HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
1
... r e v o e C h t n O
taylor
BROWN
NUMBER POSITION HEIGHT YEAR MAJOR
21 MIDFIELD 5-3 SENIOR NURSING
HAWKS TIDBIT: A three-time America East Academic Honor Roll member, Brown netted her second career goal in this season’s win at Delaware State
2021
SCHEDULE DAY DATE OPPONENT KICKOFF+/RESULT THUR. 8/19 AT DELAWARE STATE W, 5-0 SAT.
8/21
ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
W, 1-0
THUR. 8/26
AT TEXAS TECH
THUR. 9/2
MERRIMACK
SUN.
AT LAFAYETTE
W, 2-1 (ot)
THUR. 9/9
AT FAIRFIELD
T, 1-1 (2ot)
SUN.
9/12
SIENA
W, 3-0
SUN.
9/19
NEW HAMPSHIRE*
W, 2-0
SUN.
9/26
AT UMBC*
W, 2-0
9/5
L, 0-1 W, 2-0
THUR. 9/30
UALBANY*
5 PM
SUN.
10/3
AT BINGHAMTON*
3 PM
SUN.
10/10
VERMONT*
12 PM
THUR. 10/14
AT UMASS LOWELL*
6 PM
SUN.
10/17
STONY BROOK*
1 PM
SUN.
10/24
AT MAINE*
1 PM
THUR. 10/28
NJIT*
5 PM
SUN.
AMERICA EAST QUARTERFINAL^
TBD
THUR. 11/4
AMERICA EAST SEMIFINAL^
TBD
SUN.
AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP^
TBD
10/31 11/7
RED - HOME GAMES (AL-MARZOOK FIELD) + ALL TIMES EASTERN AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE * AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE OPPONENT | ^ PLAYED AT HIGHEST SEED OF EACH MATCH
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
3
TODAY’S MATCH
Posting shutout victories in each of its past three outings, Hartford looks to improve its unbeaten streak to seven games when the Hawks host UAlbany. Hartford, which is a perfect 4-0 at home, seeks its first 3-0 start in America East play since 2014.
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford defeated UMBC for the fifth straight time, scoring a 2-0 road win on Sunday. Sophomore forward Jordyn Ferraro netted the game-winner in the 65th minute before graduate student Saige Bingman tacked on an insurance tally in the 87th minute.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Hartford is 16-5-4 all-time against UAlbany, which includes an impressive 7-3-2 record in West Hartford. The Hawks ended a brief two-game skid against the Great Danes in the two teams’
last meeting, a 3-2 victory in the semifinals of the America East Tournament (Nov. 7, 2019).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
UAlbany has not put a notch in the win column since defeating Yale, 4-3, on Sept. 9. Since then, the Great Danes dropped consecutive one-goal decisions to Wagner and Stony Brook before playing Siena and New Hampshire to matching 1-1 draws. Scoring each of UAlbany’s past two markers against the Saints and Wildcats, senior Jasmine Colbert leads the way in goals (5) and points (11).
WEEKLY HONORS
After providing the heroics by delivering the game-winner in Sunday’s win at UMBC, Ferraro was named the America East Rookie of the Week. She became the second Hawk this season to earn the honor, joining Imani Jenkins, who received the distinction in back-to-back weeks on Sept. 7 and Sept. 13.
4 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
Hartford has landed five total weekly award winners this year, as Jenkins was also named the league’s Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13.
CLEAN SHEETS
The Hawks’ back line has wreaked havoc on the opposition this season. Conceding just three goals in nine matches, Hartford leads the league and is seventh in the nation in GAA (0.32) and shutout percentage (0.67). In addition, the defense is looking to keep another rally intact, as the team is riding 300-plus minutes of consecutive shutout soccer, with its last goal allowed coming in the 80th minute at Fairfield (Sept. 9).
