Congratulations to Kellenberg alumni Kathleen Early on being named Fairfield women’s soccer graduate assistant coach.
From Fairfield University:
FAIRFIELD, CONN. – Once again, a skilled and experience goalkeeper will fill the spot of the women’s soccer graduate assistant coach. The program’s all-time leader in goals against average, Kathleen Early, has been announced as the graduate assistant coach for the upcoming 2015 season, completing the coaching staff. Early has competed the last four years at Fairfield and was named First Team All-MAAC last year as the starting goalkeeper.
“I’m very excited to start the new job,” Early said. “It’s definitely going to be a big transition from being a Division I athlete to this new stage of my life, but I am blessed to be a part of this team. It’s an honor o be able to work with not only my teammates but my friends everyday.”
“I am very excited to have Kathleen join our staff while she pursues her post graduate education,” Head Coach Jim O’Brien said. “Kathleen’s primary role will be to train our goalkeepers and help them develop on and off the pitch. I am confident that under Kathleen guidance and recent playing experience, our goalkeepers will continue the tradition of excellence at the position.”
Early will be filling the position previously held by Kelly Boudreau, who was also a First-Team All-Conference goalkeeper during her playing days at Fairfield. Early gained valuable experience from Boudreau (who is now an assistant coach at Princeton) and developed into a starter for the past three seasons. In those three seasons, Early managed 174 saves and 32 wins while surrendering just 0.75 goals per game, a new program-record.
“My experiences as a goalkeeper will definitely be transferrable because I definitely think that I had to be a leader of my backline,” Early said. “Hopefully my leadership abilities will carry on and I will be able to be a leader to them as a coach.”
For her graduate studies, Early plans on earning her Master’s Degree in clinical mental health, which will also allow her to get clinical hours in the work force while coaching the Stags.
Fairfield is coming off a 14-win season, their highest win total since 2008. The Stags also reached the MAAC Championship Match for the second-straight season.