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United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD 21402
Maryland Northeast
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Carin Gabarra

Going into her 30th season in 2022 ... Carin Gabarra is a proven winner.

Not only was she a success as a forward on the UC-Santa Barbara soccer team and later in her career playing for the United States National Team, but Gabarra has also demonstrated the golden touch when leading others by example.


It is the gift of leadership, which has led her to become one of the household names within the collegiate coaching ranks. Not because she was an eight-time All-American (four in high school and four at UC-Santa Barbara), and not because she was a member of the 1996 Olympic gold-medal winning U.S. National Team, but because she has developed the Navy soccer program from ground level to one of the Mid-Atlantic Region's most competitive teams.


Since taking over the Navy program in 1993, she has taken the Midshipmen from a club-level organization to a team who has claimed at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title 10 times, made five NCAA Tournament appearances, and produced 21 consecutive winning seasons from 1995 through 2015. In total she's had 25 total winning seasons in her 29 years at the helm of the Midshipmen.


Gabarra is the Patriot League's all-time wins leader and joined an elite group of coaches when she won her 300th career game during the 2015 season. She joined Boston University's Nancy Feldman as the only two Patriot League coaches to reach the plateau.


Building from the Beginning

Gabarra arrived at Navy in 1993, and led the Mids to a 2-5 mark in their first season as a varsity sport. In the process, Navy gained valuable experience before beginning Patriot League competition in 1994.


The Mids showed great progress in their inaugural season, as they missed a league tournament berth by just one game. The improvement continued in '95 with Navy boasting a record of 10-7-1 while making their first Patriot League Tournament appearance. The team's success didn't stop there. The '96 squad produced an 11-6-2 record, finished fourth in the league and made its first postseason tournament appearance with a game against Monmouth in the ECAC Tournament. Gabarra guided the 1997 team to a 10-8 record and a third-place finish in the Patriot League. Six Mids earned All-Patriot League recognition, including Defensive Player of the Year and Academic All-America honoree, Nicole Aunapu.


The 1998 season fulfilled the dreams of many, as Gabarra led the Mids to 17 wins, 14 shutouts and Navy's first regular-season conference title. An unprecedented nine Mids earned all-league honors, including eight first-teamers. Justine Fisher earned rookie-of-the-year accolades, while Aunapu was dubbed Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season. Aunapu was just the sixth player in league history to earn First-Team All-Patriot League recognition all four years and concluded her career as a two-time Academic All-American.


In 1999, Navy again made a run at the Patriot League crown, as the Mids shared the regular-season title with a 5-1 league mark. While making a return trip to the conference championship game, six Mids were tabbed all-league, including Fisher who became the first Mid to be honored as the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year.


The year 2000 brought Fisher her third all-league honor, as the Mids posted a 10-9-2 record and earned a bid to the league tournament for the sixth-consecutive season. Meanwhile, two rookies showed a glimmer of greatness to come in Amelia Sheveland, who tied the school record for goals in a game with four, and Stacy Finley, who made 17 starts while playing virtually every position.


Just one win shy of the school record, the 2001 team found success as it claimed a share of the Patriot League regular-season title with a 16-5-1 overall mark and 6-1 league record. Fisher became Navy's all-time leading scorer, while Gabarra claimed her 100th-career win all in one eventful day -- Oct. 28, 2001, against George Mason. Finley earned the offensive player-of-the-year title, Kate Macfarlane was deemed the defensive player of the year and Xochitl Piedra shared the top rookie honor. Meanwhile, Fisher and Kate Macfarlane both were Academic All-Americans.


Navy posted the program's first undefeated regular season at 16-0-4, before American upset the Mids in the Patriot League Tournament to leave the only blemish on the Mids' 2002 record. Navy was the only Div. I school that finished the 2002 season without a loss in regular-season play. Finley garnered her second-straight Patriot League Offensive Player-of-the-Year award after setting single-season school records with 45 points and 19 goals. Defensively, Kim Bonafede was among the top three nationally in GAA. Nadia Sheikh was a first-team all star after assuming the school's all-time assist lead in the final game of her career.


In 2003, Navy claimed its first Patriot League Tournament title and became the first Naval Academy women's team in any sport to earn a bid to play in the NCAA Tournament. En route to their 17-5-1 record, the Mids owned the nation's longest regular-season unbeaten streak (35 games) before dropping a one-goal decision to eventual national champion North Carolina. Over 6,500 fans witnessed the game, breaking the NCAA single-game attendance record. Stacy Finley was named First-Team All-Patriot League after becoming the Mids' all-time leader in career scoring, goals scored and shots taken. Classmate Amelia Sheveland garnered Patriot League Tournament MVP recognition, finishing her career as Navy's fourth leading scorer all-time.


The year 2004 was one of rebuilding. Navy dropped its first three league games, but responded by winning four straight. Injuries plagued the Mids in 2005, but for junior Meggie Curran, she finally was healthy and it showed. Curran paced the Patriot League with 32 points (9 g, 14 a).


In 2006, the four-member Class of 2007 began and ended their playing careers at the Academy in much the same fashion, by leading the Mids to the NCAA Tournament. A magical season saw Navy win a school-record 21 games, earn its sixth regular-season league crown, claim its second Patriot League Tournament title, and for the first time, advance to the NCAA's Second Round. Nestled in there was Navy's first win over a nationally-ranked program, a 1-0 victory over ninth-ranked Penn State in front of a standing-room only crowd at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Navy won 19-straight games before losing its regular-season finale by a goal.