NEXT ON TAP
T AL E O F T H E T A P E 7-1-1
RECORD
1-5-3
W3
STREAK
T2
18
GOALS
11
2.00
GOALS/GAME
1.22
10.9
SHOTS/GAME
15.1
.184
SHOT %
.081
48-98
SOG-ATT
.490
.471
17
ASSISTS
5
50
CORNER KICKS
51
1-1
PK: GOALS-ATT
1-1
0.32
The Hawks hit the road to take on Binghamton on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
SOG %
64-136
GAA
1.76
34
SAVES
43
.919
SAVE %
.717
AMERICA EAST S T A ND INGS
Hartford UMass Lowell Stony Brook UMBC Binghamton NJIT New Hampshire UAlbany Maine Vermont
OVERALL AE W-L-T PCT W-L-T PTS 7-1-1 .833 2-0-0 6 5-3-1 .611 2-0-0 6 5-4-1 .550 2-0-0 6 4-3-2 .556 1-1-0 3 5-5-1 .500 1-1-0 3 3-8-0 .273 1-1-0 3 2-5-2 .333 0-1-1 1 1-5-3 .278 0-1-1 1 2-3-2 .429 0-2-0 0 3-5-1 .389 0-2-0 0
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
5
(7-1-1 OVERALL, 2-0-0 AMERICA EAST)
# Name
Yr. Pos. Ht.
1
Maia Perez
Gr.
GK
5-10
Hometown/Last School
2
Saige Bingman
Gr.
M
5-8
Cheshire, Conn./Fordham Univ.
3
Doireann Fahey
Jr.
B
5-7
Kildare, Ireland/Scoil Bhride Lackagh
4
Tristan McFarlane
Fr.
M
5-8
Ottawa, Ontario/Brookfield
5
Julia Atlee
Sr.
B
5-9
Sacramento, Calif./Folsom Lake College
6
Christina Stone
So.
M
5-2
Glastonbury, Conn./Loomis Chaffee
7
Makaela Montgomery-Williams
Jr.
B
5-5
Mississauga, Ontario/Our Lady of Mount Carmel
8
Victoria Jedrychowski Jr.
M
5-7
Farmington, Conn./Farmington
9
Andrea Carina Costa Garcia
R-Sr. M
5-2
Aurora, Ontario/Fairleigh Dickinson
Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood
10 Ishani Sharma
Jr.
M
5-5
Brampton, Ontario/Castlebrooke Secondary
11 Imani Jenkins
So.
F
5-7
Middletown, Conn./Middletown
12 Lexi Doran
Gr.
B
5-8
Hebron, Conn./RHAM
13 Jordyn Ferraro
So.
F
5-4
Manalapan, N.J./Academy of Law & Public Safety
14 May Cervone
So.
F
5-7
Milford, Conn./Hamden Hall Country Day
15 Juliana Chiarella
Fr.
B
5-3
Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional
16 Izzy Lachcik
Sr.
B/M
5-7
Vernon, Conn./Loomis Chaffee
17 Victoria Foster
So.
B
5-9
Mississauga, Ontario/St. Martin Secondary
18 Kelly Severini
So.
M
5-6
Union, N.J./Union
19 Chloe Layne
So.
F
5-6
Wrentham, Mass./King Philip
21 Taylor Brown
Sr.
M
5-3
Natick, Mass./Natick
22 Elise Engquist
So.
B
5-6
Gilroy, Calif/Christopher
23 Olivia Mullings
Fr.
F
5-4
Newington, Conn./Newington
25 Emily Howard
Fr.
F
5-10
28 Kristen Spendal
Fr.
GK
5-5
Dumont, N.J./Dumont
30 Abby McCarthy
Fr.
