Leadership
In Emily's Words:
Emily Hawryschuk, Program Director
We are proud to welcome Emily Hawryschuk to the ACES Lacrosse family as Program Director. Emily will be leading the ACES program to our next generation of development and top level competition as we continue to elevate Upstate New York as one of the premier regions in the country for lacrosse.
In this role, Emily is responsible for team growth, coaching hiring and development, expanded program offerings that open opportunities across in other regions Upstate NY, overall program coordination, and partnering with Go2 to manage the back end operations.
Heidi Rothfuss will work closely with Emily as she leads Youth levels Program Development. Similarly, Brent Rothfuss will work closely with Emily in his role as College Recruiting Director.
Emily Hawryschuk, a native of Victor, New York, is a standout figure in the world of lacrosse, recognized for both her elite playing career and her commitment to advancing the sport. Emily left her mark as an Attacker and Draw Specialist at Syracuse University, as Syracuse’s all-time leading goal scorer, two-time IWCA All-American, three-time First Team All-ACC selection and the three-time Tewaaraton Watch list selection. Emily distinguished herself as one of the most dynamic offensive players in program history, known for her scoring ability, field vision, and leadership on and off the field.
Emily is now a professional women’s lacrosse player for the WLL’s NY Charging, and captain of the U.S. Women’s Box Lacrosse team where she led the team to an unprecedented milestone in 2024, earning a gold medal in international competition. Emily also secured a gold medal at the Super Sixes tournament in Oshawa, Canada, in October 2023 with the U.S. Women's Sixes team.
Emily is the founder of 51 Stars Lacrosse, an organization dedicated to developing the next generation of female lacrosse players through on & off-field skills-based training, and Assistant Coach at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Hawryschuk holds a Masters of Business Administration, a Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises, a Bachelor of Science in Finance & Accounting, along with a Certificate of Advanced Study in Intercollegiate Advising & Support.
Off the lacrosse field , Emily takes pride in being the eldest sister to her siblings, Alison, Joey and Mason as well as the cousin to Peyton and Sydney Rothfuss.
Erica Capozzi
Erica Capozzi lives in Penfield, NY with her husband, Pat, and their two daughters, Jenna (‘25 – Fairfield University 2029) and Elise (‘27). Erica has served as a Director with ACES since 2019, focusing on program-wide initiatives, organizational growth, and supporting families throughout the college recruiting process.
A native of Whiteboro, NY, Erica graduated from Rome Catholic High School before continuing her athletic career at Alfred University, where she was recruited to play basketball. After her freshman year, she transitioned to lacrosse and became a starting defensive midfielder and team captain in 1999. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic Training.
Heidi Rasmussen, Director of Youth Development
Heidi Rasmussen is a lifelong member of the Rochester lacrosse community and a former standout player at Penn State University, where she earned her degree in Kinesiology after playing Division I lacrosse.
A physical education teacher in the Pittsford school district, Heidi served as the varsity lacrosse coach at Pittsford for 13 years, leading her teams to two sectional championships, multiple state semifinal appearances, and a trip to the state finals.
In 2016, Heidi was inducted into the Rochester Chapter of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame and later became a certified US Lacrosse instructor and coaching educator. Today, she remains deeply involved in youth lacrosse development through camps, clinics, and year-round training focused on skill development, fundamentals, and growing the love of the game.
Brent Rothfuss, Director of Recruiting
Coach Brent started Aces in January 2017 to provide an opportunity for young lacrosse players to accelerate their skill development and passion for the game.
Brent graduated from Penfield High School in 1993, winning two Sectional titles (‘92 and ‘93) while serving as team captain. He went on to play 4 years of Varsity Lacrosse at Nazareth College, and lead the Golden Flyers to National Championships in 1996 and 1997 as team captain.
After college, Brent played for 3 years in the National Lacrosse League for the Rochester Knighthawks and Columbus Landsharks. After that, he played 5 seasons of Major League Lacrosse with the Boston Cannons and Rochester Rattlers.
Brent began coaching girls lacrosse first as a youth coach in Pittsford, and then as a varsity assistant, helping the Varsity Team win their first Sectional Titles in school history. Now, his efforts are devoted to directing and coaching the Aces Program to help grow the game as well as develop the next generation of girls lacrosse players in the Upstate New York area. He has two daughters Peyton (2026) and Sydney (2029) who play in the Aces Program.