Saint Joseph's University (PA)

Philadelphia, PA 19131

Pennsylvania Northeast

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Coaches

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Jess Mannella

The only coach in Saint Joseph's program history to lead the Hawks to the Atlantic 10 Tournament, Jess Mannella returns for her 24th season at the helm of the women's soccer squad in 2023-24

In 23 seasons, Mannella has turned around a team that posted a single A-10 win in the year before she arrived, to a highly-competitive club that has since made 12 postseason appearances and captured the 2016 A-10 regular season title.

Along with team success, the 2016 A-10 Coach of the Year has guided 10 Hawks to All-Region honors, and 29 Hawks to A-10 All-Conference accolades including four Rookies of the Year, three Midfielders of the Year and two Offensive Players of the Year.

Away from the sidelines, Mannella has also been instrumental in guiding the team's previous trips to Brazil, Norway, Spain, California and Colorado. She has directed off-season camps to help raise money for the team, as well as local charities, and was instrumental in establishing volunteer and community service projects for the team.

Prior to coming to Saint Joseph's in August of 2001, she spent one year as head coach at West Chester University, where the Golden Rams compiled a record of 10-9-1. In addition to her responsibilities of handling the soccer team, Mannella also coordinated all aspects of West Chester's extensive summer camp.

A four-year starter at Delaware, Mannella earned her undergraduate degree in education in 1997. One of the top playmakers in Blue Hens history, she currently ranks 10th all-time in program history in assists (13) and helped her team to a 48-25-3 record from 1993-96. She returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach in April of 1999 and also served as an assistant women's soccer coach at Temple for one season.

A native of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, Mannella presently serves as head coach of FC BUCKS U17 NPL team and coaches the U7 and U8 CRUSA Academy. She is also currently working towards a master's degree in educational leadership at Saint Joseph's. A former standout at Strath Haven High School, Mannella currently resides in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Dan, and daughters.

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Tori Corsaro

Beginning her fourth season as an assistant coach with the Saint Joseph’s women’s soccer program in 2023-24 is Tori Corsaro.

In her first season with the Hawks, Corsaro helped a youthful goalkeeping group ranks seventh in the conference in saves, and eighth in goals against average, while rookie Katie Cappelletti was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week once.

In 2021, Corsaro oversaw a strong performance in goal by the Hawks, capped by Cappelletti etching her name in the Hawks' record book as she finished the season in the top-five in shutouts (seven) and saves (114).

Helping the Hawks earn another A-10 Championship bid in 2022, Corsaro continued to mold Cappelletti into one of the top keepers in the league, as the junior helped SJU advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament behind a shuout victory over VCU, earning Cappelletti All-Championship Team honors. Additionally, Corsaro's strategy and teaching helped Cappelletti and the Hawks post seven shutouts.

Corsaro came to Hawk Hill after more than four years at The Keeper Institute. Among her responsibilities, Corsaro served as a technical goalkeeper trainer and helped design and host sessions, analyze performances and create programs with the intent of helping goalkeepers reach their goals. Additionally, she helped clip and analyze video training, served as social media coordinator and hosted The Keeper Institute Podcast.

In the Fall of 2017, Corsaro served as the technical goalkeeper trainer for the Pennsylvania Strikers. Prior to that, she helped train and developer goalkeepers as an assistant coach at Widener for the 2016 season.

A collegiate standout in her own right, Corsaro was a four-year starter and team captain at Le Moyne. Appearing in 63 career game with a 1.64 goals against average, she continued her playing career after graduation as a practice player with Sky Blue FC from 2017 through the preseason in 2018.

A standout off the field, Corsaro also served as Co-President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Le Moyne and was a captain for the Le Moyne Love Your Melon branch to help improve the lives of children battling cancer. She graduated cum laude in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and information systems.

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Jake Dowiak

Currently in his second season as an assistant coach with the Saint Joseph's women's soccer program is Jake Dowiak.