GK
5-7
Torrington, Conn./Torrington
Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional
HEAD COACH JOHN NATALE - 18th Season - Eastern Connecticut ’97
ASSISTANT COACHES TODD SADLER - Third Season - Hartford ’99 GEORGE KOSTELIS - First Season - Hartford ’93 ALEX WRONA - Second Season - Bryant ’18
UALBANY GREAT DANES (1-5-3 OVERALL, 0-1-1 AMERICA EAST)
# Name 00 0 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 88
Cassie Coster Sophia Chen Gabriella Terranova Hailey Summers Caitlyn Adams Joanna Van Royen Marisa Tava Kiley Endres Christina Cernuto Tiffany Bernot Sophia Eifler Natasha Fowler-Varon Iola Cotter Savannah Edwards Devon Schmitt Olivia Piraino Kelsey Murphy Claire Owens Megan Krohn Sahara Zingano Chloe Argenziano Erin Kennelley Charlotte Takacsy Amelia Smith Shannon Litchfield Brooke Pickett Jasmine Colbert Amanda O’Brien Jada Colbert Victoria Sabel Margot Nezaj Carly Binn Sophia DeMura Brynn Pritchard Megan Hart
Yr. Pos. Ht.
Fr. Gr. Fr. Gr. Sr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Gr. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. So. So. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. R-Jr. Sr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. So.
GK GK GK B F B M F F M M M M B B M F M B F/M M M B B F F F F/B M M B B B M GK
Hometown/Last School
5-8 Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington 5-10 Louisville, Colo./Monarch 5-6 Centerport, N.Y./Harborfields 5-10 Hamilton, Ontario/St. Mary Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional 5-6 5-11 Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem 5-7 Toms River, N.J./Pittsburgh 5-8 Medford, N.J./East Carolina 5-5 Neshanic Station, N.J./Somerville 5-4 Old Westbury, N.Y./The Wheatley School 5-7 Deisenhausen, Germany/St. Thomas Gym Wettenhausen 5-6 Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham 5-5 Teddington, England/(Teddington School Richmond Hill, Ontario/Bill Crothers Sec. School 5-5 5-10 Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington 5-5 Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna 5-7 Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley 5-4 Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin 5-5 Schoharie, N.Y./Schoharie 5-3 Grimsby, Ontario/Grimsby Secondary School 5-3 West Sayville, N.Y./Sayville 5-2 Fairport, N.Y./Fairport 5-4 Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park 5-2 Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay 5-4 Southington, Conn./Southington 5-3 Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Stillwater 5-1 Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township 5-5 Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa 5-2 Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township 5-1 Penfield, N.Y./Penfield 5-5 Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland 5-4 Middletown, N.J./Middletown North 5-6 Rexford, N.Y./Shenendehowa 5-2 Rumson, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven 5-8 Schenectady, N.Y./UMass Lowell
HEAD COACH LEIGH HOWARD - Second Season - Trinity ’12
ASSISTANT COACHES CC COBB - Second Season - Tennessee ’14 MATT ANDERSON - First Season - Teesside ’17 BRENDAN GRIFFITH - First Season - Chestnut HARTFORD HAWKSHill //’18#FLYHIGH
7
HARTFORD HAWKS
1
maia PEREZ
2
saige BINGMAN
3
doireann FAHEY
5
julia ATLEE
6
christina STONE
7
makaela
9
andrea carina
ishani
11 JENKINS
GR | GOALKEEPER
SR | BACK
COSTA GARCIA R-SR | MIDFIELDER
jordyn
13 FERRARO
SO | FORWARD
GR | MIDFIELDER
SO | MIDFIELDER
10 SHARMA
JR | MIDFIELDER
may
14 CERVONE
SO | FORWARD
JR | BACK
MONTGOMERY-WILLIAMS
JR | FORWARD
imani
SO | FORWARD
juliana
15 CHIARELLA
8 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
FR | BACK
4
tristan
8
victoria
McFARLANE
FR | MIDFIELDER
JEDRYCHOWSKI JR | MIDFIELDER
lexi
12 DORAN
GR | BACK
izzy
16 LACHCIK
SR | BACK/MIDFIELDER
HARTFORD HAWKS
victoria
kelly
