BOSTON, Mass. – Taylor Bastien (North Kingstown, R.I.) has been named Simmons College Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, it was announced today by Director of Athletics, Ali Kantor. 

We are very excited to have Taylor Bastien join Simmons College Athletics staff as our Head Women's Lacrosse Coach," said Kantor. "Taylor's collegiate and professional experience at the Division II level in addition to her passion for the game of lacrosse, poise and dynamic background make her an ideal fit for Simmons." 

Bastien takes over the helm for the Sharks following an extremely successful stint as Assistant Coach with NCAA Division II University of Bridgeport, where she helped the Purple Knights post the best season in school history. Bastien was involved in all major aspects of the program, mainly focusing on the squad's attack, which averaged nearly 13 goals per game to contribute to the team's 12-4 record – an eight-game turnaround from the previous campaign. 

Prior to her time on the sidelines as a coach, Bastien was a standout for Division II Bentley University, where she earned Northeast-10 All-Conference honors, while leading the Falcons in scoring in her final two years of competition. The former attacker currently ranks third on Bentley's career points list and is second in lifetime assists. A Captain for the Falcons, she concluded her career by playing in the prestigious Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association North/South Senior All-Star Game. 

Bastien graduated from Bentley in 2013 with a degree in Management and a minor in Sports Management and added an MBA in Marketing the following year at her alma mater. The Rhode Island native put her degrees to good use, serving as an intern with the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, Harvard University Athletics and the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League. In addition, Bastien spent the previous year as a Statistics Analyst with ESPN. 

Bastien currently resides in North Kingstown, R.I.