In four months, Dartmouth women’s lacrosse assistant coach Shea Dolce was drafted by the Boston Guard in the Women’s Lacrosse League’s inaugural collegiate draft, graduated from Boston College, started her job as an assistant coach of the Dartmouth women’s lacrosse team and won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, where she was named Player of the Match in the final game. Now, Dolce is getting ready to start training with the Big Green in the fall while working toward a big goal of her own: making the cut to represent the United States at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The Dartmouth sat down with Dolce to discuss her career, the Championship and her aspirations.
You’ve had an exciting few months. How are you feeling?
SD: It’s been great. I’m so grateful to have had the experiences that I did in college, and then to be able to come out and get going with Dartmouth and be able to play with the U.S. team and have the experiences, like going to Tokyo, was incredible and truly just like a really really cool summer.
How did you get started in lacrosse?
SD: I actually didn’t start until middle school, like sixth grade or seventh grade. I lived in Chicago, which is not a hot-head area for lacrosse, and then my dad’s job took us to Connecticut. So I moved to Fairfield County and started then. I would say probably around eighth grade is when I became serious about it, knowing that this could probably take me far. Playing lacrosse in college was a big goal of mine, so I’d say eighth grade was when I started to realize I could play in college.
What was the job recruiting process like, and how did you end up at Dartmouth?
SD: The job process to get to college coaching is different every year as new spots open up, so you have to go in with an open mind. Dartmouth wasn’t originally on my list of places I could see myself, and then [Dartmouth women’s lacrosse head coach] Alex McFadden reached out, and I really had a great time talking to her and learning about Dartmouth. It’s such a prestigious school with a lot of history and culture and a great lacrosse program. I knew I wanted to stay in the Northeast somewhere. It’s an amazing school, amazing program and a lot of really good young talent.
The coaching staff was a big part of my decision. Alex was incredibly open, welcoming and just great in the whole process. I really enjoyed talking to her out of all the coaches, and I really saw myself potentially at a school like Dartmouth. I couldn’t be happier with what I chose.
What was the recruiting process like for the women’s national team?
SD: The tryout of the women’s senior team was a two-year process. Going back two years, I attended training camps. You just try to showcase your lacrosse, build connections, build chemistry, play with people and show who you could play with, and I really enjoyed all of the training camps. They’re really strenuous — you play two-a-day practices. My favorite part about it all was just meeting the girls and building those relationships that I already had, but also strengthening them.
The camp leading into the World Championship was a long one, but it was really fun because each training camp, we were trying to get better, build chemistry and really trying to create the best team that they’d ever had, and I think we did a really awesome job of doing that.
What would you say is your favorite memory from Tokyo?
SD: On the field, definitely the gold medal game. We were playing lacrosse in front of so many fans, it was incredible the way Tokyo showed out, just to watch lacrosse. We had the other teams there watching, and a lot of people from the U.S., but to see the locals come out and watch us was incredible, and it felt like I was playing in a national championship game back in the States.
Off the field, we went to the fish market one day, which is a really iconic spot in Tokyo, and we were just given the chance to shop around, walk around and try a million new foods. It was a really, really fun, really cool experience because we got to really embrace the culture and the tradition of Tokyo.
You were part of the Boston College team that won the NCAA championship in 2024. How would you compare a collegiate win to a World Championship win? How do collegiate and professional lacrosse compare and differ?
SD: They’re so different, but similar in a way. What’s similar is the competitiveness and the stakes and what’s on the line and how you show up in one of those big games. But they’re so different. In college you’re training every single day and you’re really grinding all spring long. With the World Championship you’re together for two weeks, and that’s about it. You get together for a training camp leading into the tournament, but besides the tournament, you’re only with each other for a total of nine days out of the whole year. It’s a very different style of preparation. It’s more so, what are you going to do on your own to further yourself, and do what you can for the team to win? Versus in college, it’s a different level of chemistry and camaraderie. There’s the constant goal, every day, of winning a national championship, and every year it’s always going to be the same. But with the U.S. team, your goal is going to change.
Going pro was really different from college. I did the jump really fast. As a goalie, it was just a faster game, a lot more shots. It’s just something I had to adapt to. I would say it really did take me all four games in the Women’s Lacrosse League to feel like I was in my groove. I think that’s just a part of the process, experiencing it and getting games under my belt as a rookie was like the biggest thing. It was a different style than college. It was faster, it was quicker and everyone’s good. It really tests you as a player, and it tests your team. It creates such a competitive environment that is really going to skyrocket over the next five to 10 years.
What are your plans for the next few years?
SD: Dartmouth is going to play a huge part in my path to the Olympics. I wanted to stay in coaching because it gave me the opportunity to be around the sport more, not only to coach but to also play myself. I’m already excited to get shots from Madeline Egan ’29, and some of the other girls have texted me that they’re excited to shoot.
I’m obviously really excited about my time at the tournament, and I told Alex that a big part of my next couple years is my goal of the Olympics, and she’s on board with that. It’s really nice to hear that coming from a head coach. She knows that I’m going to be working with her and helping coach at Dartmouth, but she also wants to support me in the process and timeline of the Olympics. That’s what’s on my mind and what I’m going to be gunning for. Along the process, I’ll be able to focus on coaching at Dartmouth and still playing and being around the girls, which I’m really excited about.
Do you have any advice for current student athletes?
SD: Make sure to take care of yourself. It's really hard to balance Division I sports and academics and the pressures of that. There are a million things going on in your life, and then you’re expected to show up and play your sport. The biggest thing from my experience is to take care of yourself, knowing you need to ask for help, and really prioritize what’s going to make you feel your best and make you happy. You’re only so good at what you do when you’re feeling your best, whether that’s in the classroom or on the field. Putting your best foot forward stems from recognizing when you might need to take a step back or when you need to dedicate more time to your mental health.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Tierney Flavin ’28 is a reporter and editor. She is from Kansas City, Mo. and plans to major in Government and Sociology.