17 FOSTER
SO | BACK
18 SEVERINI
SO | MIDFIELDER
elise
23 MULLINGS
SO | BACK
FR | FORWARD
kristen
28 SPENDAL
FR | GOALKEEPER
HEAD COACH 18th Season
TODD SADLER ASSISTANT COACH Third Season
taylor
SO | FORWARD
olivia
22 ENGQUIST
JOHN NATALE
chloe
19 LAYNE
21 BROWN
SR | MIDFIELDER
emily
25 HOWARD
FR | FORWARD
abby
30 McCARTHY
FR | GOALKEEPER
GEORGE KOSTELIS ASSISTANT COACH First Season
ALEX WRONA VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH Second Season
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
9
HARTFORD HAWKS 2021-22 Hartford Women's Soccer Overall Team Statistics All games
2021 T EA M S T A T I S T I CS
Game Records
OVERALL: Home 7-1-1
Overall
Conference
2-0-0 AMERICA EAST: 2-0-0
7-1-1
Team statistics
•
Page 1/1 as of Sep 27, 2021
Away
Neutral
4-0-0 1-1 0-0-0 HOME: 4-0-0 3 -• AWAY: 3-1-1
SHOT STATISTICS Goals-Shot attempts Goals scored per game Shot pct. Shots on goal-Attempts SOG pct. Shots/Game Assists GOAL BREAKDOWN Total Goals Penalty Unassisted Overtime Goals scored average CORNER KICKS Goals off corners PENALTY KICKS OFFSIDES PENALTIES Fouls Yellow cards Red cards ATTENDANCE Total Dates/Avg Per Date Neutral Site #/Avg
HART
OPP
18-98 2 .184 48-98 .490 10.9 17
3-90 0.33 .033 39-90 .433 10 2
18 1 1 2 50 1-1 17
3 0 0 0.33 37 0-0 8
87 6 0
79 6 0
1156 4/289 0/0
1287 5/257 -
Goals by Periods Team Hart Opponents
Corners by Periods 1st 2nd OT1 OT2 TOTAL Team 7 10 1 18 Hart 0 3 3 Opponents 0 0 0
1st 2nd OT1 OT2 TOTAL 20 30 50 0 0 10 23 2 2 37
Shots by Periods Team Hart Opponents
Fouls by Periods 1st 2nd OT1 OT2 TOTAL Team 46 50 1 1 98 Hart 32 54 1 3 90 Opponents
1st 2nd OT1 OT2 TOTAL 87 39 47 1 0 43 34 2 79 0
Saves by Periods Team Hart Opponents
Offsides by Periods 1st 2nd OT1 OT2 TOTAL Team 13 21 2 36 Hart 0 13 16 1 30 Opponents 0
1st 2nd OT1 OT2 TOTAL 17 10 6 1 0 4 4 8 0 0
10 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
oster F a i ictor
V
2021-22 Hartford Women's Soccer Extended Individual Statistics All games Game Records
Overall
Conference
Home
Team Box Score Extended No. Player GP-GS G GPG A APG PTS 11 Jenkins, Imani 9-9 6 0.67 2 0.22 14 19 Layne, Chloe 9-9 4 0.44 2 0.22 10 18 Severini, Kelly 9-9 2 0.22 2 0.22 6 2 Bingman, Saige 7-6 1 0.14 3 0.43 5 9 Garcia, Andrea 7-4 1 0.14 2 0.29 4 6 Stone, Christina 9-6 1 0.11 2 0.22 4 13 Ferraro, Jordyn 4-3 1 0.25 1 0.25 3 14 Cervone, May 9-1 1 0.11 0 0.00 2 21 Brown, Taylor 5-1 1 0.20 0 0.00 2 10 Sharma, Ishani 8-4 1 0 0.00 1 0.13 4 McFarlane, Tristan 9-9 1 0 0.00 1 0.11 3 Fahey, Doireann 8-7 1 0 0.00 1 0.13 17 Foster, Victoria 9-9 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 8 Jedrychowski, Victoria 5-0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 23 Mullings, Olivia 6-0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 12 Doran, Alexis 9-9 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 7 Montgomery-Williams, Makaela 6-1 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 15 Chiarella, Juliana 1-0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 5 Atlee, Julia 5-2 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 1 Perez, Maia 9-9 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 22 Engquist, Elise 2-0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 25 Howard, Emily 6-1 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 Total 9 18 2.00 17 1.89 53 Opponents 9 3 0.33 2 0.22 8
Goals by Periods Team Hart Opponents
Away
Neutral
2 - 0 - 0 I N D I VI DUAL 4 - 0 -S 0 T A T I S T ICS 3-1-1 2021
7-1-1
## Player 1 Perez, Maia TM TEAM Total Opponents
Page 1/1 as of Sep 27, 2021
GP-GS 9-9 9 9 1st 7 0
MINUTES 840:00 00:00 840:00 840:00 2nd 10 3
GA 3 0 3 18
GAAVG 0.32 0.00 0.32 1.93
PPG 1.56 1.11 0.67 0.71 0.57 0.44 0.75 0.22 0.40 0.13 0.11 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.89 0.89
0-0-0
