Western Oregon University

Monmouth, OR 97361

Oregon Northwest

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Kacey Bingham

Kacey Bingham recently compiled an impressive first season with the Wolves in 2019 that set many firsts for the program in some time.

Bingham, the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, certainly put a first season together guiding the Wolves in 2019. After inheriting a program that went 5-9-3 in 2018, Bingham took basically the same group and compiled a 10-6-3 record. The 10 victories was the most in a season since 2002 and the Wolves reached the GNAC Tournament for the first time since 2013 after posting a 7-3-2 GNAC record.

WOU made playing in Monmouth a tough proposition going 6-1-1 at home, turning around a home record that was just 2-5-1 in 2018. The Wolves posted four shutouts in the eight home games, going 3-0-1 in those contests. Other milestones included picking up the first win over Seattle Pacific in 17 years, along with the first win over Concordia since 2000 – something the team accomplished twice in 2019.

In addition to the Coach of the Year honor for Bingham, seven Wolves were named to the All-GNAC Team including Alyssa Tomasini and Jacky Beristain each landing on the first team. It wasn’t just on the field that WOU excelled with 12 being named to the Academic All-GNAC Team as well. Tomasini and Qualls were each named GNAC Players of the Week twice.

Extra postseason honors followed with Selene Konyn, Alex Qualls and Kaitlin Poe being named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team and later Konyn earning CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. Tomasini and Beristain landed on the D2CCA All-West Region Team and later were tabbed to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team.

Since moving to NCAA Division II, the 2019 season ranked high in several program records including 86 total points (fourth most and the most since 2003), 4.52 points per game (fourth most and the most since 2003), 30 goals (fourth most and most since the 2003 season), 1.57 goals per game (fourth most and the most since 2003), 10 game-winning goals (third most and the most since 2002), 26 assists (tied for third most with the 2003 team), 1.37 assists per game (tied for the third most with the 2003 team), 1.11 goals against average (second most and the top mark since 2014), 7 shutouts (tied for second most with the 2014 and 2002 teams).

Individual season records that ranked high in program history, Tomasini’s 25 points is tied for second in the NCAA Division II program history with Mariel Chandler. 1.31 points per game is third in program history and the nine goals is tied for second-most with three other players. Tomasini’s 0.47 goals per game is fourth-best in program history and her four game-winning goals is tied for the top mark in program history with two other players. The seven assists is tied for third in history with two other players. The 0.37 assists per game is fifth in program history. Qualls’ 1.13 goals against average is fifth-best in history and her 10 wins is tied for the top mark with two other players. Her six shutouts rank in a tie for second with two other players. The 1,792 minutes logged by Beristain and Malia Napoleon is tied for the third-most in program history.

Bingham has coached at the collegiate level for the past 16 years, serving as a head coach for 13 of those. Her career head coaching record stands at 229-59-16.

Bingham’s most recent coaching stop was as an assistant coach serving as the recruiting coordinator and camps director at Division I Saint Mary’s College of California in 2018.

Previously, she was the head coach at Dixie State for five seasons. Bingham helped produce DSU’s first two All-Americans in 2017 during a record-breaking season. The Trailblazers ranked as high as 8th in the NCAA West Region while setting single-season records in goals (19), game-winning goals (8) and hat tricks (3).

From 2006-2012, Bingham served as the head coach at Paradise Valley Community College. While coaching the Pumas, she led PVCC to the 2010 and 2012 NJCAA National Championships and an undefeated 46-0-2 record over those two years. Bingham was named NJCAA and ACCAC Coach of the Year in both ’10 and ’12. She compiled a 121-13-8 overall record while head coach of the Pumas.

Bingham played during the 2002 and 2003 seasons at Arizona State University. She holds a USSF B License and also was part of the Saguaro women's semi-pro team in 2003 and Heatwave women's semi-pro team in 2002.

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Isabelle Creighton

Isabelle Creighton, who recently completed her playing career with the Wolves, returns for the 2021 season joining the Western Oregon University soccer staff as the new assistant coach.

