Jen Johnson, a former three-time All-American at Penn State, enters her second season as assistant coach under head coach Jenny Graap looking to build upon Cornell's already winning tradition. Her experience on the field and the sidelines will be instrumental in the Big Red's bid for a second consecutive NCAA appearance.
The second-year assistant helped the Big Red to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2001, finishing the year with an 11-4 record and a third-place finish in the Ivy League. Johnson was instrumental in the development of two Cornell All-Americans (Jaimee Reynolds and Katie McCorry) as the Big Red finished ranked 12th in the nation in the final Brine/IWLCA poll.
Johnson played four years of lacrosse at Penn State and led the Nittany Lions in overall scoring her senior (70 points) and junior (73 points) years. She also had a team-high 49 goals in 1998 and led again in 1999 with 47 goals. Jen finished her career ranked among the top 10 all-time at Penn State in goals scored (136), assists (64) and overall points (200). The team's captain as a senior, she received first-team All-America honors after leading the squad to a 15-5 overall record and a trip to the NCAA tournament, advancing to the semifinals. She received second-team honors in 1998 and third-team honors in 1997, and she was a first-team regional All-America pick for three seasons with the Nittany Lions. In her four years at Penn State, Jen played in every lacrosse game, and she completed her collegiate career with a trip to the North/South All-Star game in May 1999.
Johnson served as a volunteer assistant at Penn State while she finished her degree requirements. The Lions were ranked in the top 10 early in the season and finished the year ranked 14th nationally. She received her bachelor of science degree in kinesiology in May 2000.
A native of Brooklin, Ont., Johnson was the captain of the Canadian Under-19 National Team that placed fourth at the 1995 World Cup Championships. Johnson made her mark as the leading scorer of the tournament. While playing for Anderson High School, she led her team to three consecutive regional titles, serving as the team's captain as both a junior and a senior. She has played for the elite Ontario Provincial Team for the past eight years.
Johnson is currently a member of the Canadian National Team and served as co-captain for the World Cup squad that finished fourth this past summer in High Wycombe, England.