In his first year on Hawk Hill, Dowiak helped the Hawks to a seventh place finish in the Atlantic 10, and a run to the semifinals of the A-10 Championship.

Dowiak came to Saint Joseph’s after serving as an assistant coach with Rutgers-Camden’s men’s soccer team this past year. In his season with the Scarlet Raptors, Dowiak helped the program advance to the semifinals of the ECAC Championship, while four student-athletes garnered NJAC postseason honors.

Along with experience at the collegiate level, Dowiak has coached at the developmental level and high school ranks. Most recently, he served as regional coach and camp coordinator for Steel United Soccer Club, where he created sessions that focus on improving technical and tactical ability, and designed conditioning programs.

Dowiak, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers-Camden, also has served as an assistant coach with the Ocean City Nor’easters, and spent four years as the assistant director of coaching for the Cherry Hill Football Club. Dowiak also led the boys’ soccer program as head coach of Bishop Eustace Preparatory for six years, leading the Crusaders to a pair of conference championships.

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Don D'Ambra

Don D'Ambra enters his 14th season as the head coach of the Saint Joseph's men's soccer program in Fall 2023. One of the most decorated former SJU student-athletes to be named a head coach on Hawk Hill, D'Ambra was introduced as the fourth head coach in the program's history on April 15, 2010. D'Ambra's current 13-year record on Hawk Hill stands as 61-131-33.

After a disrupted Fall 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic saw the Hawks go 3-7-0 in the spring, D'Ambra helped lead the Hawks to an 8-9-2 record in 2021, including a 5-2-1 record in A-10 play that gave SJU a #3 seed in the postseason tournament. D'Ambra coached Garrett Lyons to First Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Academic Team honors while adding three Hawks to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.

The Hawks went 5-12-1 (1-7-0 A-10) in 2019 following a 2018 campaign in which the Crimson and Gray went 8-7-3 season in 2018, with a 2-3-3 mark in Atlantic 10 action. Saint Joseph's eight wins were the most in program history since 2003 and the most since D'Ambra's arrival on Hawk Hill. SJU also closed the 2018 season with six wins at home, the most in program history since 2003, and turned in the program's first unbeaten home season since the 70s.

D'Ambra coached then-junior forward Leon Maric to Atlantic 10 First Team honors and Philadelphia Soccer Six Player of the Year recognition, and Saint Joseph's earned historic wins over Navy, the Hawks' first win over the Midshipmen in the 10-match series, and Fordham, ranked 21st nationally at the time of the meeting. Additionally, D'Ambra coached then-sophomore defender David Grana, the program's first CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2018.

The Hawks went 3-11-4 in 2017, with a 1-6-1 mark in A-10 action. D'Ambra coached then-freshman midfielder Ritchie Barry to A-10 Rookie Team honors, and Saint Joseph's earned wins over Temple, Manhattan, and George Mason and draws with Hartford, VMI, Central Connecticut, and UMass. SJU's win over Temple was the program's first since 2013.

The Hawks went 6-11-1 season and 3-5-0 in the A-10 in 2016. D'Ambra coached then-senior midfielder Bliss Harris and then-junior midfielder Matt Crawford to A-10 Second Team honors, marking the first time the program had earned any type of All-Conference recognition since 2003. Saint Joseph's earned non-conference wins over Howard, Hartford, and Central Connecticut State, improving to 4-0 all-time against Howard and earning the first wins in program history over Hartford and Central Connecticut State. SJU opened A-10 play with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2007.

Saint Joseph's improved upon a 2015 season in which the squad went 4-12-2; D'Ambra coached then-freshman forward Derek MacKinnon to A-10 Rookie Team honors while then-senior forward Emmanuel Temeh and Harris earned Philadelphia Soccer Six All-Star Team accolades.

