Phone: 814-865-8146 | Email: tmr130@psu.edu
Tara (Rowlyk) Hohenshelt ’97 enters her second year in her current stint as assistant coach of the Nittany Lions for the 2018-19 season, returning to Happy Valley after spending the previous five seasons as a high school head coach in Virginia.
In 2018, the Nittany Lions made an NCAA Tournament appearance for the seventh straight year. The blue and white went 10-10 and reached the Big Ten Championship game after going 3-3 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions knocked off four ranked opponents, including two Top 10 wins.
Penn State tied a team record with 303 goals on the season, with 62 by Madison Carter and 54 by Maria Auth. Carter was one of three IWLCA All-America selections, earning a Second Team honor. She was joined by senior Katie O'Donnell (First Team) and Kayla Brisolari (Third Team). O'Donnell became the program's first Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and finished fourth all-time at Penn State for goals (203) and sixth for points (227). Brisolari, Carter and O'Donnell all collected All-Big Ten and All-Region honors.
From 2014-17, Hohenshelt served as the head women’s lacrosse coach at Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, Virginia. During her time as head coach, she led the team to three-consecutive Virginia 4A South Region Championships from 2014-16 and a pair of State Semifinal appearances and a runner-up finish in 2015. Hohenshelt was twice named Conference and Region Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017 as well as earning US Lacrosse Virginia-Charlottesville Coach of the Year in 2017. Hohenshelt coached 21 All-State honorees and two Charlottesville Conference Players of the Year during her time at Western Albemarle.
Prior to her time at Western Albemarle, Hohenshelt helped the Covenant School in Charlottesville, Va. capture the 2013 VISAA Division II girls lacrosse State Championship and was named Coach of the Year during her lone season as head coach. Hohenshelt also coached the VISAA Division II girls lacrosse Player of the Year along with five All-State honorees during that 2013 season.
Hohenshelt’s began her coaching career at Princeton helping guide the Tigers to the 1998 NCAA quarterfinals before spending one season as the head coach at Centenary College in 1999. Hohenshelt then joined the Nittany Lions in September of 1999.
Hohenshelt spent 13 seasons as an assistant at Penn State including her final two under current head coach Missy Doherty. During that time Penn State qualified for the NCAA Tournament on three occasions. Hohenshelt coached 16 IWLCA All-Americans, 29 IWLCA All-Region Honorees, 47 All-Conference members and three conference Goalkeeper of the Year honorees including one NCAA Division I Goalkeeper of the Year.
As a player, Hohenshelt, was a four-year defender at Penn State helping lead the Lions to the 1995 NCAA National Semifinals and the quarterfinals in both 1996 and 1997. The Ridley Park, Pa. native also served as tri-captain during her senior season and was a two-time IWLCA Division I Academic All-American. The former Tara Rowlyk graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education-Mathematics. She currently resides in State College, Pa. with her husband Dennis and three children, Jacob, Reese and Axl.