Boston University

Boston, MA 02215

Massachusetts Northeast

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Casey Brown

After making lasting impacts on the Boston University women’s soccer team as both a student-athlete and an assistant coach, Casey Brown ’10 returned to her alma mater in the summer of 2022 to become just the second head coach in program history. The 2023 season will be her second at the helm.

In her first season back at Terrier Town in 2022, Brown helped guide BU to an 11-8-1 record, going 6-3 in Patriot League play to capture the third seed in the Patriot League Tournament and reach the semifinal round. Among those 11 wins included a 1-0 triumph at No. 25 Harvard on Oct. 4, marking the Terriers' first victory over a ranked foe since 2014. Six Terriers garnered All-Patriot League honors, tied for most in the league. Among those was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, freshman Giulianna Gianino, and First Team selection Jenna Oldham, who also picked up United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Second Team and All-ECAC Second Team recognition. In addition, BU paced the league in Academic All-Patriot League selections in redshirt senior Amy Thompson, junior Lily Matthews, and sophomore Morgan Fagan.

The head coach at Penn for two seasons from 2020-22, Brown replaced Nancy Feldman, who retired in April 2022 after a legendary career that included 27 seasons as head coach of the Terriers.

Brown’s first head-coaching job was at Holy Cross, where she turned the Crusaders’ program around during a four-year stint that culminated with her being named the 2019 Patriot League Coach of the Year.

A three-time America East Defender of the Year, Brown earned All-America honors as a senior at BU and was on Feldman’s staff from 2013-16, receiving the Mid-Atlantic Assistant Coach of the Year in 2015 while serving as the program’s associate head coach.

This past season at Penn was Brown’s first competitively in Philadelphia as the Ivy League did not play during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She led the Quakers to a 9-5-2 mark, which matched the program’s second-highest win total since 2013, and the team went 6-1-2 in non-conference play with the only loss coming on the road against nationally ranked Hofstra. Penn posted a 9-1-2 mark at home.

Four Quakers collected All-Ivy honors in 2021 with junior Sizzy Lawton going one step further, earning a spot on the NSCAA all-region third team.

In her final season at Holy Cross, Brown pushed the Crusaders to their best season in nearly two decades, reaching their first Patriot League tournament since 2000 while earning a second-place finish in the regular season. The team went 5-4-8 with the loss total tying for the least in the program’s 37-year history and the 16 goals allowed being the least conceded by any Holy Cross women’s soccer team.

In just four years, Brown collected the second-most PL victories in Holy Cross history along with the highest conference winning percentage. Five Crusaders were named All-Patriot League in 2019, the most since 2000.

Brown, a native of Natick, Mass., saw her Holy Cross team post the highest grade-point average (3.61) in program history in 2019, which was the best among the department’s 27 teams. She also instituted a new community service program that resulted in the most service hours of all Division I women’s soccer programs.

While serving on Feldman’s staff at BU, Brown helped the Terriers claim three Patriot League titles and NCAA tournament appearances (2013-15). BU twice advanced to the NCAA Second Round during her tenure while earning spots in the national rankings.

Brown began her career as a graduate assistant coach at LIU Brooklyn from 2010-12. The Blackbirds earned the Northeast Conference regular-season championship in 2010, then won the 2011 NEC tournament title to advance to the NCAA tournament.

During her decorated playing days, Brown led the Terriers to four straight NCAA appearances and three league titles. A four-time all-conference selection and three-time all-region pick, Brown was the America East Championship's Most Outstanding Player in 2007. She is the only woman in America East soccer history to be named the top player at her position three times.

Brown was drafted by the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2010 and was later inducted into the Natick High School Hall of Fame.

Brown earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the College of Communication in 2010 before going on to finish a master’s in exercise physiology and sports nutrition from LIU Brooklyn in 2012.

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Allison Saucier

Allison Saucier joined the Boston University women's soccer program in June of 2022. The 2023 campaign will be her second with the Terriers.

In her first season in 2022, BU captured an 11-8-1 record, going 6-3 in Patriot League play and reaching the Patriot League Tournament semifinal round. Six Terriers picked up All-Patriot League honors, while the Terriers led the league with three Academic All-Patriot League selections.

Saucier spent the previous three seasons at Seton Hall University under Head Coach Ciara Crinion, with whom Saucier has worked with for the last six campaigns. In 2021, Saucier helped guide the Pirates to their most wins in a season since 2012, building a four-win improvement from the previous year. In the last calendar year, Seton Hall defeated Villanova and St. John’s for the first time since 2013 and 2010, respectively.

Prior to her time in South Orange, N.J., Saucier was part of the University of Hartford coaching staff from 2016-18. In that span, she primarily worked with the Hawks’ goalkeepers while serving as the team’s fitness director. Hartford earned the America East regular season title in 2016 and 2018, and won 34 games during her tenure.

Saucier oversaw the development of netminder Jessica Jurg, who was the America East Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017 and 2018. In Jurg’s final season, she tallied a 0.93 goals-against average, pacing the conference and ranking 27th in the nation with nine shutouts.