In 2014, D'Ambra coached the Hawks to an overall record of 7-7-4 to reach the program's highest single-season win total since 2003. Saint Joseph's jumped out to a 5-1-2 start to kick off the season, which marked the program's best record over its first eight matches since 2002. Over a six-match stretch from September 5-24, the Hawks went 4-0-2, which was the program's longest unbeaten stretch since 1994.

In 2013, D'Ambra led the Hawks to just their third A-10 postseason appearance in program history and their first since 1994. Saint Joseph's held a scoreless tie with George Mason before the Patriots advanced on penalty kicks. With the draw, D'Ambra coached the Hawks to a 5-8-6 overall record for a .421 winning percentage, the program's highest since 2003, and to a 2-4-3 conference record, marking the first time since 2007 that the men's soccer program had notched more than two league wins in one season.

The 2012 season marked tremendous growth of the Saint Joseph's men's soccer program as the Hawks posted a 5-11-2 overall record while going 1-6-2 in the Atlantic 10. The Hawks recorded the same amount of wins as in their previous three seasons combined en route to putting together a pair of ties late in the season to prevent losses against La Salle and Fordham for the first time since 2008 and 2006, respectively.

In 2011, D'Ambra compiled identical overall and conference records as in his inaugural season, putting together a two-year record of 4-30-0 overall and 2-16-0 in conference play.

In his first season at SJU, D'Ambra led the 2010 Hawks to an overall record of 2-15-0 and 1-8-0 in the A-10 as the squad snapped a 24-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Iona and won its first conference match since 2008 in a 2-0 victory over Rhode Island.

Through nine seasons, D'Ambra has coached one A-10 All-Conference First Team selection, two A-10 All-Conference Second Team picks, three A-10 All-Rookie Team honorees, and four A-10 Academic All-Conference standouts as well as 13 Philadelphia Soccer Six All-Stars and 11 Philadelphia Soccer Six All-Rookie selections.

D'Ambra returned to Saint Joseph's after a successful coaching and playing career with the Philadelphia KiXX of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). He played a total of 16 seasons in the MISL, the last 14 seasons with the KiXX, and served as team captain, assistant coach, and head coach. In 2002, he assumed duties as the head coach of the KiXX and served as the vice president of soccer operations/head coach until 2009-10. D'Ambra helped the KiXX to two MISL championships, as a player in 2002 and player/coach in 2007. A four-time All-Star selection, D'Ambra is the KiXX's all-time leading scorer with 388 goals and 905 points. In eight seasons as head coach, he totaled 119 wins, the most in the team's history.

While at Saint Joseph's from 1990-94, D'Ambra was a Regional All-America First Team selection and Philadelphia Soccer Seven Player of the Year and remains the only player in Hawk history to earn the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award, winning it in 1993. D'Ambra holds the SJU career records for goals (41) and points (102), as well as the marks for goals (15) and points (38) in a season, set in 1993. He was inducted into SJU's Men's Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000.

"We are pleased and honored to welcome back Don D'Ambra as our new head men's soccer coach. Don is committed to the SJU mission to enhance the overall student-athlete experience," said former director of athletics Don DiJulia. "Don's passion and commitment to excel will encourage the success of our student-athletes and the soccer program from its solid foundation built by his predecessors - Tom Turner, Jack Ruggero and Jack Dunn. He brings energy and a vision for the future of the Hawk soccer program. Don made us proud during his playing days here and will make us even more proud during his tenure as our head coach."

D'Ambra owns a USSF "A" coaching license and has been involved with coaching youth teams, conducting coaching clinics and organizing skills and development programs for over 14 years.

He possesses international playing experience, having been a member of the United States National Futsal Team from 2002 through 2008. With 15 international caps, D'Ambra has participated in the World Championships and the Pan American Games.

D'Ambra replaced Tom Turner, who retired after 23 seasons as the Hawks' head coach and had been an assistant coach on Turner's staff at SJU from 1996-99.

