Women's Soccer

Archive: 2009

Headlines | Schedule | Roster | Coaches | Team Stats | Records

Coaches

Bill Kelly

Head Coach
E-Mail
Phone: 845-758-7531

Bill Kelly begins his third season as Head Coach for the Bard Women's Soccer Team. In 2008 he led the Raptors to a third place finish in the Skyline Conference and to the semifinals of the conference tournament, losing 3-2 to the eventual champions. In his first season with Bard in 2007, Kelly coached the Raptors to the best season in the history of the program, including a second place finish in the Skyline Conference and Bard’s first-ever postseason appearance with a berth in the ECAC Metro Tournament. Kelly’s overall college coaching record in Division III women's soccer is an impressive 112-42-13. Prior to his arrival at Bard, Kelly was the Head Women's Soccer Coach at the College of St. Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, from 1996 to 2002. During his tenure there he led his teams to three appearances in the NCAA Division III Women's Championships, including a trip to the "Sweet Sixteen" in 1998. Kelly was selected as 2002 Coach of the Year for both the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America - Central Region. Kelly offers more than an ability to put winning soccer teams on the field. He is a published writer who earned his M.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota where he won an Academy of American Poets Prize. His poems have appeared in numerous literary magazines across the country, and he has authored children’s stories for SPIDER magazine, HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, and others. A former college English instructor, he enjoys providing academic support for his athletes. He’s also a painter, whose work has been shown and sold in galleries in Minneapolis, Boston, and Albany. Kelly played varsity soccer at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the Scots as a goalkeeper and midfielder. For many years he played club soccer with the Dundees of F.C. Scotia in St. Paul, Minnesota. He and his wife, Vera, a Political Science professor at Siena College, reside in Delmar.

Marina Michahelles

Assistant Coach

Marina is back for her third season with the Bard Women's Soccer program. A former professional women's soccer player in Europe, she played for the Italian professional team, Aglianese CF, Serie A. In addition, Marina played for Paris Saint-Germain FC, in Paris, France, 2eme Division. Marina offers superb technical and tactical knowledge, and excels in fitness training, too. She previously was the assistant women's soccer coach at U-Mass Boston in 2003. Marina was a standout player and team captain at Earlham College, in Indiana. She played her high school soccer at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachussetts, and was a member of the MYSA ODP U-19 State Team that won first place in the Bay State Games in 1996. She currently resides at her organic farm, Rokeby, in Red Hook.

Nick Chapman

Assistant Coach
E-Mail

Nick has a gift for teaching players how to improve technically and tactically. An accomplished player himself at George Fox University in Oregon, and a former girls soccer coach at Newberg High School, Newberg, OR, Nick knows soccer skill development. His easygoing personality and perceptive manner enables him to work with players very effectively. He preaches patience, practice, passion, and positive thinking. Nick is also an assistant coach with Bard women’s lacrosse, and he works at Bard as Assistant Director of Bard Opportunity Programs.

Erika Van Zandt

Goalkeeper Coach

Erika is a goalkeeper trainer for both the men's and women's soccer programs at Bard. She brings a great deal of playing and coaching experience, including collegiate play at Division I U of Albany. She holds a United States Soccer Federastion (USSF) "D" license, an NSCAA National GK Diploma, an NSCAA Regional GK Diploma, and an NSCAA State GK Diploma. From 2004 to 2008 Erika coached at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an assistant women's soccer coach. She currently coaches with the Alleycats Soccer Club as the U13 Girls Panthers Head Coach, and the U16 Girls Predators Assistant Coach 2008, and is the Girls Goalkeeper Coach. Erika was also an assistant at Division I Marist College, and coached with Eastern New York ODP, 1988-89 age groups. As a player, Erika was a standout goalkeeper and team captain for U Albany where she holds the all-time top save percentage (.810), was ranked nationally in saves per game, and was second on the all-time career saves list with 297 saves. She has played for Albany Blackwatch with the W-League; and participated in the Empire State Games--winning three gold medals and two silver medals representing the Adirondack Region. Erika was an All-State goalkeeper at Tamarac High School and played her club soccer with Capital United where she won the 2001 State Cup Championship. Presently, she resides in Troy, NY.

Erika Van Zandt

Goalkeeper Coach