The Mids led the nation in GAA (.370), shutout percentage (.790) and save percentage (.918), while setting school records in points (219), goals (70), assists (79), shutouts (19), and GAA (.370). Meggie Curran was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, while also becoming the program's first All-American. Rookie Shelly Moeller was named the co-defensive player of the year and claimed league tournament MVP kudos while playing in front of sophomore keeper Lizzie Barnes, who led the nation and set Patriot League records for GAA (0.29) en route to earning the league's goalkeeper-of-the-year laurel.


The 2007 squad posted a 14-5-4 record and claimed Navy's second NCAA berth in as many years. Behind offensive juggernaut Brigitte Fox and a stout defense, the Mids peaked at just the right time. Navy closed out the year unbeaten in its final 10 matches to earn its third-ever NCAA nod. Fox garnered first-team all-league recognition for a second-straight year after pacing the conference with 16 goals and 35 points. Senior team captain Kari Weniger closed out a fine career by garnering her second Academic All-America honor.


A balanced attack and smothering defense propelled Navy to a 15-win season in 2008, which included an unbeaten league mark (5-0-2) and the program's seventh regular-season Patriot League title. Navy boasted the league's least scored-upon defense for the third year in a row, led by the Patriot League's Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year in Shelly Moeller and Lizzie Barnes. Barnes concluded her storied career as the Patriot League's all-time GAA leader (0.65) and a two-time First-Team Academic All-American.


Navy earned a fourth-straight berth to the Patriot League Tournament in 2009, posting a 14-5-2 record after racing out to an impressive 8-1-1 start. The squad was nearly unbeatable at home with a 7-1-1 mark at the GWSF, which included a 2-0 win over Army in the Star Game. The Army-Navy rivalry brought 2,627 fans to the facility, a new record. In her first year as a starter, Beth Reed was named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year. In addition, Reed was chosen as the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Women's Soccer Academic All-American of the Year. Reed became the first Navy student-athlete to receive the top academic honor for one's sport. Classmate Shelly Moeller earned NSCAA/addidas Scholar All-America honors.


The Mids produced their 17th straight winning season in 2010 with a 9-8-3 mark. In 2011, Navy returned to Patriot League Tournament and advanced to its ninth league title game. Navy earned three All-Patriot League selections and Kate Herren and Ashlynn Soellner were both selected to the All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team.


Gabarra earned her third Patriot League Coach of the Year honor after Navy sported a 20-game unbeaten streak en route to a 19-2-1 record in 2012. The Mids won the Patriot League Regular Season title with a 6-0-1 mark but fell in the league title game. Defender Jade Seabrook anchored the Patriot League's top defense and the sophomore became the first Navy player to receive NSCAA All-America honors after being named to the third team. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Hoerner was named to the NSCAA Scholar All-America First Team and was the Patriot League's Goalkeeper of the Year and the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.


Navy recorded its 19th straight winning season in 2013 with a 16-5 mark and 8-1-0 league record to garner its eighth regular-season title. Morgan Dankanich, Jade Seabrook and Elizabeth Hoerner were named Patriot League Offensive, Defensive and Goalkeeper of the Year. Seabrook was also named a Third Team NSCAA All-American for the second consecutive year.


For the 20th consecutive season, the Midshipmen finished with a winning record of 12-4-5 overall and a 6-1-2 league mark. Jade Seabrook was named as the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season as well as the First Team NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region . Navy tallied eight players on the all-league squad, which included Rachel Hunter and Seabrook on the first team, Morgan Dankanich, Julie Schumacher and Clare MacAdam on the second and Lexi Ricketts, Dayton Wetherby and Meghan Hegarty on the third team.


Despite a young and inexperienced group, Navy tallied its 21st straight winning season in 2015 with an 11-7-4 mark and a 3-2-4 league record. The Mids earned four honorees to the all-league squad, which included Clare MacAdam (1st), Lexi Ricketts (1st), Lizzy Rullan (2nd) and Dayton Wetherby (3rd). Navy advanced to the Patriot League Semifinals following a 6-0 win over American in the quarterfinals.


In 2016, Mids posted a 9-11-2 mark and a 4-4-1 record in Patriot League play. The latter number helped Navy reach the conference postseason tournament for the 19th time in program history. Always in the fight, eight of the Mids’ 22 games during the campaign went to overtime. In the postseason award announcement, five Mids were honored with Natalie Dzhandzhapanyan (2nd) highlighting the quartet. Rachel Feldman (3rd), Meghan Hegarty (3rd), Clare MacAdam (3rd) and Megan Rogers (3rd) also were recognized.


In her 25th season of action with the Mids, Gabarra led the team to 16-4-1 record and 8-0-1 run of play in Patriot League competition in 2017. That record in league play gave Navy the regular season title and top seed in the Patriot League Tournament where the team defeated Colgate 3-0 in the semifinals before falling to Bucknell, 3-2 in the finals. A dangerous and well-rounded team in 2017, Navy averaged 2.1 goals per game to rank 25th nationally, while its defense posted 13 shutouts (.619 shutout percentage) to rank 12th across the NCAA DI landscape. Individually, Navy had eight players recognized on All-Patriot League teams with Ash Fairow (Offensive P.O.Y.), Meghan Hegarty (Midfielder.O.Y.) and Sydney Fortson (Goalkeeper.O.Y.) all garnering top honors. For the Mids' success, Gabarra was named the 2017 Patriot League Coach of the Year.