A native of Philadelphia, D'Ambra attended North Catholic High School and graduated from Saint Joseph's in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and concentration in food marketing. D'Ambra and his wife, Leslie, have three daughters - Samantha, Kylie and Milana. Kylie graduated from Saint Joseph's in May 2020 and starred for the Saint Joseph's women's soccer team.

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Rich Ongaro

Rich Ongaro enters his third season as an assistant coach on Hawk Hill in the 2022 season.

Ongaro's first season saw the Hawks compete in the spring of 2021 after navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongaro was part of a Hawk squad that tallied an 8-9-2 record in 2021, including a 5-2-1 record in A-10 play that gave SJU a #3 seed in the postseason tournament. Ongaro helped newcomer Lars Haavie to Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors after a 1.37 GAA and a 72.1% save percentage in his first year on Hawk Hill.

Ongaro replaced former assistant coach Pat Morris, who took a position as the newest men's soccer head coach at Penn State Abington after spending 10 seasons with the Crimson and Gray.

"I have known Rich for a few years, and I believe he will be a great addition to our coaching staff," said head coach Don D'Ambra. "He brings Division I coaching experience and will be asked to manage different aspects of our program. I am confident he will fit in well and introduce innovative ways to enhance our program."

Ongaro arrives on Hawk Hill by way of Fordham University, where he was an assistant coach with the Rams for the 2019 season. Ongaro worked directly with Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team goalkeeper Konstantin Weis, who finished the season ranked third in Fordham goalkeeper history in single-season minutes played (1,919) and sixth in single-season shutouts (7).

Prior to that stop, Ongaro spent a season as a volunteer assistant coach at Old Dominion University. Working with the goalkeepers, he coached Mertcan Akar, who earned Third Team All-Conference USA honors, while as a team, the Monarchs finished second in the regular-season standings for Conference USA.

Before joining the ODU staff, Ongaro was an assistant coach at both Rutgers-Camden and the University of Northwestern Ohio, where he worked with the women's teams.

A collegiate goalkeeper from 2012-15, Ongaro played his freshman year at VCU before transferring to Holy Family University for his final three years. He was a three-year starter for the Divison II school and collected nine shutouts and 191 saves throughout his three years playing for the Tigers.

Ongaro is a native of Columbus, N.J.

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Matt Perrella

Matt Perrella joins the Saint Joseph’s men's soccer staff after two successful seasons with Camden County College in the NJCAA. In two seasons, Perrella led the Cougars to two NJCAA National Semifinals and two Region 19 titles. During his time with CCC, Perrella coached two All-Americans and recorded an impressive 31-5-2 record, being named the Coach of the Year in both of his seasons.

Perrella also leads the USL2 side Ocean City Nor'easters, who came off an 8-1-5 regular season record in 2023 and advanced to the national quarterfinals before losing 4-2 in overtime to eventual finalist Lionsbridge FC. In the previous season as the club’s first assistant, Ocean City went 11-0-3. During his two-year span, Perrella has helped five players go pro and has had one USL2 Player of the Year, one USL2 Golden Glove winner and two USL2 Best XI players.

As a player, Perrella spent four years at Rider University, serving the team as a captain in three of those seasons. Following Rider, Perrella went on to get his MBA from Durham University in England. While playing for Durham University, he was scouted by Newcastle United. Perella kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win against the Magpies’ reserve team, earning himself a trial with the premier league club. Perrella also held trials with Udinese Calcio in Italy, LB Châteauroux in France, FK Daugava Riga in Latvia and APOEL FC in Cyprus.

In 2016, Perrella signed with Bethlehem Steel, the Philadelphia Union affiliate club before moving on to Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship in 2017.

Overall, Matt had stints with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Bethlehem Steel, North Carolina FC while also spending time with MLS side Sporting Kansas City. Perrella also played in the MASL for three seasons with the Harrisburg Heat and Milwaukee Wave.

Matt grew up in North Brunswick, N.J. and attended North Brunswick Twp. High School and St. Benedict's Prep and currently resides in Haddon Township, N.J.