"I am so thrilled to be bringing back Izzy to the program. Izzy was a phenomenal player and leader for the Wolves. To get this chance to add her to the staff is really exciting for me," Head Coach Kacey Bingham said. "She will make a great assistant coach. She's passionate, hardworking, motivated, and a top-notch competitor. I worked closely with her when she was my captain. Izzy is invested in Western Oregon University and the team here. She will bring first-hand experience to share with the team and the staff."

Creighton spent her final two years of her collegiate career playing for the Wolves, completing her career in 2019. She was part of the big first year with Coach Bingham in 2019 helping the team to 10 wins, the most since the program won 11 in 2002. WOU reached the GNAC Tournament for the first time since 2013. Offensively, the Wolves posted one of their best seasons during their NCAA era, finishing inside of the program's top four single seasons in every major offensive category. That included totaling 26 assists, the third-most during the Wolves' time in the NCAA.

"I'm grateful for this opportunity to be back with the program," Creighton said. "Having played at WOU under Kacey, I'm excited to work alongside her, continue to elevate the program and become a dominate force in the GNAC."

During the 2019 season, Creighton tied for second on the team in points with 14, posting four goals and six assists. She started 18 games, playing 80 or more minutes in 13 games, including two games playing all 110 minutes.

Creighton tallied goals against Seattle Pacific (twice), Hawaii Pacific and Western Colorado. Her assists came in six different games and had a pair of three-point games against Seattle Pacific and Western Colorado.

Creighton arrived at WOU in 2018 playing in all 17 games. Prior to finishing her career in Monmouth, Creighton played her first two seasons at Tacoma Community College in Washington. She was named a NWAC All Star in 2017 after scoring 24 goals in 23 games. She led Tacoma CC to the NWAC Final Four and was voted the team MVP.

Creighton graduated from WOU in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science, holding a 3.7 GPA. Since graduating, Creighton has been a personal trainer for West Coast Strength, head coach of the West Salem High School JV Team and assistant coach for the 07G Red Premier Team. Creighton led West Salem to an undefeated year going 10-0-0 during the 2021 spring season.

Creighton played her prep career at Auburn Riverside in Washington finishing in 2016 and was a four-year letter winner for the Ravens. She was a team captain over her final two seasons, took home both the team MVP and ARHS Female Athlete of the Year. Creighton was named First Team All-League and Second Team All-State her final year while helping guide Auburn Riverside to their first state appearance in more than 10 years.

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Michael Behonick

University of Pittsburgh men's assistant soccer coach Michael Behonick is the next Western Oregon head men's soccer coach.

"We are happy to welcome Coach Behonick to Western Oregon University," WOU director of athletics Randi Lydum said. "The experience he brings to our young program is exciting and we look forward to his leadership within our department. The GNAC is an incredibly tough NCAA Division II conference and we believe Coach Behonick is ready for this challenge."

During his seven-year tenure at Pitt, Behonick was instrumental in the remarkable turnaround and resurgence of the University of Pittsburgh men's soccer program in helping guide the Panthers to two Division I College Cup appearances, three consecutive national quarterfinals appearances, two ACC Coastal Division championships as well as four NCAA Division I Tournament appearances. He coached and recruited eight MLS Draft Picks, four All-Americans, four ACC Players of the Year and 37 All-ACC Honorees.

Behonick takes over a WOU men's soccer program heading into its second year of existence after going 2-13-2 in its inaugural season in 2022.

Along with his duties at the University of Pittsburgh, Behonick was also an assistant coach with the United Soccer League (USL) side Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The Riverhounds qualified for the playoffs in each of his three seasons with the club. He also helped coach Danny Vitiello to the Golden Glove award for having the lowest goals against average in the entire USL.

Prior to arriving in Pittsburgh, Behonick spent two years at Penn State while also spending five years at the University of Virginia as an assistant coach.

During his time in Happy Valley, Behonick helped Penn State secure its first top-20 recruiting class in program history while signing all three high school All-Americans in the state of Pennsylvania that year. During his two seasons at Penn State, the Nittany Lions spent six weeks as the No. 3 team in country, while having one of the stingiest defenses in the entire country. Under the tutelage of Behonick, goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton was selected by the LA Galaxy in the MLS Superdraft.

In his five years at the University of Virginia, he helped guide the Cavaliers to five straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2013 NCAA College Cup. Virginia also reached the ACC semifinals or better in his five years with the program. Behonick helped bring some of the best players in the country to Charlottesville during his tenure. With each recruiting class he was involved in ranked in the top 15 in the country and having the No. 2 overall recruiting class in the country three times in that stretch.

Over the years, Behonick has served as an assistant coach with U.S. Soccer's U16 & U17 Boys National team, as well as the U.S. Paralympic National Team, helping them qualify for the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio de Janiero. For the past four years, he served as a coach for the MLS Combine.

As a professional player, Behonick was a 2003 MLS Superdraft pick of DC United. Behonick went on to play professionally for seven years as a goalkeeper. He spent time with MLS clubs DC United and New York Red Bulls, USL side Puerto Rico Islanders and USL side Charleston Battery, winning a USL championship with Charleston in the 2003 season. Behonick also has a number of caps internationally as a member of the Puerto Rico National Team from 2008-10.

Behonick earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from American University in 2003. During his collegiate career with the Eagles, American University made two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and won a 2001 Patriot League title. He was the only player from the Patriot League to be drafted in the 2003 MLS Superdraft.

Behonick holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A" Coaching License and a USSF Goalkeeping License.

A New York native, Michael resides in Corvallis with his wife, Lindsey Behonick, who is currently the head volleyball coach at Oregon State, and their two sons: Miles and Aiden.

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Tim Kagey

Corban University Director of Athletics Marty Ziesemer and the Warrior Athletics department announced earlier this afternoon the resignation of Corban Men's Soccer Head Coach Tim Kagey, effective this week. He will be joining the coaching staff at NCAA DII Western Oregon University under the Wolves' new head coach and former NCAA DI University of Pittsburgh assistant coach, Michael Behonick.

"Tim has served Corban well over the past decade," Ziesemer shared on Kagey's departure. "He started at Corban as a player, became an assistant coach, and eventually took on the role of our head men's soccer coach. During the Covid-19 pandemic he took on the role of coaching both the men's and women's soccer teams, which is a significant undertaking."

Ziesemer continued his thoughts by stating, "I have appreciated the way he has led his teams both on and off the field. Tim recently accepted another coaching position elsewhere, and he will be extremely missed. We wish Tim, Audrey, and their family all the best as they move forward in another chapter."

Kagey was integral in the continuation of a historic program built under his former head coach, Aaron Lewis, and will go down as one of the most successful head coaches to do the Navy and Gold. Under Kagey's leadership, the Warriors posted a 16-3-2 overall record in the 2022 fall season, and he will leave the program as the all-time winningest head coach in the win percentage category with a 53-11-7 record (.796), dating back to his first season in 2019.

He coached his team to an undefeated slate in his inaugural season as the program's leader, as the Warriors went 17-0-3 overall, took home a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Regular Season and Tournament Championship title to cap off their year, and has since seen 25 student-athletes earn All-Conference recognition under Kagey's guidance.

In his most recent season as the Warriors' head coach, Kagey saw his team put together one of the most successful defensive seasons in NAIA history, posting a 0.42 goals-against average (2nd in nation) and an NAIA best 15 shutouts, all while still posting a Top 20 national offense with 62 total goals on the year.

Within the CCC, Kagey's squads have placed no lower than 4th overall in the conference since 2019, extending the program's appearance streak in the CCC Tournament to 10-straight seasons. The Warriors saw two more NAIA National Tournament appearances in 2019, 2020, and 2022, and were recognized in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll in three of the four seasons with Kagey as the head coach, with their highest ranking coming on March 17th, 2021, as the No. 15 team in the country.

Kagey will join Behonick's staff looking to grow the newly established team at Western Oregon in the men's soccer squad, embarking on the program's second season ever this upcoming fall after the inaugural season in 2022 where the team finished 2-13-2 overall and 1-10-1 in the GNAC.