PHILADELPHIA – The HEADstrong Philadelphia Girls Lacrosse Club has announced that Hannah Wszalek has been named the General Manager of the program, bringing a wealth of lacrosse experience in the local area to the role.
Recently named the ninth head coach of the Arcadia women’s lacrosse program, Wszalek spent eight seasons on staff at Drexel University, including serving as the head coach from 2013-2018. During her tenure at the helm of the Dragons, she led the program to 31 wins, including a 10-win season in 2016 with Drexel reaching the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) semifinals.
“I’m incredibly honored to be joining the HEADstrong organization and thankful for the opportunity to further Nick Colleluori’s legacy,” Wszalek said. “Nick’s story has been such an inspiration to me and so many in our Philly lacrosse community, and I look forward to building a girls program that emphasizes what Nick embodied – an unparalleled commitment to family and team, a relentless attitude and a passion for life.”
A native of West Chester, Pa., Wszalek oversaw the development of 13 All-CAA selections and a 2014 IWLCA Second-Team Regional All-American while at Drexel. Her program also won the CAA Team Academic Excellence Award in 2017 and 2018 while also establishing the Drexel women’s lacrosse alumnae committee and mentor network.
For the last two years, Wszalek has been in Japan, where she trained women’s lacrosse players of various ages and skill levels with several organizations, including Keio University, World Crosse, and Ohta Youth Lacrosse. She also assisted in roster construction and development of the World Lacrosse exhibition team, which played against American professional players in order to grow the game overseas.
A 2009 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she helped the Quakers to three-consecutive Ivy League championships and NCAA Final Four appearances during her career, including a trip to the championship game in 2008 in her junior season. Wszalek began her coaching career as an assistant at Marist during the 2010 season, helping them to a MAAC Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament that year.
Wszalek replaces Jessica Scannapieco, who stepped down to pursue another opportunity outside of Philadelphia.
“I’d like to thank Jessica for her contributions to the program over the last year,” HEADstrong Director of Sports Operations Tom Sinnott said. “We are incredibly excited to have someone of Hannah’s experience and knowledge leading the club into the future. She is a perfect fit to continue to grow the club while also furthering HEADstrong’s mission.”
A year-round program, HEADstrong Philadelphia Girls Lacrosse Club provides a personalized and individualized coaching environment for players in the 2022-2030 graduating classes in the Philadelphia Metro region. That includes fall team training sessions, fall tournament play, winter skill development sessions and summer team training and tournament play in addition to community service under the HEADstrong Foundation umbrella.