Overcoming the loss of 2017 Offensive Player of the Year Ash Fairow to a preseason injury, Gabarra and the Mids quickly re-grouped for a solid 11-6-3 campaign in 2018. In contention for the Patriot League regular season title until the last weekend of play, Navy went 7-2 in league action to rank third overall and reach the program’s 21st league tournament. A young team, all five of the Mids’ All-Patriot League players were either juniors: Cadie Higginson (1st), Alex Jackson (1st Tm & Defensive Player of the Year), Baseley McClaskey (1st), Sydney Fortson (3rd) or freshmen: Victoria Tran (2nd).


The team regained its spot in the NCAA Tournament in the Fall of 2019 as the Mids went 16-3-3 on their way to winning the Patriot League Championship. Atop the Patriot League standings in the regular season with a 6-1-2 mark, Navy advanced via penalty kicks in the semifinals before coming from behind to knock off Army in the Patriot League Finals by a score of 2-1. In their first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 2007, the Mids battled the N.C. State Wolfpack in Raleigh for over 55 minutes of scoreless action before the hosts found the back of the net and the eventual victory. Navy's success came from throughout of its roster as nine different players earned Patriot League awards led by Alex Jackson and Kaitlynn Johns, who were respectively named the Patriot League Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year. The other All-PL honorees included, Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan (1st), Cadie Higginson (1st), Sydney Fortson (1st), Baseley McClaskey (2nd), Victoria Tran (2nd), Jeana Freeman (3rd) and Avery Fries (3rd).


In a disjointed two-part 2020-21 schedule, Gabarra and the Mids posted a 4-4-3 overall mark and a 3-1-1 record in Patriot League play. With the COVID-19 pandemic looming throughout the fall and spring semesters, a young Midshipmen team challenged ACC opposition in the fall before hitting its stride in late March on its way to a 4-0-3 conclusion to its season. As part of that undefeated streak, Navy won a Patriot League Semifinal matchup over Loyola before edging Colgate in the Patriot League Finals via a penalty kick shootout. The championship was the second in a row for the Mids and the fifth in program history. Less than two weeks later, the Mids battled into penalty kicks once again in the First Round of the NCAA Championship as they tied the New Mexico Lobos 1-1 in regulation before falling in the shootout. For Navy's success in overcoming the pitfalls for the COVID-impacted regular season and finishing first in the Patriot League South Division, Gabarra was selected as the 2020-21 Patriot League Coach of the Year. She was joined in the league's major awards announcement by Victoria Tran and Chloe Dawson, who were named the Patriot League Midfielder and Rookie of the Year, respectively. Additional all-league honors were bestowed upon Avery Fries (1st Team), Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan (2nd) and Carolyn Mang (3rd).


The 2021 team was streaky over the first half of the season and found itself even at 5-5-1 through the end of September. With their youthful roster settling into their roles and getting up to speed in the collegiate game, Navy closed the regular season without a loss over its final eight games (6-0-2) and earned the second seed in the Patriot League Tournament. The Patriot League semifinal between Navy and Bucknell was scoreless for over 93 minutes before the Bison earned the walk-off golden goal victory. Freshman Alexa Riddle made an immediate impact for the Mids as she led the Patriot League in points (23) as she scored nine goals with five assists on her way to earning the league’s Rookie of the Year award along with All-North Region honors. Additionally, senior Victoria Tran garnered her fourth career All-Patriot League award.


A Star in the Making

A native of Palos Verdes, Calif., Gabarra graduated from California at Santa Barbara­ in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management. A standout forward for the Gaucho soccer team, she became the NCAA's all-time leading scorer with 102 goals and 60 assists. She held that post until 1993 when fellow Olympian Mia Hamm broke the record. Gabarra was a four-time All-America honoree and UC-Santa Barbara's Woman Athlete of the Decade in 1987, as well as Scholastic Athlete of the Year. In October of 1991, she was inducted into the UC-Santa Barbara Athletic Hall of Fame. She remains the record holder in every individual offensive category at Santa Barbara -- goals in a game, season and career; assists in a season and career; most points in a season and career; shots in a season and career; and games played in a career.


A standout at Palos Verdes High School, as well, she led the nation in scoring from 1980-83 by netting 226 goals and garnered high school All-America accolades four times.


Coaching Roots

Gabarra began her coaching career in 1987 as the head coach at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. There she guided the Warriors to a 6-10-0 record. She moved on to Harvard in 1988, serving as an assistant coach.


Pride of the United States

While coaching at Harvard, Gabarra continued competing on the international level where she led the U.S. to its first-ever Women's World Championship (later named Women's World Cup) title in 1991 by scoring six goals and was the recipient of the "Golden Ball," presented to the outstanding player of the championship. She garnered United States Soccer's Female Athlete-of-the-Year honors in 1992, after winning the award for the first time in 1987. She was also tagged the 1987 and '92 United States Olympic Committee Player of the Year. Gabarra recorded 117 international caps from 1987-1996 and scored 53 goals.


Though retired from professional soccer these days, Gabarra was named to the Stars of the Century Team in the summer of 1999. The roll call includes the best 11 players in the history of women's soccer in the United States -- Gabarra, Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, April Heinrichs, Kristine Lilly, Tiffeny Milbrett, Carla Overbeck, and Briana Scurry. Gabarra and her 1996 gold medal-winning teammates were inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.


The first U.S. player to be named MVP of the Women's World Cup, Gabarra, along with former New York Cosmos superstar Giorgio Chinaglia, were inducted at a public ceremony on Oct. 28, 2000, at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. She was just the second woman player to be inducted, as former World Cup teammate April Heinrichs was the first enshrined in 1998.


