Carissa Medeiros, who has won Division II national championships as both a player and assistant coach, enters her fifth season at the helm of the Bentley University women’s lacrosse program in 2012.

Medeiros led Bentley to the Northeast-10 Conference playoffs in each of her first three seasons and has established the program as one of the most competitive in the region and one that is one the rise nationally. She’s compiled a 28-15 record in the NE-10 and is 36-34 overall since her first season in 2008. Her players have earned eight All-Conference selections from the NE-10 and two have been named All-Rookie.

Not only have Medeiros’ teams been successful on the field, but they have excelled off it. The 2011 Falcons were one of 16 Division II schools to earn Academic Squad honors from the IWLCA for compiling a team grade point average of 3.22 during the 2010-11 academic year.

Medeiros, 30, spent three years as an assistant coach at Stonehill from 2004-06. She helped her alma mater win the NCAA Division II national championship in 2005 and three straight NE-10 championships.

“My first reaction upon meeting Carissa was that I’ve never been so impressed with a person and the recommendations that followed her justify that,” athletics director Bob DeFelice said upon her hiring. “We’re thrilled to be able to get someone with her background and ability to lead our women’s lacrosse program.”

In her playing days, Medeiros was an All-America goalkeeper at Stonehill. As a senior in 2003, she led Stonehill to its first national championship and was named MVP of the NE-10 Tournament along the way. She was also named Goalie of the Year by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association after posting the second best goals against average in Division II at 6.17 and the seventh best save percentage at .573. As a junior, she was named the ECAC Division II Goalie of the Year.

Medeiros is also Stonehill’s all-time leader in saves (479) and is second in career save percentage (.586).

Medeiros graduated cum laude from Stonehill in 2003, where she majored in psychology with a minor concentration in criminal justice. She went on to earn a Masters degree in general psychology from Boston University in 2005. In addition to her coaching duties, she also performs brain imaging research at McLean Hospital in Belmont and teaches at Endicott College.

A native of New Bedford, Medeiros currently resides in Wakefield.