New coach looks to end women's soccer woes
By Ryan Rogers
Sports Editor
January 30, 2008
After a last-place finish in the OUA West Division and the fewest points scored by any team in the OUA, the Lancers Women’s Soccer team will have a new face behind the bench, looking to right the ship, with the latest acquisition of local soccer pundit Angelo Verardi.
With a fresh face behind the bench and a new attitude towards soccer operations around the department as whole, women’s soccer is looking forward to rebuilding themselves into a competitive team.
Verardi, President of the Essex County Soccer Association and former president of the Windsor Soccer Club of four years, will be taking on the head coaching responsibilities for the Women’s Soccer program.
Verardi climbs aboard with experience in both men’s and women’s competitive soccer as a coach and administrator and is looking to correct the direction that the program had been heading in.
Verardi has also coached the Caboto Senior Men’s program and the FC Nationals Under-18 team, and is being relied upon to make a strong impact on the team.
Last year the women were a dismal 0-12-2 and were shutout 11 times.
Though they were decimated by injuries for much of the season, it remained time for a change as five-year head coach Kris Geier resigned late last season.
Verardi says he learned of the position on the University of Windsor website and also through local soccer contacts as well.
“I thought this would be a great new challenge for me,” said Verardi. He continued, “I am very excited to be taking over as Head Coach of the Lancer Women’s Soccer Program.”
He added, “I look forward to the opportunity to build an elite-level program that can compete with the top soccer programs across the province and country.”
Verardi envisions the responsibilities to fit well into his local soccer repertoire.
“With all the other things I do,” said Verardi, “I’m really dictating when I do it. I work my schedule around to fit me, I’m blessed in that regard.”
He continued, “I still coach a men’s team, but that wraps up when the women’s team starts. Then I’ll focus totally on the women’s team.”
Director of Athletics, Gord Grace, said that he’s excited to have Verardi join the program.
He said, “I like Angelo a lot. I think he’s going to bring a lot of energy and discipline and hard work to the team, and not to say that some of that wasn’t there before, but I think it’s a new fresh start for our women’s team and they’re excited about it as well.”
Grace continued, “Angelo has a lot of experience as a coach, as a referee, and as an administrator and those are all experiences that will bode well as head coach.”
One of the big steps in a new direction for soccer at UWindsor in the coming year will be a synergy between the Men’s and Women’s teams.
“(Men’s Head Coach) Steve (Hart) and I have worked previously together, and I don’t think it’ll be a problem working together. It will be good for the athletes to see each other a little bit more. It’ll make the program one unit instead of them being separate.”
Head Coach of the Men’s Soccer team, Steve Hart, who was also recently promoted to the Director of Lancer Soccer Operations, believes that Verardi will do a great job.
“Angelo is highly regarded in the soccer community and I look forward to working with him and our two Lancer Soccer programs next season.”
Hart continued, “He’s a very good choice. We consider him a good fit. He’s at a point in his career where he’s going to give a lot of energy and commitment to the program.”
One of the changes in soccer operations that will come along with the addition of Verardi is a synergy between the men’s and women’s teams.
“They word of the week is ‘synergy,’” said Hart. “We’re trying to create synergy between the two programs. We were going down separate roads … and my job as Director of Soccer Operations is to end that, to get into a position where the coaches help each other.”
Hart continued, “We should be utilizing all of our coaching staff towards the soccer program.”
He said that the programs have just hired a strength and conditioning coach to work with both the men and women at the same time.
The coach will work with each athlete on an individual basis. Hart also said that they are in the process of bringing on a goaltending coach that will work with both of the teams, as well.
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