Head coach Brittany Frankenfeld named Rachel Benzing as the first assistant coach of Maryville’s inaugural women’s lacrosse team. The team will begin competition in the spring of 2019.
“I am extremely honored and lucky to have this opportunity,” Benzing said. “Not only is this a once in a lifetime chance to build a program from the ground up, but I have the pleasure of doing it alongside a great friend and dedicated member of the lacrosse community.”
Benzing comes to Maryville after graduating from Lindenwood University in 2017. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and a minor in nutrition. In addition to coaching at Maryville, she has joined the team at St. Louis Samurai to help grow girl’s lacrosse in the Midwest.
During her two seasons with the Lindenwood Lions, Benzing was a two-time All-American, earning first-team honors in 2017 and third team in 2016. She was also named first-team All-Region (South) in 2017 and second team in 2016. Additionally, she earned first-team All-RMAC honors during both seasons and was named the 2017 RMAC Offensive Player of the Year. In 2017, she was honored as an IWLCA Senior All-Star, named to the RMAC All-Academic Team, and voted the Lindenwood Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Year.
Upon her first season at Lindenwood, Benzing was ranked second on the team with 61 points. She had a season-high six goals against St. Leo, a team-high seven points against CSU-Pueblo, and also recorded at least a point in all sixteen of her starts. She ended the season with fourteen consecutive multi-point games, recorded four goals and the game winner in the NCAA quarterfinals versus Queens. Benzing notched a goal and an assist in the NCAA semifinal game against Florida Southern.
In 2017, Benzing led the team in both points (65) and assists (32). She led the Lions offense to her second and the team’s fourth NCAA Final Four appearance, where she put up two points for the second consecutive year. She concluded her collegiate career ranked second of all-time in Lindenwood history in assists per game, third all-time in total assists, and fourth all-time in both points per game and man-up goals during just two seasons with the Lions. Additionally, she is ranked second (2017) and fourth (2016) in single-season assists per game, third (2017) and fifth (2016) in assists, and top five in man-down goals, points per game, and man-up goals. She finished her career at Lindenwood with an overall record of 38-5 and remains undefeated at home.
Prior to Lindenwood, Benzing played Division 1 lacrosse at UMBC. She tallied a point in every contest she saw playing time in as a freshman, including her first collegiate goal against number one ranked Maryland. As a sophomore, she recorded her first collegiate start against Maryland and proceeded to earn a number five ranking in the America East conference in assists per game. She led the team in assists in 2014 and posted seven multiple-point games.
The Baltimore native lettered in lacrosse at Centennial High School before joining UMBC. Her mother, Laurie Linnell Benzing, lettered in both basketball and lacrosse at UMBC and still ranks fourth all-time at UMBC in points with 187.
