alpine skiing Coaches

Willi Steinrotter was named the Alpine Ski coach at St. Lawrence in the spring of 2009.  During his tenure, he has continued to grow the program into one of the best in the Northeast.  He coached his first collegiate All-American in 2011, when Ashley-Kate Durham '13 finished in third place overall at the NCAA Championships.  Steinrotter then had three skiers earn bids to the 2012 NCAA Championships, the most in a season in program history.

Steinrotter also works with the Saint soccer programs as an assistant coach.  He came to St. Lawrence after serving as the head men's soccer coach at Clarkson for 19 years, becoming the winningest coach in the program's history.  He coached his 1993 Empire Athletic Association championship team to the NCAA Division III semifinals and his 1998 team lost in overtime to St. Lawrence in the regional final.  He had two national All America team members during his Clarkson tenure and 12 regional All America selections. He was 1993 EAA and NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year in soccer.

Steinrotter, a 1989 graduate of Hobart and a skier/coach on the Hobart and William Smith club ski teams while in college, has the most wins as a coach in Clarkson soccer history in a 19-year career as coach of that sport and has taken several of his alpine ski teams to the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboarding Association national championships.

Alex Norden, a 2010 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, joined the Saints staff as the assistant alpine ski coach in the fall of 2012. 

Alex was a four-year member of the Wildcats varsity alpine ski team, captaining the squad in 2009.  She also participated in track and field at UNH where she earned NCAA All-Academic honors.

After graduating from UNH, Norden was an assistant ski coach at Killington Mountain School in Vermont for two years.  Also an outdoor educator, she has served as an activities counselor at Rippleffect in Casco Bay, Maine. 

The Conway, NH native graduated with a B.S. in psychology with a minor in sports studies. 

Al Gotsch, a former Associate Director of Admissions, will continue to serve as the 2012-2013 Faculty/Staff Mentor to both the alpine ski and women's soccer teams.

A graduate and former soccer player at Potsdam State, Gotsch has lived in the North Country for most of his life. He is an avid squash player and enjoys both reading and traveling.

"St. Lawrence University is the 'Gem of the Adirondacks.' What impresses me the most about this University is not only the numerous opportunities to explore, learn and travel, but the feeling of community and family that the students, faculty and staff share with one another. The bottom line: SLU is a fun and exciting place to work." -- Al Gotsch

Chad Tessier, an Associate Director of Major Gifts, will serve as a Faculty/Staff Mentor for the Alpine ski team in 2010-2011.

A 1993 alumnus of St. Lawrence University, Tessier enjoys playing sports including basketball and lacrosse. He's also an avid hiker and runner.

"My favorite thing about St. Lawrence is the people. I grew up in a small town and attended a fairly small school. When I came to St. Lawrence I never felt like I was lost in the crowd. The faculty and staff really care about their students and genuinely want to see them do well. I developed some amazing relationships here that have continued through today." - Chad Tessier