In addition to her coaching duties at Navy, Gabarra is active with the Olympic Development Programs that scout prospective national team players and is a member of the U.S. Soccer Athlete Advisory Council. She serves on the Athlete Advisory Board Project 2012 and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council. Gabarra has also served on the U.S. Soccer Technical Committee since 2006 and chairs the U.S. Soccer's Girl's Player Development Task Force. Additionally, Gabarra is a member of the Maryland Physical Fitness Council. She is also an honorary member of Habitat for Humanity: Women Building a Legacy. She was recently named to the National Soccer Hall of Fame's Eligibility & Awards Working Committee. Gabarra is also an active member of the Washington, DC-based Athletes for Hope foundation.


In 2011, Gabarra joined Dr. Jill Biden and Chelsea Clinton on the official U.S. Delegation on Air Force Two to the Women's World Cup Final in Germany. In 2012, Gabarra received the United States Sports Academy's Distinguished Service Award.


Gabarra was selected as the recipient of the 2017 Women's Soccer Award of Excellence. Established in 1999 to recognize those who have brought honor and distinction to women's soccer, Gabarra joins the likes of Michelle Akers, April Heinrichs, Kristine Lilly, Tony DiCicco and Anson Dorrance as elite members of the women's soccer community, who have previously been bestowed this accolade.


The Gabarras

In 1992, the former Carin Jennings married Jim Gabarra. No stranger to the soccer world, Jim was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1986-89, earning 14 caps, and played for the Olympic Team in `88. A former captain of the U.S. Indoor National Team, he competed in the '89, '92 and `96 Futbal World Championships. Jim was the head coach for the Washington Freedom from 2000-2010 and led the franchise to a WUSA Championship in `03. He’d later move on to coach the Sky Blue FC and Washington Spirit teams in the National Women’s Soccer League.

The couple have three children, Tyler, Abigail and Talia, and reside in Arnold. Both Tyler (North Carolina State ‘20) and Talia (UCF ‘23) play or have played collegiate soccer.

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Rob Blanck

Beginning his 28th season in 2022, Rob Blanck has been alongside head coach Carin Gabarra from nearly day one in building Navy's women's soccer program. Blanck came to the Academy in 1995, two years after Navy elevated to varsity status.

Blanck knows nothing other than success, having been a member of the Williams College varsity soccer team that produced a winning record all four years in which he played, while in his 30 years as a coach, 28 of his teams have posted winning records. Blanck has played a key role in all aspects of the Navy women’s soccer program during his tenure.


Blanck's background as an All-America goalkeeper has been a key element in developing Navy's corps of goalkeepers. Under his tutelage, Navy has produced seven all-league keepers -- three-time honoree Amy Hakola, two-time selection Sarah Wilson, 2001 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Kate Macfarlane, three-time all-leaguer Kim Bonafede, two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and the conference's career GAA leader Lizzie Barnes, 2009 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Beth Reed, 2012 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Elizabeth Hoerner, two-time honoree Dayton Wetherby and 2017 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Sydney Fortson, a three-time honoree.


Barnes, the most decorated netminder in program history, led the nation and set program records for GAA (0.29) and save percentage (.933) in 2006, while posting 13 shutouts - also a Navy record. She graduated as the Navy career leader in GAA (0.65), a career mark which stands 20th all-time in NCAA history. She also holds the school shutout record with 29. In addition to her athletic exploits, Barnes was one of three Navy student-athletes ever to twice earn First Team Academic All-America kudos.


Reed stepped in to replace Barnes in 2009 and promptly was honored as the league's top goalkeeper. Reed ranked 10th in the nation in save percentage and was a part of a goalkeeping unit that produced 11 shutouts. Over the last seven seasons, Blanck's influence has been evident as Navy has only had a goals-against-average over 1.00 for one season. Navy's defensive unit also allowed just nine goals in the entire 2006 season and just eight in 2002.


The Mids' defensive prowess has never been more evident than in recent years. Navy owned the top-ranked Patriot League's defensive unit in three-consecutive seasons (2007-09), posting an 0.63 GAA while allowing only 45 goals with 42 shutouts.


In 2011, Navy posted nine shutouts and had a goals-against average of just 0.90. The 2012 squad led the Patriot League in goals-against average (0.91) and shutouts (nine).


The Mids' 2017 defensive corps held its opposition in check throughout the season to the tune of 13 shutouts and three other contests with only one goal allowed. Navy's 0.619 shutout percentage ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Division I ranks.

Navy’s defensive effort in 2018 was stout once again as the Mids allowed just 19 goals over 20 games for a 0.92 goals against average. Navy’s opponents were held to one or fewer goals in 15 contests and two or less scores in 19 of 20 games, while recording just 3.95 shots on goal per game, the lowest mark in the Patriot League.


As the team fought its way back into the NCAA Tournament as Patriot League Champions in 2019, Blanck's defensive corps was stout again as Navy went 16-3-3 with a 6-1-2 mark in Patriot League conference play. As a unit, the Mids' defense shut out their opposition 13 times over 22 games and allowed just two goals in nine Patriot League regular season contests. Teams were only able to get 2.77 shots on Navy's goal per game. Nationally, Navy's 0.523 goal against average was 13th-lowest in the NCAA DI ranks.


Navy repeated as conference champions the following season in a COVID-19 impact campaign. After playing three ACC opponents in the fall, the Mids hit their stride in an abbreviated spring season and closed with a 4-0-3 streak over their final seven games, including a victory in the Patriot League Semifinals and a shootout decision over Colgate in the Patriot League Championship to give the team its fifth postseason league title. Navy also forced a penalty kick shootout in the first round of the 2020-21 NCAA Championship tournament, but fell to New Mexico, 4-2. As a unit, Navy's defense held opponents to one or less goals in each of the final seven games of the season.