After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 2016, Saucier started her coaching career with the Oakwood Soccer Club in Glastonbury, Conn. There, she was a head coach for youth training leagues, an assistant coach for the youth premier teams, and served as a goalkeeper trainer and speed clinic director.

A four-year letterwinner at UConn, Saucier appeared in 35 career matches for the Huskies, recording a .729 save percentage and 1.12 goals-against average. In 2014, she started in all 21 of her games, going 8-3-2 to help UConn capture the AAC championship and earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. The Huskies made it to the NCAA Tournament twice in her career. She later competed in the NEWISA Senior Bowl in 2015.

Saucier was an All-State selection and Western New England All-Star at Loomis Chaffee, guiding her team to the Founders League championship and New England finals in 2008, 2009, and 2011.

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Megan Burke

Megan Burke joined the Boston University women's soccer program in July of 2022. The 2023 campaign will be her second with the Terriers.

In her first season in 2022, BU captured an 11-8-1 record, going 6-3 in Patriot League play and reaching the Patriot League Tournament semifinal round. Six Terriers picked up All-Patriot League honors, while the Terriers led the league with three Academic All-Patriot League selections.

Burke joins BU following three years at Fairfield University under Head Coach David Barrett. Burke has helped the Stags total 20 wins in the two full seasons during her tenure, as well as reaching the 2019 MAAC championship game as the No. 2 seed.

Fairfield recorded 12 All-MAAC selections with Burke on the coaching staff, which includes two United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees in Gabby Diodati and Stephanie Tsangaris and 2019 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year Josie Horosky. In addition, the Stags notched 56 MAAC All-Academic recipients.

Burke was named one of 30 selections for the United Soccer Coaches 30 under 30, a program with a year-long education and mentorship opportunity designed to support up-and-coming members of the coaching profession. She received an educational scholarship which provides registrations for the United Soccer Coaches Digital Convention and an Advanced Diploma course of the coach's choosing.

Prior to her time at Fairfield, Burke served as a graduate assistant coach at New Mexico State for two seasons. In her first year in 2017, the Aggies racked up nine wins, one shy of the program record, and had three All-WAC selections.

A native of Shelton, Conn., Burke played collegiate soccer at UMass. Starting 69 of her 71 career matches, she registered 11 goals and eight assists throughout her four seasons.

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Kevin Nylen

After participating in a combined seven NCAA tournaments as a player and coach, Kevin Nylen was named the head coach of the Boston University men’s soccer team in January 2020.

A native of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Nylen returned to the Commonwealth following a three-year head-coaching stint at Florida International in which he led the Panthers to a pair of top-35 RPI finishes, highlighted by an unbeaten 11-0-4 regular season record in 2017. He became just the sixth BU men’s soccer head coach in the storied history of the 70-year old program after the retirement of Neil Roberts (1985-2019).

Following his first season that was shortened to just four games by the CoVID-19 pandemic, the Terriers ended the second in fall 2021 with a 3-1-1 record. BU carried the momentum from the strong finish into his third season in fall 2022 with the program's best start through four games since 2010 at 2-0-2. After posting a 1-0 win at No. 9 New Hampshire for their first top-10 win since 2009, the Terriers collected 15 points in the Patriot League standings to claim their first top-2 seed since 2017. They finished with nine shutouts, including the program's first against ACC rival Boston College in the annual series since 2012.

For their efforts this past season, the Terriers received two major PL year-end awards with Francesco Montali collecting Goalkeeper of the Year honors and Griffin Roach earning Defensive Player of the Year recognition. BU had at least three All-Conference First Teamers for the first time since 2015 and posted a 4-1-5 home record for its best mark at Nickerson Field since 2016. BU ended the season ranked ninth nationally in shutout percentage (.500), 11th at .803 save percentage and 18th in team goals against average (.823).

While in Miami, the 2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year led FIU to an overall record of 29-15-9 (.632). This past season, the Panthers were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA tournament with an RPI ranking of 35 and a 10-3-5 record. Andrew Booth was tabbed the 2019 C-USA Midfielder of the Year, while Nick O’Callaghan was named the conference’s Co-Defensive MVP. Earlier in January, goalkeeper Daniel Gagliardi became the third FIU player in as many years to be selected in the top two rounds of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Nylen was named to the FIU post in December of 2016 after spending the previous year as the chief scout and U16 head coach with the Orlando City SC (Major League Soccer) Development Academy. In his first season on the sideline as head coach at FIU, Nylen guided the Panthers to one of the best seasons in the program’s history, recording a 12-2-4 record and a 6-0-2 mark in Conference USA, and the team’s first-ever C-USA regular season title. Ranked as high as No. 8 nationally, FIU was also one of only two teams in Division I men's soccer to claim an unbeaten regular season record, joining Indiana, and later advanced to the second round of the NCAAs.

During the 2017 campaign, the Panthers garnered four NSCAA All-Southeast Region honors after Santiago Patino was named Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and the C-USA Golden Boot Recipient. Patino was also named a First Team All-American and a semifinalist for the prestigious Hermann Trophy. Paul Marie was named a Third Team All-American before becoming the first-round pick of the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.

