win and be able to celebrate with her.”
While Moore wrapped up her 100th victory against Bard, the Bombers had the opportunity to do the same the weekend before, but a loss to Union College meant that the celebration had to be delayed by a game. Howley said that the team was made aware of the opportunity to once again get Moore’s 100th win and that they were not going to let her down.
“Our assistant coach was the one that texted us and was like, ‘Hey, I don’t think [Moore] knows this, but she could’ve hit her 100th win last week, [so] let’s get that done this Friday,’” Howley said. “[Before the game against Bard], we were like, ‘Let’s go out there and play for each other. Let’s all play for coach.’”
To reach 100 wins requires more than just being a good coach. Rosenberg said Moore cares about everyone on the team, which has helped build great relationships between Moore and all the players.
Howley reiterated that same sentiment, saying Moore finds a way to get the very best out of everyone while at the same time building chemistry with the team.
“She is one of the best, if not the best, coaches that I’ve ever played under,” Howley said. “She somehow manages to really push each and every one of us, be hard enough, but at the same time, she always has our backs, so it’s all out of love and her wanting the best for us.”
On top of what has made Moore special on the field as a coach is her connection to them off the field. Howley said that Moore has a bond with the team that has helped the Bombers form a more cohesive unit. Howley said that because of Moore’s outstanding coaching and team building, it does not come as a surprise that Moore has reached this milestone.
“She has created a culture and a team that I’ve never been a part of,” Howley said. “It’s honestly like no other, and I think that’s why we have been and are as successful as we are. She knows how to bring a team in … and it’s no surprise that she has 100 wins.”
Despite the personal milestone, Moore emphasized that her success falls not onto her shoulders, but on the play and success of the players that she has coached while with the Bombers.
“I think for me, I think back to all the players who have been part of those wins,” Moore said. “[I think about] how much fun they were to coach, and the teams that we put together. And for me, it becomes more about that. What that journey looked like [and] all the players we had that put in the work to get to that.”
Even with a program record on Moore’s horizon — as she nears the most wins in program history — she said she does not want to think about the next milestone, instead keeping her attention on the season at hand.
“I’m very focused on going one game at a time,” Moore said. “I think when you get too focused on big things, then you lose sight of everything else. You take care of the details that are right in front of you. So we’re just gonna keep focusing on that. And we know that if we do that, then good things will come our way.”
Sports Editor Aidan Charde contributed reporting to this story.