Navy’s 2021 team was once again at or near the top of most of the defensive metrics in the Patriot League. Fostering growth in a young roster, the Mids’ defense allowed one or fewer goals in each of the final nine contests of the season, including clean sheets versus Patriot League foes Loyola, American and Holy Cross.


Blanck was also instrumental in recruiting Justine Fisher, a four-time All-Patriot League selection, as well in developing Nicole Aunapu, the first Navy women's soccer player to garner all-league kudos all four years. In the summer of 2003, Blanck was selected to coach the United States in the CISM World Military Games in Germany. He guided the team, which included three former Naval Academy standouts -- Cristina Esposito (`98), Tara Refo (`00), and Sarah Wilson (`01), to a bronze medal with a pair of wins over neighboring Canada.


Prior to his arrival in Annapolis, Blanck served as an assistant coach at Boston College -- working three years as the top assistant with the women's soccer team, while doubling as a men's assistant for two of those seasons. While in Chestnut Hill, he helped guide the Eagles to a winning record and postseason play for three straight years, while Boston College appeared in the national rankings, reaching as high as No. 18.


A native of Weston, Mass., Blanck graduated from Williams College in 1989, where he captained the soccer team to two regional titles and earned First-Team All-America honors after setting four national goalkeeping records. Blanck compiled a 46-4-0 record as a college goalkeeper. He also played baseball and received the Fox Award (in honor of a Navy pilot killed in the Korean War) for recognition of achievements of character and sportsmanship.


Prior to coaching full time, Blanck worked for the Boston Red Sox for two years and completed his Master's Degree in sports management at the University of Massachusetts. He received a second master's in business administration from Babson College. Blanck has received his NSCAA advanced national diploma and his USFF "A" coaching license. He has also served on the staff for the Maryland Olympic Development Program for seven years.


Blanck and his wife, the former Kristin Buckley, were married on July 29, 2006, and are the parents of two sons, Caden (14), and Anderson (12).

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Mike Melton

Melton joined the Navy Women's Soccer program in January of 2019 with a plethora of Division I collegiate coaching experience under his belt. He begins his fourth season on staff ahead of the team's 2022 campaign. He was promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach in June of 2021.


In his first season with the Mids in 2019, Melton helped the team reached the NCAA Tournament for its first postseason berth since 2007. Working primarily with Navy's defense and goalkeepers, Melton guided the backline to a dominant campaign that saw the Mids post 13 shutouts and give up just 12 total goals over 22 games for an 0.52 goals against average that ranked 13th overall in NCAA Division I. Specifically in Patriot League play, Navy gave up only two goals in nine regular season contests. Individually, goalie Sydney Fortson earned a spot on the All-Patriot League First Team for going 13-3-3 with an 0.60 GAA and 10 solo shutouts.


Melton and the Mids followed up that excellent debut season with a strong effort during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season. After playing three non-conference games in the fall versus ACC opponents, Navy came back in the spring and dropped just one game in the entire eight-game schedule. In the 2020-21 Patriot League Tournament, Navy defeated Loyola in the semifinals, 1-0, before grabbing the championship trophy for the second straight year with a 4-1 advantage in penalty kicks over Colgate. In the NCAA Tournament, the Mids went head-to-head with a high-scoring New Mexico Lobos club and tied 1-1 in regulation before falling in PKs, 4-2.


In its 4-4-3 season, Navy and Melton saw four Midshipmen student-athletes earn All-Patriot League playing honors, including freshman defender Chloe Dawson, who was named the 2020-21 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Additionally, freshman goalkeeper Mattie Gallagher was selected as the league's goalie or rookie of the week on three separate occasions. Under Melton's guidance, Gallagher played in 10 of Navy's 11 games in 2020-21 and posted a 0.80 goals against average with a .840 save percentage to go along with three solo shutouts. She played all 803:14 minutes of Navy's action during the 2021 portion of the season, of which every game was a one-goal decision.

The youthful Mids’ roster continued maturing under Melton’s guidance in 2021 and posted an 11-6-3 record and 6-2-1 mark in league play. A hot stretch of action down the stretch saw Navy go 6-0-2 with one or fewer goals allowed in each of the final eight regular season games. The sophomore duo of Chloe Dawson and Mattie Gallagher were at the forefront of this effort and both were rewarded with Second Team All-Patriot League honors.


Prior to Navy, Melton built up a strong coaching resume at the Division I ranks as he was most recently on staff at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.. While an assistant with the Bears during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Melton served as the program's recruiting coordinator and assistant camp director while also overseeing academic progress and player development, including video scouting analysis and on-the-field training sessions. In competition, Melton and the Bears collected 19 victories over his two season on staff and saw six players earned postseason SoCon awards.


In addition to his time at Mercer, Melton was involved as the southeast scout for the U.S. youth women's national teams, with main focus on the U14 and U16 age groups. Along with his duties with the national team, Melton was involved with the Region III ODP and served as the head coach of the 2002 Georgia State ODP Team. He was heavily involved in coaching education and currently holds a USSF "A" license. Additionally, Melton is an instructor of USSF "E" and "D" licenses.


Before Mercer, Melton was on staff at Xavier University, where he spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Musketeers from 2014 through 2016. As part of his responsibilities with Xavier, Melton served as the recruiting coordinator for Xavier. He also oversaw academic progress as the team recorded a GPA of 3.5 or higher for five semesters.


Melton's first stop in the SoCon Conference came in 2013 when he was an assistant coach Samford University. Melton helped lead the Bulldogs to a 13-6-2 record. He assisted in on-field training, creating scouting reports and overseeing team travel. Melton also served as a staff coach at Birmingham United Soccer Association.


