Familiar faces added to the UPEI women’s soccer bench

The UPEI women's soccer team will add some familiar faces to the bench this season. With only Mike Redmond returning as head coach, the Panthers will add assistant coaches Graeme MacDonald and John O'Brien, as well as former Panthers Gini Lisi and Sara Stewart.

Both MacDonald and O'Brien will bring a wealth of experience to the team and are looking forward to the upcoming season. MacDonald brings over 10 years of extensive coaching experience gained through his soccer career in Scotland, where he coached two professional soccer clubs-the St Mirren Football Club of the Scottish Premier League, and the Greenock Morton Football Club of the Scottish Football League First Division. MacDonald has also worked for the Scottish Football Association.

O'Brien was first introduced to soccer back in Ireland and he continued playing the sport following his immigration to Canada at the age of 13. The highlight of his playing career came as a member of the University of New Brunswick's soccer team where he won two AUS championships in 1980 and 1982, as well as a CIS national championship in 1980. He continues to play and has been coaching various levels including club, school, provincial all-star, and Canada Games for the past 16 years. O'Brien has worked with Redmond in the past on a number of provincial all-star teams and with the 2009 Canada Games women's squad.

'I'm excited to be joining a UPEI team that is a perennial contender in the AUS, and one that is regularly considered to be among the best in the country,' said O'Brien. 'I hope to bring some of my experience as a coach and a former AUS player to the team, and be able to contribute along with the rest of the coaching staff to another successful season.'

Former players Lisi and Stewart have both been solid players in UPEI women's soccer history. Lisi is known as one of the most physical players to have ever worn the green and white jersey, and UPEI captain Stewart, a former UPEI Athlete of the Year, and CIS All-Canadian, is known as a solid defender who improved season after season. They will bring their Panther pride to the field every day and push players to reach the AUS and CIS championships.

'I'm ecstatic to be a part of the UPEI women's soccer coaching staff this year. I knew I wasn't ready to let the team go, so when Mike asked me to coach I said ‘of course,'' said Stewart. 'I'm so excited for the upcoming season, and although it's going to be a very different squad this year, having lost four or five key players, there's a lot of great players returning, so I hope that they have worked extra hard this summer to step up and fill those empty spots. Hopefully this will be the year UPEI takes home its second AUS championship.'

The Panthers will begin the season by hosting the Mulligan Cup August 30-September 2, with the regular season kicking off on September 8, as UPEI hosts Mount Allison at 2:00 pm.