McKenna Gernander ’21 joined the Nichols College women’s lacrosse program as an assistant coach at the start of the 2022 campaign.
The 2022 campaign was a banner year for the Bison as they won a program-record 11 games while setting single-season records for assists (65), ground balls (500), caused turnovers (192), shots (501), and goals against average (GAA) (10.04). Three student-athletes – Hadley Houghton, McKenzie Muir, and Erin Anthony – received CCC All-Conference honors while another nine were named to the CCC Academic All-Conference Team. Nichols qualified for the conference playoffs for the first time since 2011.
A 2021 graduate of Nichols College, Gernander appeared in 34 games for the Bison from 2018-21 and was a three-time Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Academic All-Conference selection (2019-21).
The Coleraine, Minnesota native had her most production season in 2021, when she tied for the team lead in goals and led the Bison in points during an abbreviated five-game campaign due to COVID-19. She picked up her first collegiate hat trick against Curry on April 24, 2021.
Gernander was also a four-year member and two-year captain of the women’s ice hockey program at Nichols. She was named to the Colonial Hockey Conference (CHC) Second Team in 2019-20 and graduated No. 10 in points with 32.