Prior to his time at Samford, Melton was a graduate assistant coach at Ole Miss for two seasons, with main duties of video analysis and camp coordinator. While in graduate school, Melton was also the varsity boy's soccer coach at Oxford High School for two seasons, helping guide the team to a 2013 5A State Championship. As an undergrad, Melton served as the women's soccer video coordinator at Ole Miss from 2009-2011.


Melton earned a bachelor's degree in applied science from the University of Mississippi in 2011 and a masters in recreation administration in 2013. Melton and his wife Lauren currently reside in Annapolis and are proud parents to their daughter Morgan.

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Tim O'Donohue

Tim O’Donohue enters his eighth season as the head coach of Navy’s men’s soccer program in 2023, coming off a 2022 campaign that saw the Midshipmen win the Patriot League Championship and earn Navy’s 12th NCAA Tournament appearance.


O’Donohue is currently tied for the 63rd-highest all-time NCAA winning percentage across all divisions at .717 (212-71-42). On the list of NCAA all-time winningest head coaches, O’Donohue’s winning percentage is sixth-best among active NCAA Division I head coaches and 24th overall across all divisions.


Just the sixth head coach in the 103-year history of the Navy men’s soccer program, O’Donohue spent five seasons (2011-2015) as the associate head coach at the University of Connecticut and 10 seasons (2001-10) as the head coach at Division III Stevens Institute of Technology prior to arriving at Navy and winning 47 games across his first seven seasons.


A storybook 2022 season was capped by Navy claiming its first Patriot League title and NCAA Tournament berth under O’Donohue, as the Mids posted a 7-5-9 overall record and a 3-1-5 mark to earn their second-consecutive trip to the league tournament. Tallying three straight postseason shutouts to advance to and win the Patriot League Championship game, Navy then traveled to regional foe Georgetown in the NCAA First Round, where the Mids were able to keep even with the Hoyas until the second half.


Key to the 2022 team’s success was the defensive effort of the Mids, as the .793 team save percentage ranked second in the league and 17th nationally while a 0.895 team goals against average finished 29th in the NCAA. O’Donohue’s squad also played a disciplined game, tallying the fourth-fewest yellow cards in the nation (19) and averaging 9.19 fouls per game to rank ninth-best in the country.


Individually, David Jackson became the first Navy player to win Patriot League Midfielder of the Year and joined JD Wagner on the All-Patriot League First Team, highlighting the Mids’ four all-league selections. Jackson and Wagner both earned All-Atlantic Region and All-ECAC honors as well, while Patriot League Tournament MVP Zach Wagner led a contingent of four Navy players named to the league’s all-tournament team.


During the 2021 season, O’Donohue led the Midshipmen to a 12-6-1 record while going 5-4-0 in the Patriot League, earning the Mids their second Patriot League Tournament berth in the last three seasons. Additionally, Navy earned its first victory in the league tournament since the 2013 season, a 1-0 win over Lehigh, earning a berth to the tournament semifinals.


Navy opened the season with a six-game unbeaten streak that included winning five-straight contests, before ultimately starting another winning streak that resulted in coming away with four-straight victories.


The Mids proved to be one of the top offensive teams in the Patriot League, scoring 33 goals, their most since scoring 37 in 2013. Additionally, Navy produced one of the top-defensive efforts in the country, tallying 10 shutouts along with allowing just 20 goals for an average of just 1.05 per game.


Matt Nocita and Jacob Williams were named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, respectively, under the direction of O’Donohue. Nocita became the first Patriot League men’s soccer player to earn the award three times in their career while Williams garnered Offensive Player of the Year honors for the first time in his career. Navy produced eight All-Patriot League selections, tied for the most in program history, along with being the third-straight season the Midshipmen have tallied seven or more All-League honorees.


To round out the 2021 season accolades, Nocita was selected seventh overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls, making the senior standout the highest-drafted player in program history along with being the highest-drafted men’s soccer player in Patriot League history.


During the 2020-21 season, O’Donohue guided the Midshipmen to a record of 4-2-1 overall while going 3-1-1 in the Patriot League and Navy finished tied for second in the Patriot League South Division. Navy started the season with four-straight wins, which started with a road win over North Carolina State, 2-1. The Midshipmen also won an exhibition match over Virginia – who came into the year as the defending national runner-up – on the road, 3-2.


O’Donohue coached the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in David Jackson, marking the second time in three years the Midshipmen produced the Rookie of the Year in the Patriot League. Matt Nocita was also named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season.


Navy produced seven All-Patriot Leaguers during the 2020-21 season, which is tied for second-most in program history and was the second-straight season the Midshipmen had seven all-league selections. Navy also produced four United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region selections, which marked the second-straight season the Midshipmen had four all-region honorees and was the first time in program history Navy had four all-region selections in back-to-back seasons.


In 2019, O’Donohue paced Navy to one of its best seasons in program history as the Midshipmen finished with a record of 12-4-1, with the 12 victories being tied for third-most in program single-season history. Navy also finished third in the Patriot League standings with a 5-3-1 mark and the Midshipmen hosted a Patriot League Tournament game for the first time since 2013.


O’Donohue guided Navy to its longest winning streak in program history since its national championship season in 1964 as Navy captured 15-straight wins over the end of the 2018 season and the start of the 2019 campaign. The Midshipmen’s 11-0-0 start in 2019 was the program’s best since 1964 when Navy went 15-0-0 en route to the national title.


Throughout the 2019 season, O’Donohue helped Navy post a top-five mark in shutout percentage (.588) and goals-against average (.574), with both ranking fourth in the country. Navy also ranked eighth in save percentage at .818 and ninth in shot accuracy with a mark of .484.


