Roster/Bios Schedule/Results Coaches Statistics News Archives
2004 Statistics 2004 News Archives 2005 Statistics
Women's Soccer News
January 4, 2007
Holy Names University Names Paul Sapsford and
Robert Risley as Co-Head Coaches for Men’s
and Women’s Soccer
Oakland, CA – Holy Names University Director of Athletics Robin Martin announced the hiring of Paul Sapsford and Robert Risley as HNU’s Men’s and Women’s Soccer Co-Head Coaches, effective immediately. “Holy Names University Athletics is very excited and pleased that Paul and Robert will be coaching our Men’s and Women’s Soccer programs. They bring with them a level of professionalism, play and experience that any university would be proud to add to their athletic department. With Paul and Robert comes a caliber of play that we hope can be reproduced in the efforts of Hawks Soccer,” said Martin. “Paul’s success at Saint Mary’s and Stanford should translate into the establishment of Holy Names Soccer as a nationally recognized premier soccer program. Robert rejoins Paul in coaching from their time at Saint Mary’s and adds an even brighter future for Hawks athletics.“
Sapsford comes to Holy Names with a wealth of experience, including that of NCAA Division I Head Coach for Saint Mary’s College of California Women’s soccer program in 2003-2005. In his two seasons with the Gaels, the team compiled a 27-9-4 record and earned an NCAA playoff berth in 2001, their first appearance in seven years.
Sapsford also served as NCAA Division I and PAC-10 Conference Co-Head Coach for the Men’s and Women’s soccer teams at Stanford University for the 2002 season, during which the Cardinal Women were ranked #1 in the nation. Sapsford helped guide the Cardinal women's soccer team to an elite eight finish in the 2002 NCAA playoffs and was named the national Coach of the Year by Soccer America, along with fellow Stanford co-head coach Stephanie Erickson. In the 2000 and 2001 season Sapsford was an Assistant Coach for the Gaels before moving onto Stanford the following season. Most recently, Sapsford has been the Director of Goalkeeper Academy for the Mustang Soccer Club of Danville, CA, and Head Coach for the club’s U17 team, recently ranked 5th in the nation.
Sapsford began his coaching career in 1989 following completion of the English FA’s Preliminary Coaching Badge and passed the FA’s Coaching Certificate Course in 1997. He currently holds a USSF "A" License and NSCAA Goalkeeper Academy Level II Award. He has coached United States Youth National Team Goalkeeper’s for Olympic Development Programs in Florida and Northern California, and has previously coached collegiate soccer players in England and Australia. Additionally, Sapsford has coached at soccer schools on behalf of Wimbledon FC, Arsenal FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC and Brentford United FC.
Sapsford was a member of the University of Exeter team which won the Devon and Exeter Premier League Championship in 1997/98. While there, he completed the Post Graduate Certificate of Education in Physical Education. Prior to Exeter, he played collegiate soccer at Saint Mary’s University College, London, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Science. Sapsford's undergraduate thesis examined the Home Advantage in Professional Soccer and was conducted with first team professionals at Wimbledon FC and Crystal Palace FC. He later lectured in the field of Sport
Psychology at Saint Mary’s, and his research into the 1994 FIFA Experiment on Semi-Professional Soccer was published in the Journal of Sports Sciences in 1997.
Sapsford is currently studying at Saint Mary’s College towards a Masters degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation, majoring in Sport Psychology, and is conducting research in the field of collective efficacy with collegiate level athletes. He is married and resides in Danville.
Robert Risley is also an English import, and assisted Sapsford at Saint Mary’s in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Risley joins the program after several years coaching at various levels, including youth, college and professional programs in California and Massachusetts. He is currently a P.E. teacher at a private Lafayette, CA elementary school for grades K-8 and Technical Director for the Lamorinda Soccer Club, including two U17 teams. Risley also founded and is Coaching Director of the Regional Soccer Academy in Walnut Creek.
Prior to Saint Mary’s, he was Head Coach of the Boston Renegades, a semi-professional women’s soccer league in Boston, MA. He led the senior women's soccer club to an undefeated regular season title, as well as coaching for Assumption College at the Division II level. Risley began his coaching career in the U.S. with Play Soccer in Marlboro, MA.
Risley holds his NSCAA Advanced National and National diploma's as well as the English FA Coaching certificate. Additionally, Risley has assisted with numerous soccer camps and coaching schools, on a year-round basis, in California, Massachusetts and New England.
Risley attended Marshall University, West Virginia, from 1993-97, starting four years as a central defender, captaining the team from his sophomore season. Risley gained all-conference, all-tournament and All-American scholar accolades and was also voted the team's most valuable player for two straight years.
Prior to Marshall, Risley played for Tottenham Hotspurs youth teams of the English Premiership and also represented England Schoolboys as well as being the all-time caps leader for Essex County. After college, Risley played for Romford and Hornchurch in the English Ryman division between 1997 and 2000. Additionally, he also played in the USL for the semi-pro teams Rhode Island Stingrays and Worcester Kings from 2000-02.
