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Ave Maria University

Ave Maria University Athletics
 5050 Ave Maria Blvd. Ave Maria, FL 34142
NAIA Florida Southeast
Private Small Competitive team
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Tyler Rosser

Tyler Rosser is in his seventh season as the head coach of the women's soccer program. He has named head coach by the University in June 2017.


The 2020 season was a high water mark for the Ave Maria women's soccer program, who finished in third place in The Sun Conference and earned the program's first ever Sun Conference Tournament win. Rosser was named the conference's Coach of the Year, and guided three players - Emily Dalton, Lauren Brooks, and Maddie Samuelson - to All-Conference recognition and one player, Emily Dalton, to NAIA All-American Honorable Mention Honors. Emily is the first women’s soccer player at the university to be named an All-American.


The success continued into 2021, when AMU earned their biggest win in school history by beating a top five Southeastern team, 2-0, on Southeastern’s home field. The team received votes in the NAIA national poll for the first time and finished the season ranked in the final Area Regional Committee rankings. Following the season, two Gyrenes earned All-Conference honors - Rachel Dalton was named second team All-Conference, and Emily Dalton became the school's first-ever two-time All-Conference selection.


In 2022, the Gyrenes earned a point in more than half of their contests, and were extremely stout defensively. Ave Maria posted seven shutouts, including a school record of five consecutive games without allowing a goal.


Rosser has seen considerable academic success in the program. The program has been honored with the highest GPA in the athletic department during his tenure. The team won the United Soccer Coaches All Academic Award following the 2018 and 2020 season. Dozens of players have earned Sun Conference All-Academic honors during his reign as head coach and two ladies, Meghan Precord and Maddie Samuelson, have won the highest athletic department award, Gyrene of the Year, under Rosser’s charge.


Tyler came to Ave Maria after serving as the head coach of the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School girls’ soccer team for three years. He led them to a 14-6-1 record and their first playoff appearance in three years in 2016 and to their first playoff win in ten years during his final season in 2017. He also taught theology and leadership classes at MCPS.


Prior to Montgomery Catholic, Rosser was the Director of College Outreach for the Southeast Region of Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) for two years, managing seven team directors and staff at seven campuses across the southeastern United States.


Before he was the Director of College Outreach, Rosser spent three years as a FOCUS Team Director and Varsity Catholic staff member at Loras College and Belmont Abbey College.


During his senior year at Ave Maria, Rosser was an assistant coach to the AMU women's soccer team and upon graduation was named head coach for the men's soccer program. As head coach, he provided oversight of all aspects of the program including recruiting, budgeting, scheduling games, conducting practices and games, and raising funds for the program. Rosser finished his playing career in 2008 as a member of the first varsity soccer team at Ave Maria after transferring from and competing for three varsity seasons at NCAA Division III mainstay, Rhodes College.


Tyler graduated from Ave Maria University with a B.A. in History in 2010 and California University of Pennsylvania with a M.S. in Sports Management in 2013. He has taken graduate level courses at the University of Notre Dame in Educational Leadership and PhD courses at Troy University in Sports Management.. He has his United States Soccer Federation 'C' license. Rosser lives in Ave Maria with his wife, Dene’, and their five children, James, John, Gemma, Josie, and Charlie.


Accolades:

2020 Sun Conference Coach of the Year

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Thalia Meza

Thalia Meza enters her fifth season on the Ave Maria University women’s soccer staff.


After two seasons (2019 and 2020) as a graduate assistant, Meza was elevated to full-time assistant coach prior to the 2021 season. Meza was a graduate assistant for Ave Maria's 2020 team, which finished third in The Sun Conference and earned a Sun Conference Tournament win.


Meza graduated from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee in December 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. After teaching third grade for two years, Meza joined the Gyrenes in 2019 as a graduate assistant where she earned a master's degree in Theology while coaching the women’s soccer team.


Meza began playing soccer at the age of 4 and continued playing at the competitive club level as well as for Venice High School. While playing club soccer, she had the opportunity to volunteer and coach a recreational team which eventually led to coaching at the competitive club level for the Venice Falcons Soccer Club. She fell in love with coaching and decided to continue coaching ever since.


Meza has coached a variety of ages and levels ranging from 2 to 23 years old. Meza earned her USSF D coaching license and hopes to continue furthering her coaching education.

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