American International College

American International Athletics
1000 State Street, Box 4B Springfield, MA 01109

Division 2 Massachusetts Northeast

Private Small Competitive team

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Coaches

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Luke Perry

Luke Perry was elevated to the position of head coach of the American International College men’s soccer team in August 2015 after previously serving two seasons as an assistant coach. His teams have reached the NE10 Tournament in each of the last four seasons it has been held.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Years: Head Coach (2015-present), Assistant Coach (2013-2015)

Career record: 48-47-13; 32-33-11 NE10

United Soccer Coaches Second-Team All-Region Selections: 2

United Soccer Coaches Third-Team All-Region Selections: 1

NE10 All-Conference First-Team Selections: 2

NE10 All-Conference Second-Team Selections: 7

NE10 All-Conference Third-Team Selections: 9

NE10 All-Rookie Team Selections: 10

NE10 Academic All-Conference: 2

NE10 Presidents' Award For Academic Excellence: 2

The 2021 season was unquestionably the best in AIC's history for men's soccer. A robust offense, stout defense, and brilliant goalkeeping combined to push the program to record-breaking heights. The team finished second in the NE10 and broke the program's wins record, reaching the NE10 Championship Game for the first time in program history and earning a national ranking as high as 14th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, the first time the team had ever been ranked. Additionally, the program earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, and followed by winning its first NCAA Tournament game. The season ended with a 15-5-1 mark, shattering the previous wins record. Rookie goalkeeper Lucas Morales-Fernandez set individual wins and shutouts records with 14 and eight, respectively.

In 2018, the Yellow Jackets capped an incredible second-half surge under Perry, scoring in the final two seconds of regulation to secure a 4-4 draw against No. 9 Adelphi and advance to the NE10 Tournament. There, they defeated the top seed, No. 15 Le Moyne, for the program’s first-ever postseason win. A year later, they were back at it again, this time stunning No. 6 Adelphi 3-2 in double overtime, to advance to the NE10 Semifinal for the second consecutive season -- the only team in the NE10 to advance in both seasons.

In 2016, Perry guided the Yellow Jackets to one of their most successful seasons in program history. AIC earned its sixth postseason appearance in team history with a 6-6-1 conference record, the second-best league mark of all time for the Yellow Jackets.

Perry spent two seasons under former AIC head coach Fred Balbino as an assistant coach. With Perry patrolling the sidelines, the Yellow Jackets amassed a record of 15-17-3 and earned a trip to the Northeast-10 postseason in 2014.

Since Perry joined the coaching staff in 2013, more than 250 men's soccer athletes have been named to the NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

After finishing his Youth Team Scholarship at a professional soccer club in England, Perry joined Lees McRae College in 2009, making a significant impact during their 2009 National Runner-Up season. During his two years in North Carolina, Perry was a regular starter, tallying seven goals and 21 assists.

While at Lees McRae, he was a Conference Carolina All-Conference first team selection in 2010, third team selection in 2009 and Freshman of the Year. After transferring to neighboring Northeast-10 program, Southern Connecticut State University, Perry was a captain and regular starter before graduating in 2013.

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Jake Durham

One of the most decorated players in program history, Jake Durham '20 was named Assistant Coach prior to the start of the 2022 season after serving as Graduate Assistant Coach from 2020-22, and will assist in all aspects of the program. Additionally, he will serve as the head coach of the club men's soccer program.

In Durham's first season as graduate assistant, the Yellow Jackets made history, springing into the national rankings for the first time ever and earning their first NE10 Championship Game and NCAA Tournament berths as the team won a record 15 games during the 2021 campaign.

The Bolton, England native joined the staff after spending the previous four season on the pitch, and a senior campaign as team captain. During his playing career, he scored 22 goals and had 13 assists in 66 games with seven game-winning goals. He was an All-Conference selection in all four seasons, including a First-Team All-NE10 honor as a senior in 2019 that marked the first for the program since 2012.

No stranger to success, some of the biggest goals in Durham's career came in postseason play. He struck a tying penalty against No. 15 Le Moyne in his junior season in 2018 as AIC earned its first-ever NE10 Championship Tournament win by stunning the top-seeded Dolphins 2-1, and in 2019 he scored the tying and winning goals, the latter in double overtime, at No. 6 Adelphi to make AIC the only team to reach the NE10 Semifinal in both seasons.

Durham graduated from the College in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in sports management and earned his MBA in 2022.

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Derek Pereira

Derek Pereira '20 was promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2022 season, one year after he returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach, helping to lead a squad he had captained as a senior in 2019. He will assist in all aspects of the program.

In Pereira's first season behind the bench, AIC set a program wins record with 15, reaching the NE10 Finals and the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

A four-year letterwinner, Pereira appeared in 30 games over his AIC career. He was a steady defender and his calm leadership was critical to the squad's success; he helped lead the team to back-to-back postseason wins for the first time in program history in 2018 and 2019.

A native of nearby Taunton, Massachusetts, Pereira graduated in the spring of 2020 with a bachelor's degree in business management and in 2022 with an MBA.