CASTINE, Maine – David Keenan was introduced as the next Head Women's Lacrosse Coach at Maine Maritime Academy by Director of Athletics and outgoing Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, Steve Peed on Friday, June 21.
"I am beyond grateful and excited to be named as the Head Women's Lacrosse Coach at Maine Maritime Academy. I would like to thank Mr. Peed and the search committee for giving me this opportunity. MMA's outstanding academic reputation along with a young and promising women's lacrosse program provide an exciting option for women looking to excel in the classroom as well as on the lacrosse field."
Keenan comes to Castine following a highly successful five-year run as the Head Coach at St. Joseph's College of Maine where he produced an overall record of 60-13 (.822) and a conference record of 36-4 (.900). Keenan was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's (GNAC) Coach of the Year in 2023, one year after his team had captured the Monk's first GNAC championship since 2015.
Under Keenan's watch in 2022, the Monks posted a 20-1 record with a perfect 13-0 mark in GNAC play. St. Joseph's established numerous team records that season, including wins (20), points (510), shots (744), shots on goal (571), free-position goals (60), draw controls (330), and man-up goals (26). During his time in Standish, 27 Monks earned All-GNAC honors. He produced a conference player of the year, midfielder of the year, and offensive player of the year as well.
Keenan's successes are built upon the idea of curating a team of strong and serious students who happen to be passionate about playing lacrosse. Most importantly, they buy into the team's expectations and values, and are willing to provide support and encouragement to their teammates. The result of this proven formula is a team that loves to both play and spend time together, helping cement bonds that pay dividends on and off the field.
"Coach Keenan is an outstanding coach and leader of young people whose values align perfectly with my vision for this program and the Academy's vision for athletics," said Peed. "I have had the opportunity to compete against Coach Keenan very unsuccessfully over the last several years and I truly admired the way he and his athletes conducted themselves as both players and people."
Keenan, who joined the St. Joseph's women's lacrosse program as an assistant coach in the fall of 2018, has an impressive background - both playing and coaching - in the sport of lacrosse. He was instrumental in bringing girls' lacrosse to the Lakes Region, where he began with a small youth team, eventually building and running a full, thriving lacrosse program that served local girls from 3rd through 12th grade. In 2018, just the fourth year of his Lake Region High School Girls' Varsity program, his team won their first State Championship.
A Long Island native, Keenan was an All-American goalie at Bethpage High School and went on to earn a scholarship to play DI Lacrosse at North Carolina State University. After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Economics, he was drawn to Naples, Maine, where he started a successful small business which he owns to this day.
Keenan takes over an emerging lacrosse program at Maine Maritime that picked up its first North Atlantic Conference (NAC) postseason win in the 2022 season. The Mariners have produced the NAC Rookie of the Year in 2022 in Hazel Stoddard and 2023 in Rebecca Caron, who played for Keenan at Lake Region. The 2024 Mariners reset eight team records including goals in a season (230), assists in a season (122), and points in a season (352). The Mariners finished the year 30th in NCAA Division III in points per game. Stoddard became the first Mariner to tally 100 points in a season. She reset four individual season records and four individual game records on her way to becoming the NAC's Co-Player of the Year. Aubrey Mitchell was named the NAC Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year. Stoddard was an All-NAC First Team selection along with first-year attack, Lilly Diversi. Mitchell became the Mariner's first representative in the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game and was an All-NAC Second Team selection alongside first-year attack, Bella Scolaro.
The transition to Keenan's leadership of the program is underway. Prospective students athletes who would like to be recruited by Coach Keenan should fill out the questionnaire located here: https://marinersports.org/sports/2022/8/3/womens-lacrosse-recruiting-questionnaire