Risley graduated from Marshall with a degree in Journalism, and earned his master's degree at Saint Mary's in Health Physical Education and Recreation in 2006. He currently resides in Walnut Creek.
NAIA Region II Women's Soccer Playoffs - First Round
#7 Westmont Advances With 2-0 Win
Holy Names Finishes 5-6-1
Hayward, CA – 5th seeded Westmont College advances to the second round of the 2006 NAIA Region II Women's Soccer Playoffs with a 2-0 win over Cal Pac Champion and #4 seed Holy Names University Tuesday. Anna Gropp's penalty kick in the 50 th minute broke open a tight game and gave Westmont the lead they would not relinquish. Westmont , ranked #7 on the most recent NAIA Top 25, added another goal in the game's 85 th minute as Amy Lawson converted a pass from Jane Wyche to seal the Hawks fate. Holy Names' Kayce Garcia played strong in the net recording 8 saves including 7 in the second half.
Holy Name's dream season ends at 5-6-1. In just their fifth year of existence Holy Names won their first Cal Pac Championship sweeping through the league undefeated. Their only conference blemish was the title clinching double overtime draw against Dominican last Saturday.
Westmont meanwhile improves to 13-4-1 with the win and keeps their Regional and National Title hopes alive..
Lady Hawks Claim Cal Pac Crown
San Rafael, CA - In just their fifth year of existence, the Holy Names Women's Soccer program put a stamp on their arrival clinching their first California Pacific Conference Championship with a 0-0 double overtime draw against Dominican University.
Holy Names finishes the conference schedule with a 5-0-1 record. Dominican finished with a record of 4-0-2. Freshman Kayce Garica pitched a shutout in the net for Holy Names.
Holy Names advances to their first NAIA Regional Tournament where they are seeded 4th and host a first round game. Holy Names will host 5th seeded Westmont College Tuesday, October 31 at 1:00PM. The game will be played at the Stadium Field on the campus of CSU East Bay in Hayward, CA. Westmont (12-4-1) enters the tournament ranked #7 in the country.
HNU Beats Simpson 6-0
Sit at 5-0 in Cal Pac Play
Holy Names University beat the host Simpson University Redhawks 6-0 to improve to 5-0 in conference play. Senior Rocio Ferree recorded 2 goals and 2 assists in the win while Lauren Vonnegut added 2 goals and Daisy Ruiz chipped in a goal and 2 assists. Holy Names evens up their overall record at 5-5 and take on Dominican University in San Rafael Saturday for the Cal Pac Championship.
Dominican sits in a tie for second place with a 4-1 record after losing to Menlo this week. Menlo is also 4-1 with their loss coming at the hands of Holy Names in a 4-3 double overtime thriller. If Dominican beats the Hawks, the three way tie will be broken by goals scored. The Cal Pac Champion advances to the NAIA Regional Tournament and will host a first round game.
The showdown at Dominican starts at 12:00PM.
Holy Names Improves to 3-0
Beat Mills 13-0
Holy Names University beat Mills College 13-0 to remain perfect in Cal Pac play and improve to 3-0. Mills was forced to play with just 7 players due to injury and class conflicts and valiantly lasted through the 70 minutes required to avoid a forfeit.
Rocio Ferree knocked in 5 goals awhile Claudia Davila added 3 more. Holy Names takes their unbeaten conference record on the road for the rest of the year as the play at Bethany October 20th, at Simpson October 24th and at arch rival Dominican in the season's final game October 28th. Check our schedule for game times.
Ruiz Lifts Hawks in Final Minutes
Beat Defending Champ Menlo 4-3
Oakland, CA - Holy Names Women's Soccer beat the defending Cal Pac Champion Menlo College Oaks 4-3 in a double overtime thriller Friday in Oakland. Daisy Ruiz converted a Lauren Vonnegut pass into the game winning goal in the game's 108th minute to propel Holy Names to victory. The Lady Hawks thought they had it won at the end of regulation when the few minutes of stoppage time seemed to last forever. Menlo's Rachel Anden knocked in a long goal with just 3 seconds remaining of stoppage time, forcing the extra frames.
Menlo saw a 2-1 halftime lead evaporate just 3 minutes into the second period on a Vonnegut goal. Both teams held serve until Darcie Balunda scored in the 85th minute for the 3-2 lead setting up the ending heroics.
Holy Names improves to 2-0 in Cal Pac play and drops the Oaks to 2-1.
Santa Cruz Scores 3 Late to Win
Slugs Beat HNU 3-0
UC Santa Cruz broke open a scoreless tie in the game's 63rd minute and added 2 more in the game's last 10 minutes for a 3-0 shutout of Holy Names. The Slugs deep bench proved the difference as they continually sent fresh bodies at the undermanned Hawks. Holy Names failed to get off a shot at the goal compared to 20 shots by UCSC. Freshman keeper Kayce Garcia recorded 4 saves on the day but gave up more than one goal for the first time this season.
Holy Names drops to 1-5 on the season. They take their 1-0 Cal Pac mark to Merritt College Friday where they host the 2-time defending Cal Pac Champion Menlo College Oaks. The game starts at 1:00PM.