O’Donohue also coached the 2019 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year in Matt Nocita, and in total the Midshipmen had seven All-Patriot League honorees, which was second-most in the league. Nocita and Jacob Williams were named to the First Team All-Patriot League, Wyatt Millard, Tyler Collins and Ian Bramblett earned second team honors while Diego Manrique and Nicko West were third-team honorees. Navy also set a program record with five United Soccer Coaches All-Region selections, as Nocita (first team), Collins (second team), Bramblett (third team), Millard (third team) and Williams (third team) represented Navy on the All-Atlantic Region team.


During the 2018 season, O’Donohue coached Navy to a fifth-place finish in the Patriot League regular season standings after going 4-5-0 in league play. The Midshipmen finished the season with a record of 5-11-1 overall following a four-game winning streak to end the year. Over the final four games of the regular season, Navy outscored the opposition 9-2 and notched a pair of shutouts.


O’Donohue coached the 2018 Patriot League Rookie of the Year in Jacob Williams and coached Third Team All-Patriot League member Matt Nocita. Williams finished second in the league with 0.50 goals per game and was fourth with 1.00 points per game, as his eight goals were second-most in the Patriot League. Nocita was the only player for the Midshipmen to play all 1,557 minutes of the 2018 season.


Additionally, Navy was one of the least penalized teams in the country during the 2018 season as it ranked eighth overall in NCAA Division I with an average of just 9.06 fouls per game, which was also the best in the Patriot League.


In his second season at Navy in 2017, the Midshipmen battled rival Army West Point to a 0-0 double-overtime draw in the Star Game and Army-Navy Cup VI, which was played in front of 8,143 fans at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa., making the Army-Navy game the third-highest attended college men’s soccer game in 2017.


As a team, Navy ranked first in the Patriot League and eighth in the NCAA in saves per game (5.47) in 2017, and senior goalkeeper Mac Burke ranked sixth in the country in saves per game (5.41) and eighth in total saves (92). Navy was 2-13-2 (0-7-2 PL) in 2017.


Despite having less than two months to prepare for Navy’s 2016 season opener when he was hired, O’Donohue’s first team showed great potential for his program in the coming years, as they were resilient, spirited and composed. Navy battled in every contest, with 12 games in 2016 decided by one goal while four more ended in ties.


The Mids were 5-9-4 overall and 1-6-2 in the Patriot League, but Navy used its home-field advantage by going 4-1-3 in games played at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in 2016. Navy also was ranked fifth in the NSCAA Northeast Region Poll on Sept. 6, 2016 after a 1-1-1 start to the season.


Brock Dudley was named to the All-Patriot League Second Team in 2016, while Sam Bascom was named to the All-Patriot League Third Team. Goalkeeper Mac Burke led the Patriot League in goals-against average (1.05).


Prior to his arrival at Navy, O’Donohue spent five years at UConn on Ray Reid’s staff, and helped take the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament four times, including three straight appearances in the NCAA Quarterfinals from 2011-13. The Huskies had an overall record of 68-22-21 (.707) during O’Donohue’s tenure in Storrs.


In his first season at UConn in 2011, the Huskies went 19-3-3 and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, then followed that season with a 17-4-1 record in 2012 and another trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals. The Huskies made their third straight quarterfinals appearance in 2013 with a 12-3-8 mark. In his final season at UConn in 2015, O’Donohoe helped the squad to a 10-6-6 mark and an appearance in the NCAA Second Round after defeating Boston University in the first round.


O’Donohue had an overall record of 165-21-23 at Stevens and his winning percentage of .844 was the highest in NCAA Division III history when he left Stevens to serve as the associate head coach at UConn. O’Donohue took Stevens to the NCAA Tournament in nine of his 10 seasons, as the Ducks advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 six times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009) and were the national runners-up in 2008 after Messiah claimed the national title by advancing past Stevens in a penalty kick shootout. Stevens won the ECAC Championship in 2002 and O’Donohue led the Ducks to an unbeaten record of 18-0-3 in 2006.


O’Donohue led Stevens to nine conference championships during his tenure. After joining the Empire 8 in 2007, O’Donohue led Stevens to the conference championship in four straight seasons (2007-10) before departing for UConn. Prior to joining the Empire 8, the Ducks won the Skyline Conference Championship in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.


The Skyline Conference Coach of the Year in 2003 and the Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year in 2010, O’Donohue was also named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Metro Region Coach of the Year in 2003 and was a finalist for the Division III NSCAA National Coach of the Year in both 2003 and 2008. Stevens was ranked in the final NSCAA Poll in each of O’Donohue’s final eight seasons with the school.


O’Donohue coached 12 All-Americans while at Stevens with four earning first-team honors. O’Donohue also coached seven conference players of the year, 39 NSCAA All-Region performers, five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, and 77 all-conference athletes while at Stevens.


O’Donohue holds several merits from the NSCAA including a Premier Diploma and a Master Coach Diploma. He was one of the first five coaches to earn a Master Diploma at the NCAA level. He also previously served as the Region III Technical Director for the NSCAA.


O’Donohoe was a four-year starter at Muhlenberg College and helped the team to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the Final Four in 1995, with the central midfielder earning all-conference honors in 1997. He was inducted into the Muhlenberg Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 as part of the 1995 men’s soccer team. He graduated from Muhlenberg in 1998 with a degree in English. O’Donohue and his wife, Virginia, have four children, Tadgh, Tierney, Teagan and Ruairi.