SH SPG SH% SOG SOG/G SOG% YC RC GWG PK-ATT 15 1.67 .400 8 0.89 .533 0 0 2 1-1 18 2.00 .222 12 1.33 .667 0 0 1 0-0 10 1.11 .200 7 0.78 .700 3 0 1 0-0 9 1.29 .111 3 0.43 .333 0 0 0-0 0 12 1.71 .083 4 0.57 .333 2 0 1 0-0 3 0.33 .333 1 0.11 .333 0 0 1 0-0 7 1.75 .143 4 1.00 .571 0 0 1 0-0 8 0.89 .125 4 0.44 .500 0 0 0-0 0 2 0.40 .500 1 0.20 .500 0 0 0-0 0 0-0 5 0.63 .000 2 0.25 .400 0 0 0 0-0 4 0.44 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0 0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0.22 .000 1 0.11 .500 0 0 0-0 0 1 0.20 .000 1 0.20 1.000 0 0 0-0 0 0-0 1 0.17 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0 0 1 0.11 .000 0.00 .000 1 0 0-0 0 0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0-0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0.00 .000 0.00 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 98 10.89 .184 48 5.33 .490 6 0 1-1 90 10.00 .033 39 4.33 .433 6 0 0-0
SAVES 34 2 36 30
SAVES/G 3.78 0.22 4.00 3.33
Corners by Periods TOTAL Team 18 Hart 3 Opponents
SAVES% .919 1.000 .923 .625
W 7 0 7 1
L 1 0 1 7
T 1 0 1 1
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
OT1 1 0
OT2 0 0
1st 20 10
2nd 30 23
OT1 0 2
OT2 0 2
SHO/CBO 6/0 0/0 6 1
11
TOTAL 50 37
john
NATALE The winningest coach in Hartford women’s soccer history with 148 career victories, John Natale enters his 18th season as head coach of the Hawks in 2021. A five-time America East Coach of the Year, Natale has piloted the Hawks to an NCAA Championship appearance, an America East Championship and five America East Regular-Season Championships during his impressive career at Hartford. Natale’s track record of success extends well beyond the collegiate level to the international level. Away from the Hawks’ campus in West Hartford, he has been actively involved in a pair of FIFA Women’s World Cups and two of the past three Olympic games in London, England (2012) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2016). Natale, who became the program’s fifth head coach in 2004, has established himself as one of the elite coaches in the America East, and in the Northeast region. Leading Hartford to at least a share of the America East Regular-Season Championship in four of his past five years, Hartford’s dominance in the America East and in the region has been unmatched as of late under Natale. Although the team trained and played one exhibition match, the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined the Hawks for the 2020-21 campaign, as it forced the cancellation of what was an unconventional spring slate. The Hawks advanced to the title match of the America East Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons in 2019, but came one victory shy of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament after falling, 2-1, at top-seeded Stony Brook. Hartford finished the campaign with a 10-7-2 record, marking the ninth time under Natale’s watch that the program closed out a season with at least 10 wins. History was also made under Natale in 2019 when Sierra Stone (’20) became the program’s first-ever two-time America East Midfielder of the Year. Having previously earned the honor in 2017, she was also the first America East player since 2005 to win a Positional Player of the Year award one season after receiving Rookie of the Year distinction (2016). In addition, Stone’s three major awards are tied with Jessica Reifer for the most in program history. In addition to taking home four America East Regular-Season Championships since 2014, Natale and the Hawks have been on the doorstep of reaching the
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JOHN NATALE’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AE COACH OF THE YEAR 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES 2006 AE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS 2006 AE REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 AE TOURNAMENT FINALIST 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 3 NSCAA ALL-AMERICANS 22 AE MAJOR AWARD WINNERS 124 AE ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES
