BALTIMORE – UMBC head women's lacrosse coach Mike Faith has announced the addition of two assistant coaches to his staff, former Retriever Maggie Chizmar '08 as well as Abby Sheklow.
 
Chizmar was a four-year standout at UMBC from 2004-08 and helped the program capture a share of its only America East Conference regular season title in 2006. She earned all-conference honors in both 2007, when she earned All-America East First Team honors, and 2008, when she was an All-America East Second Team selection.
 
"The opportunity to coach with Maggie is something we have always talked about since she got into college coaching," said Faith.  "I recruited her to play at UMBC in 2003 but didn't have a chance to coach her.  She is a great person, and I am grateful that she moved back home and wanted to join the staff here.  She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the defensive end of the field and is also great with the draw team.  Maggie also brings years of recruiting in the Baltimore area, which will give us an advantage when talking with the local high schools and club directors."
 
Prior to her return to Baltimore, Chizmar served as an assistant coach at VCU from August 2022 to August 2026, where she helped lead the Rams to a 13-5 season in 2026. VCU reached the Atlantic 10 championship game last season after an 8-1 record during the conference regular season.
 
Chizmar had previously served as an assistant coach at Babson College since 2019, where she helped lead the Beavers to the 2021 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Championship and a second-round appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
 
Chizmar was a two-time All-American East selection as a student-athlete at UMBC and boasts coaching experience at Johns Hopkins and with elite lacrosse club organizations, including Northeast Maryland Select and the Coppermine Lacrosse Club.
 
Prior to Babson, Chizmar spent more than 10 years with the Northeast Maryland Select (NEMS) Lacrosse Club. She served as a head coach with the club beginning in 2005 and has had more than 38 of her athletes go on to play at the collegiate level.
 
She also worked for the Coppermine Lacrosse Club from 2013-15 and spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the varsity girls' team at the John Carroll School. Chizmar also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Johns Hopkins University during the 2009 season.
 
Abby Sheklow joined the Stevenson women's lacrosse coaching staff as an assistant coach in the spring of 2026.
 
"I had the opportunity to coach with and get to know Abby last year at Stevenson," Faith stated. "I saw right from the first practice that she was born to coach.  She loves being on the field doing individuals, and she is great with social media.  Her hard work and dedication to the student-athletes last year proved that she was ready to take the next step, and I couldn't be happier to have her on staff with us this year.  

During her first season at Stevenson, Sheklow helped guide the Mustangs to a MAC Commonwealth Semifinal appearance while the program earned six All-MAC Commonwealth selections and three IWLCA All-Region honors.

Outside her collegiate coaching responsibilities, Sheklow has served as head coach for Rebels Lacrosse Club since September 2023. Under her leadership, the Rebels' 2029 team climbed more than 100 spots in the U.S. Club Lacrosse rankings during the fall of 2025.

Prior to arriving at Stevenson, Sheklow was the head coach at Damascus High School, where she compiled a 21-6 overall record. During her tenure, she mentored numerous student-athletes who earned All-Met, All-County, and All-Region recognition.

A former collegiate student-athlete, Sheklow was a four-year member of the women's lacrosse program at Albion College. She helped lead the Britons to two MIAA Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances while establishing herself as one of the program's all-time leaders, ranking in the top 10 in multiple statistical categories.
 
Maggie and Abby will do anything for the student-athletes, and the players will see that firsthand on September 8^th," Faith concluded. "UMBC is a special place, and we have coaches who will work extremely hard to get the team back to the NCAA tournament!"