CAROLINA CRUSH STAFF
Melissa LaDez, Co-Founder/Head Coach - CW Post
Coach Melissa grew up in West Babylon, N.Y. where she started playing lacrosse at 8 years old. She played for West Babylon High School, where she garnered All-County accolades her senior year as a defender. Melissa then went on to play at C.W. Post, one of the top ranked Division II schools in the country. She made appearances in 3 National Championships during her time at C.W. Post, and is a proud member of the 2007 National Championship team. After completing her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Post, she traveled to Australia as a member of the U.S. Red team , capping off her playing career with a silver medal at the Down Under Cup. Melissa then returned to C.W. Post to obtain her Master's degree in School Counseling. She has served as the Head Varsity Coach at Independence High School for the past two seasons, and looks forward to providing girls in the Charlotte area the same opportunity to learn and grow that she was provided.
Sandy Barnett, Co-Founder/Operations - Buffalo State
Sandy, a Buffalo native, is a long time fan of lacrosse and the opportunities that are reflected in team sports. Her passion is to grow the game of lacrosse in the SE Charlotte area, and raise the level of play for all athletes at the local middle & high school level. She currently serves as the Southern Towns Commissioner for Mecklenburg County Parks & Rec, Chair of the South Advisory Council, Former Chair of the Town of Mint Hill Parks & Rec , Board Secretary of Matthews Charter Academy, co-founder of Independence HS Lacrosse program and owner of Target Market NC, LLC.
Anicia Ocasio, Youth & Women's Coach - Wingate University
Anicia Ocasio is a 2019 graduate of Wingate University where she contributed on and off the field as a defender and staff member for the Women's Lacrosse team. Prior to college, Anicia was also a standout defender at Independence HS and strong academic student and leader on and off the field.
Jeff Tibbs, Women's Coach
Coach Jeff is the current assistant coach for Independence High School Women's varsity lacrosse. He brings a positive energy and excitement to our staff and helps the players improve their performance on and off the field.
Ariel Walker, Women's Coach - Belmont Abbey College
Ariel Walker, former midfielder/attacker for Belmont Abbey College, goes into her first year (2016-17) as Head Coach for the Women's Varsity Lacrosse at Porter Ridge High School. Walker was a four year starter who assisted the Belmont Abbey Women's Lacrosse team in making it to the Conference Carolinas Championship all four year she attended. She earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology while at the Abbey. Her passion for the game has led her to coach at various camps and clinics for the Cheetah Lacrosse Club, Mountain Island, and most recently Turn and Burn Lacrosse. Walker is a native of Knoxville, TN where she started playing at the age of 13 and later captained the Cheetah Lacrosse Club. She current volunteers weekly fo rthe Alexander Youth Network, and plays for the 5th nationally ranked Charlotte Rugby Club.
Natalie Barnett, Women's Coach - Presbyterian College
Natalie is a 2019 graduate of Presbyterian College; Big South Division 1 Conference. As starter midfielder for 4 years, she garnered 63 points (50 goals and 13 assists) during her time on the field. She was named to the Big South All Academic Team in 2019, Provost List Scholar with a major in Bio-Chemistry with plans to become a PA. Natalie was a former 4x captain, 3x scholar athlete, and 3x MVP midfielder of Independence HS Lacrosse. She is also former US Lacrosse All American Academic and 2014 member of the North Carolina national lacrosse team.
Lilly McConathy,Youth Coach - Mars Hill University
Current defender at Mars Hill University, Lilly is majoring in nursing and has been playing lacrosse for 7 years. She brings youth experience to our team as a 3 year YMCA swim instructor and summer day care worker.