Holy Names Notches First Win
Blanks Cal Pac Foe William Jessup 5-0
Holy Names Women's Soccer recorded their first win of the season following four straight 1-0 heartbreakers with a 5-0 blanking of Cal Pac foe William Jessup University Tuesday in Oakland. Christie Locke knocked in the Hawks first goal of the year off a Lauren Vonnegut pass in the game's 4th minute. Annie Canalin and Linsey Musante added goals in the first frame to give HNU a 3-0 halftime advantage. Reigning Cal Pac MVP Rocio Ferree added a pair of goals in the second half to complete the 5-0 win.
Freshman keeper Kayce Garcia recorded her first career shutout saving the only shot she faced. Garcia's Goals Against Average now stands at an impressive .80 per. Holy Names sits at 1-0 in Cal Pac play and travels to Santa Cruz Wednesday to take on the Banana Slugs at 2:00PM.
Lady Hawks Nipped Again
CSU East Bay Hands HNU 4th 1-0 Loss
Hayward, CA - The Holy Names Women's Soccer team, playing their first game in nearly a month, lost their fourth straight 1-0 game this time at the hands of rival CSU East Bay on Tuesday. This difference making goal came in the game's 42nd minute by East Bay's Monica Nelson off a Shannon Pile pass.
East Bay's Koree Palmer pitched a shutout recording 3 saves in 90 minutes. Holy Names' Kayce Garcia recorded 6 saves while allowing just the one goal.
September 12, 2006
Soccer Trip Cancelled
The men's and women's soccer program's trip to Arizona to compete in the Embry Riddle Tournament has been cancelled. Both squads were originally scheduled to play two games each, one against host ERAU and one against Bethany College of Kansas. Bethany decided they could not make the trip leaving Holy Names with just one game. Both squads hope to find replacement games for later in the season. Please check their respective schedules for any additions or changes.
Cervantes Resigns Post
Vilmar Marquez Named Interim Head Coach
The Holy Names University Athletic Department has announced the resignation of Head Men's and Women's Soccer Coach Orlando Cervantes effective immediately. Assistant Coach Vilmar “Vava” Marquez has been named the Interim Head Coach for both programs and will hold the positions through the end of their respective seasons. A series of personal and family emergencies forced the premature resignation of Cervantes who spent the last two seasons as the women's coach and was hired to run the men's program this May.
“I appreciate the opportunity entrusted to me from the University. These unusual personal circumstances have led me to make this decision,” stated Cervantes. “I wish continued success for the soccer programs and the exemplary student-athletes involved.
Cervantes posted a 13-15-3 record in his two years including an 8-3 Cal Pac record, back to back 2 nd place finishes and an appearance in the Cal Pac Playoffs in 2004. The Cal Pac discontinued the soccer tournaments starting in the 2005 season.
Marquez meanwhile brings a slew of experience to his new positions on the local, national and international levels. Currently an assistant coach with the United States National Futsal Team, Marquez also served as the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Foothill College from 1992-2003 and has been the Head Boy's Soccer Coach at Los Altos High since 1999.
In addition to his coaching experience Marquez had a number of stops in his professional playing career. He played for the Brazilian Professional Soccer Club Goiania Sport Club from 1981-1986. He also played for the San Jose Earthquakes during the 1988-89 season and with Milwaukee Wave, in indoor soccer team from 1988-1990.
Marquez kicked off his Holy Names campaign with a bang leading the Hawks to their first win of the season last Friday, a 2-1 win over visiting Hope International University. He takes over a women's soccer program that is currently 0-3 on the young season. All three losses have by the score of 1-0 including on the road to #4 Simon Frazier and #8 Concordia University (OR).
Late Goal Lifts Sewanee
Hawks Lose 1-0
Hayward, CA - Holy Names Women's Soccer suffered their third 1-0 loss of the young season Friday, this time at the hands of Sewanee College on the campus of CSU East Bay. Holy Names falls to 0-3 on the season, this time on a free kick goal by Sewanee's Allison Davis in the 79th minute. Holy Names had a few chances to tie but could not connect coming up just short once again. Holy Names has yet to score on the young season. Freshman Kayce Garcia once again played tough in the net allowing just the one goal and recording 5 saves in 90 minutes.
Lady Hawks Tangle With Top 10
Drop Tight Games vs #4, #8
Portland, OR - The Holy Names Women's Soccer program opened their 2006 season with identical 1-0 losses to two of the countries top teams in #8 Concordia University (OR) and #4 Simon Fraser University. The Lady Hawks displayed the stingy defense Head Coach Orlando Cervantes has become know for allowing only a 25 yard missile from Concordia's Justine Pronovost in the ninth minute of that game and and an Emma Broadfoot goal in the 67th minute of the Simon Fraser loss. Freshman Kayce Garcia played solid in the net recording 14 saves in 180 minutes on the weekend.
Holy Names was out
shot 41-5 in the two games including 26-1 against host Concordia. 2005
Cal Pac MVP Rocio Ferree was held to just 3 shots in the two losses.
Holy Names is next in action at William Jessup University September 9 in a
non-conference game vs a conference foe. The game is set to start at
2:00PM.