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Mark Risbridger

Mark Risbridger enters his sixth season with the Navy men’s soccer program in 2023, his second as the associate head coach on Tim O’Donohue’s staff.


Brought on as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2018 spring season for the Midshipmen, Risbridger was then named a full-time assistant coach in August of 2018, earning the promotion to associate head coach of the program on February 11, 2022.


With Risbridger helping guide the Mids, a storybook 2022 season was capped by Navy claiming its first Patriot League title and NCAA Tournament berth since 2013, as the Mids posted a 7-5-9 overall record and a 3-1-5 mark to earn their second-consecutive trip to the league tournament. Tallying three straight postseason shutouts to advance to and win the Patriot League Championship game, Navy then traveled to regional foe Georgetown in the NCAA First Round, where the Mids were able to keep even with the Hoyas until the second half.


Key to the 2022 team’s success was the defensive effort of the Mids, as the .793 team save percentage ranked second in the league and 17th nationally while a 0.895 team goals against average finished 29th in the NCAA. Navy also played a disciplined game, tallying the fourth-fewest yellow cards in the nation (19) and averaging 9.19 fouls per game to rank ninth-best in the country.


Individually, David Jackson became the first Navy player to win Patriot League Midfielder of the Year and joined JD Wagner on the All-Patriot League First Team, highlighting the Mids’ four all-league selections. Jackson and Wagner both earned All-Atlantic Region and All-ECAC honors as well, while Patriot League Tournament MVP Zach Wagner led a contingent of four Navy players named to the league’s all-tournament team.


During the 2021 season, Risbridger helped guide the Midshipmen to a 12-6-1 record while going 5-4-0 in the Patriot League, earning the Mids their second Patriot League Tournament berth in the last three seasons. Additionally, Navy earned its first victory in the league tournament since the 2013 season, a 1-0 win over Lehigh, earning a berth to the tournament semifinals.


Navy opened the season with a six-game unbeaten streak that included winning five-straight games, before ultimately starting another winning streak that resulted in coming away with four-straight victories.


The Mids proved to be one of the top offensive teams in the Patriot League, scoring 33 goals, their most since scoring 37 in 2013. Additionally, Navy produced one of the top defensive efforts in the country, tallying 10 shutouts along with allowing just 20 goals for an average of just 1.05 per game.


Matt Nocita and Jacob Williams were named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, respectively, with the influence of Risbridger. Nocita became the first Patriot League men’s soccer player to earn the award three times in their career while Williams garnered Offensive Player of the Year honors for the first time in his career.


Navy produced eight All-Patriot League selections, tied for the most in program history, along with being the third-straight season the Midshipmen tallied seven or more All-League honorees. To round out the 2021 season accolades, Nocita was selected seventh overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls, making the senior standout the highest-drafted player in program history along with being the highest-drafted men’s soccer player in Patriot League history.


During his third campaign with the program, Risbridger helped the Midshipmen to a record of 4-2-1 overall where the Midshipmen picked up four-straight wins to open the season. Navy also finished tied for second in the Patriot League South Division while compiling a record of 3-1-1 in the Patriot League.


In 2020-21, Navy had seven players be selected to the All-Patriot League Teams, as Matt Nocita and David Jackson highlighted the group. Nocita was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season, while Jackson earned Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors, which was the second time during Risbridger’s tenure that Navy produced the Rookie of the Year. Along with the seven all-leaguers, Risbridger helped coach four United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Atlantic selections, the first time in program history that the Midshipmen had back-to-back seasons of at least four all-region selections.


In his second year at Navy, Risbridger helped the Midshipmen win the third-most matches in program history after Navy compiled a record of 12-4-1 during the 2019 season. In league play, the Midshipmen finished at 5-3-1 for a third-place finish in the league. Risbridger also helped Navy to the best start in program history since 1964 with a record of 11-0-0 to start the year, which helped Navy extend their winning streak to 15 matches.


Risbridger helped coach seven All-Patriot League award winners, including Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Matt Nocita and first-team performer Jacob Williams. With Risbridger on the sideline, the Midshipmen also had a program-record five All-Region honorees.Navy placed in the top five nationally in shutout percentage, goals-against average, save percentage and shot accuracy.


During his first year on staff, Risbridger helped Navy to a record of 5-11-1 overall and a fifth-place finish in the Patriot League with a 4-5-0 record after winning the final four games of the regular season. He assisted in the coaching of Patriot League Rookie of the Year Jacob Williams and Third Team All-Patriot Leaguer Matt Nocita.


Risbridger was previously a member of the coaching staff at Division III Springfield College. He served as the associate head coach from 2016-17 after serving as an assistant coach from 2013-15, also serving as Springfield’s recruiting coordinator for all five seasons. Springfield was 15-1-3 in 2017 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament Second Round, as Risbridger helped Springfield to its first United Soccer Coaches top-15 ranking in program history at No. 12 on Oct. 24, 2017 and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win on Nov. 11, 2017 against Endicott College, 1-0. Risbridger also helped the Pride advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2016.


Springfield won the NEWMAC Regular Season Championship in 2017 and the NEWMAC Tournament Championship in 2016, with the program also winning ECAC New England Championships in 2013 and 2015. Overall, Springfield had a record of 72-18-12 (.765) during Risbridger’s five years with the program.


Risbridger was a four-year starter at Division II Post University from 2009-12. He helped the Eagles earn their highest national ranking in program history at No. 5, as Risbridger was Post’s Student-Athlete of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2012. Risbridger was also a Southampton Football Club Academy Scholar during his youth in England.


Risbridger earned master’s degrees in business administration and sports management from Springfield College, while he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Post University in 2013.

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