NCAA Tournament in five of the past 10 seasons, as they have advanced to the finals America East Tournament in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019. Winning 100 matches since the 2011 campaign, Natale has fostered a trio of All-Americans (Caitlin Alves — 2011; Erin Quinlan — 2011; Amelia Pereira — 2012) and 16 major award winners from the America East over that 10-year stretch. Hartford’s dominance under Natale has not just been a recent trend, though. The highlight of Natale’s career came in 2006, when he led the Hawks to their 10th America East Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Entering the NCAA Tournament play as one of the hottest teams in the nation with an unbeaten streak of 10 matches, the Hawks fell to 12th-ranked Rutgers in the opening round. Hartford — which posted an undefeated slate during conference play en route to claiming the both the 2006 America East Regular-Season and Championship Titles — knocked off a pair of nationally-ranked opponents that season. In addition, four of the six major conference postseason awards were handed out to Hartford, including Natale and his staff earning the first of five America East Coaching Staff of the Year distinctions. Away from West Hartford, the 2011 Women’s World Cup Games marked Natale’s first appearance on the international stage. A member of the USA Women’s Soccer National Team’s coaching staff as a scout for head coach Pia Sundhage, Team USA fell in a dramatic penalty kick shootout to Japan that season. One year later, Natale rejoined Sundhage’s staff as a Video Analysis Coach for the Olympic games, where he helped Team USA to its fourth Olympic gold medal after it knocked off Japan in the title match. Most recently, Natale reunited with Sundhage for the 2016 Olympic games, this time joining Sweden’s National Team’s coaching staff as an advanced scout. He previously fulfilled the same role on Sundhage’s staff for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
13
Before beginning his collegiate head coaching career with the Hawks in 2004, Natale was an assistant coach for the Boston Breakers in 2003 and the Philadelphia Charge the previous two years. In those roles, he was involved in all aspects of coaching, including practice planning, player skill development, scouting and player analysis. Both franchises reached the playoffs each year of Natale’s tenure in the WUSA. Natale also had the opportunity to gain valuable experience under the guidance of two of WUSA’s more successful head coaches – Boston’s Sundhage (200203 WUSA Coach of the Year) and Philadelphia’s Mark Krikorian (2001-02 WUSA Coach of the Year). Currently the women’s soccer head coach at Florida State, Krikorian is a former Hartford women’s soccer head coach (1996-2000). During the summer of 2006, Natale coached the Western Lady Pioneers of the W-League, one of the most highly-regarded women’s leagues in the world. The team finished with an 11-3-1 record and advanced to the semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in team history. Natale – who coached three all-league selections, including the U19 Player of the Year and the league’s scoring champion – was named W-League Coach of the Year. Natale excelled as a player at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he was a captain and participant in the All-New England Senior Bowl. A native of Wethersfield, Conn., he graduated from ECSU in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Natale also played professionally for the Western Mass Pioneers of the USL. Natale’s accomplishments have been recognized across the region, as he was one of six inductees in the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.
14 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH