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Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy Griffins Athletics
 Griffin Complex - 1325 Sumneytown Pike Milledgeville, PA 31061
Division 3 Pennsylvania Northeast
Private Small Competitive team
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Coaches

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Michael Nelms

Michael Nelms was named the Gwynedd Mercy University's head women's soccer coach in June of 2021. A longtime assistant for the men's program, Nelms joined Coach Bontempo's staff in 2014 and helped the Griffins reach the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) postseason for the first time since 2011.


Under Coach Nelms, Gwynedd Mercy University finished the 2021 season as the #7 seed (4-11, 0-6 AEC) for the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. There, they faced #2 Cabrini University on the Opening Round (Nov. 1). Despite a 24-1 deficit in shots and an 8-0 disadvantage in corner kick opportunities, the Griffins kept the Cavaliers off the scoreboard until the latter half of a 2-0 final.


In 2023, Coach Nelms helped guide the Griffins to a their best overall (7-5-6) and conference (1-1-4) single-season records. The achievement garnered the Red and Gold the AEC Coaching Staff of the Year award and earned them the #6 seed in the league’s championship tournament. Coach Nelms earned his first career AEC victory over Immaculata University (W, 1-0 on Oct. 14) and garnered the sixth seed heading into the AEC Tournament. The Griffins traveled to the #3 Cabrini University where a shootout was needed to decide the outcome in the first round. The red and gold went on to defeat the Cavilers 4-3 in the shootout and for the first time since 2017 moved on to the second round. The Griffins would fall to the #1 Marywood University 7-0 in the semifinals ending their 2023 campaign. All-AEC accolades were earned by freshman defenseman Jordyn Fregia (Levittown, Pa.) (1st Team), freshman forward Ksenia Semenovykh (Warrington, Pa.) (1st Team), sophomore midfield Bethany Beinlich (Forksville, Pa.) (2nd Team), and sophomore goalkeeper Madisson Ronn (Warrington, Pa.) (2nd Team).


A maturing roster celebrated league wins over Pratt Institute (W, 3-2 on Oct. 9) and Centenary University (N.J.) (W, 4-3 on Oct. 30) as their last two victories of the 2024 season. Gwynedd Mercy University totaled six wins (6-10-2, 2-4) en route to the #5 seed in the 2024 AEC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. There, a 2-1 double overtime tally marked the end of the Griffins' campaign; Natalie Morris (Boyertown, Pa.) recorded the only Red and Gold goal (1-0, 8:46). She and senior midfielder Bethany Beinlich (Forksville, Pa.) garnered All-AEC honors; the former earned First Team honors with a career-highs in points (23), goals (10), and assists (3), while the latter garnered Second Team honors with AEC Top-10 numbers in game-winning goals (T2nd , 3), assists (T8th , 5), and shots (10th, 47).


Coach Nelms earned his bachelor's degree while competing as a member of the Holy Family University's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II men's soccer program. He later added a master’s degree in education from Temple University while remaining connected to the Holy Family University men's soccer program as an assistant coach. Coach Nelms helped the Tigers to their first-ever NCAA DII Championship Tournament in 2007 and later took on assistant coaching duties at Father Judge High School and a head coaching role with the girls' team at Upper Dublin High School. He has also coached at Council Rock Soccer Club where his Gunners Elite team was a finalists in the 2014 State Cup.


Nelms has been a master level science teacher at Sandy Run Middle School since 1999. Raising a family, coaching, and teaching are his passions in life. Coach Nelms brings decades of experience, energy, and commitment for excellence to the program; he preaches that the greatest accomplishments from the game of soccer are not wins and losses but the relationships developed throughout the years with other coaches, former players, and referees.

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Brianna McDonald

Brianna McDonald ’22 joined the Gwynedd Mercy University women’s soccer coaching staff as an assistant prior to the 2022 season. Coach McDonald was a four-year member and two-year captain (2020, 2021) of the women’s soccer program, who logged 31 consecutive starts between her sophomore and senior seasons. During her senior season, she scored her only collegiate goal as the game-winner in a 1-0 victory at Rosemont College (Oct. 2, 2021).


While competing as collegiate student-athlete at Gwynedd Mercy University, McDonald fulfilled coaching appointments with several youth soccer organizations. Her coaching career began as a personal trainer at Total Soccer (April 2021 – Present) in Warminster, Pennsylvania. She took on an assistant coach internship with the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative from November 2021 to May 2022 and has since elevated her status in the company to a program coordinator (July 2022 – Present). In her present role, she is responsible for coordinating programs at local recreation centers, organizing Social Emotional Learning Survey tracking, and assisting with various youth sport projects in the Philadelphia area.


Coach McDonald was very active as an undergrad, serving on the leadership of several campus clubs while competing as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III student-athlete. In addition to her two seasons as team captain, she served as the vice president for Gwynedd Mercy University’s The Hidden Opponent Chapter (August 2021 – May 2022), a peer mentor in the Integrated Studies program (August 2020 – May 2022), and the social media coordinator for the Social Work and Psychology Club (August 2020 – May 2022). McDonald was also a presenter at the 2021 National Association of Social Workers Pennsylvania Chapter (NASW-PA) Conference and the 2021 Social Work in the Mercy Tradition: Global Perspectives Conference.


Coach McDonald currently resides in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

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