While with Orlando City, in addition to on-the-field coaching, Nylen identified and oversaw all player recruitment into the MLS academy. He moved to Orlando following a four-year stint as an assistant at FIU in which he helped build the Panthers into one of the top teams in C-USA and the nation. During the 2015 season, FIU posted a 12-7-1 record, won its first-ever C-USA tournament championship and returned to the NCAAs for the first time since the 2004 campaign. In addition, the Panthers finished the season ranked No. 16 in the final NSCAA Top 25 poll.

As recruiting coordinator for FIU, Nylen secured the program’s first Top 20 recruiting class in 11 years when the Panthers’ class was ranked as high as No. 14 by the NSCAA. Nylen was recognized for his efforts at the end of the 2015 season by being named the NSCAA Southeast Region’s Glenn “Mooch” Myernick Assistant Coach of the Year.

After starting his coaching career at Amherst College in a 2009 run to the second round of the Division III NCAA tournament, Nylen spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Boston College, where he helped guide the Eagles to a combined 24-11-6 record from 2010-11 with two more NCAA appearances. The 2010 team advanced to the ACC semifinals and followed that up with an appearance in the 2011 ACC title game.

A four-year varsity standout at Ipswich H.S., where he took home Cape Ann League Player of the Year honors before graduating in 1999, Nylen went on to have a successful collegiate career at Saint Anselm. He received the school's 2003 Male Athlete of the Year honor, awarded annually to one student-athlete who best exemplifies the Saint Anselm spirit in leadership, scholarship and athletic achievements. After helping the Hawks reach the NCAAs in both 2000 and 2001, he garnered 2002 NSCAA All-America and Northeast 10 Defensive Player of the Year accolades as team captain.

Nylen spent six years competing in the professional ranks. He first played with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the United Soccer League Second Division (2003-06) before joining the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division for three seasons.

He and his wife Michelle have two daughters, Pearl and Tatum, and one son, Teddy. .

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Patrick Lopez

Patrick Lopez joined Boston University men's soccer head coach Kevin Nylen's first staff in March 2020. Both men have the unique distinction of reaching the NCAAs as student-athletes and coaches.

Lopez was part of Nylen's staff at Florida International for the previous three years, including a historic 2017 campaign that saw the Panthers post a 12-2-4 record and claim their first-ever C-USA regular season title. They were named the Southeast Region Division I Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches for their efforts. Overall, they helped nine Panthers earn professional contracts with five being drafted in Major League Soccer while guiding FIU to a combined record of 29-15-9 (.632).

In 2019, the Panthers were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA tournament with an RPI ranking of 35 and a 10-3-5 record. Andrew Booth was tabbed the 2019 C-USA Midfielder of the Year, while Nick O'Callaghan was named the conference's Co-Defensive MVP. They were later joined by Alessandro Campoy in earning United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region accolades. In January, FIU had an NCAA-tying three players chosen in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft with All-CUSA honoree Daniel Gagliardi becoming the third Panther in as many years to be selected in the top two rounds.

Lopez played under Nylen for two seasons at FIU in 2014 and 2015 when Nylen was an assistant. The center back made 17 starts his senior year and totaled eight points (3g, 2a), highlighted by the 75th-minute game-winning goal against Marshall that gave the Panthers their first C-USA title. He added C-USA All-Tournament honors, as FIU made its first NCAA appearance since 2004. The following season, he received a spot on the staff as the director of operations and later moved to the volunteer assistant position in 2017. He was promoted again in 2018 to assistant coach.

A native of Miami, Lopez graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in sports and fitness studies. Following his collegiate career, Lopez played for Puerto Rico against the U.S. Senior Men's National Team, in a historic friendly in 2016. As a coach, he works with all players on the field while focusing his efforts on sports science, team tactics, training methodology and recruiting.

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Matthew Whittley

Matthew Whittley returns for his second season as a member of the Boston University men’s soccer coaching staff.

This past fall working primarily with the goalkeepers, he helped Francesco Montali earn the Terriers’ first Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year award in eight years. Montali improved his save percentage from a .714 in 2021 to .839 (fourth best nationally) while also decreasing his goals against average from 1.62 to 0.67 (seventh best nationally).

Overall, BU claimed nine shutouts, highlighted by a 1-0 victory over then-No. 9 New Hampshire for the Terriers’ first top 10 victory since 2009. The Terriers finished the season ranked 18th in shutout percentage (.500) while also placing second in the PL standings.

A native of Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, Whittley earned a degree in sports coaching, science and fitness at Ulster University in 2016. During his time on campus, he played as the first team keeper for Greenisland FC and served as an assistant coach on the Ulster University men’s and women’s soccer team.

He was also from 2013-17 an assistant coach for Linfield Ladies FC in the NIWFA, helping the team qualify twice for UEFA Women’s Champions League knockout stages and both goalkeepers represent the Northern Ireland national team.

Adding a degree in sports coaching from Anglia Ruskin University, he took his first job in the United States at Global Premier Soccer in Massachusetts, first as assistant director of goalkeeper and then later as director of goalkeeper.