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Sam Lopes
Follow Head Coach Sam Lopes on Twitter: @PC_CoachLopes
Coaching Highlights (At Providence)
79-55-19 Overall Record
7 Consecutive BIG EAST Postseason Appearances (2014-19, 2021)
1 BIG EAST Tournament Final Appearance (2015)
1 NCAA Tournament Appearance (2021)
Year-By-Year Record (At Providence)
2014: 9-8-2 (BIG EAST Quarterfinal)
2015: 13-8-1 (BIG EAST Final)
2016: 11-7-2 (BIG EAST Quarterfinal)
2017: 10-8-2 (BIG EAST Semifinal)
2018: 11-6-3 (BIG EAST Semifinal)
2019: 8-9-3 (BIG EAST Semifinal)
2020-21: 7-2-3
2021: 10-7-3 (BIG EAST Quarterfinal, NCAA First Round)
Sam Lopes was named the ninth head coach of the Providence women’s soccer program on April 10, 2014 and will embark on his ninth season on the sidelines in 2022.
In his first eight seasons as head coach, Lopes has guided the Friars to seven winning seasons, one appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2021) and appearances in seven of the last eight BIG EAST Tournaments (2014-2019, 2021).
In 2021, Lopes guided the Friars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1993. Providence fell to Hofstra in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in Hempstead, N.Y. The Friars finished 10-7-3 overall and a 5-3-2 record in BIG EAST play. The team finished fifth in the conference, leading them to the No. 5 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. Lopes coached five players to All-BIG EAST honors including Meg Hughes to All-BIG EAST First Team, Alexis Rothmann and Avery Snead to All-BIG EAST Second Team and Gillian Kenney and Maria Paveglio to All-BIG EAST Freshman Team.
In the abbreviated 2020-21 season, Lopes led the Friars to its sixth winning season finishing 7-2-3 overall and a 5-2-3 record in BIG EAST play. Lopes mentored the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Meg Hughes, who was also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Freshman Team. In addition, Lopes guided four more players to All-BIG EAST honors including Alexis Rothmann to All-BIG EAST First Team, Christina Rodgers and Emma Bodmer and Avery Snead to All-BIG EAST Freshman Team.
In 2019, Lopes guided the Friars to their third-consecutive BIG EAST Semifinal game after upsetting the No. 3 seeded Butler Bulldogs in the BIG EAST Semifinal. Providence finished the season with an 8-9-3 overall record and 3-5-1 conference mark. Lopes mentored the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year for the first time in program history, Shelby Hogan, who was also named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. He also guided Hannah McNulty to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and Lisa Verhoeven and Alexis Rothmann to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
Lopes led the Friars to the BIG EAST Semifinal round during the 2018 season after finishing the year with a 11-6-3 overall record. The team tied for fourth in the conference after posting a 4-3-2 BIG EAST record, leading them to the No. 6 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. Lopes directed a program record five players to All-BIG EAST honors at the conclusion of the season. Senior Katie Day was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team for the second-consecutive year.
In 2017, under the direction of Lopes the Friars finished 10-8-2 overall and posted a 5-3-1 record in BIG EAST play. The Friars earned the No. 3 seed in BIG EAST post season play and advanced to the BIG EAST Semifinal round for the second time in Lopes’ tenure at Providence. Lopes coached four players to All-BIG EAST honors; most notably Shelby Hogan’s BIG EAST Freshman of the Year recognition.
During the 2016 season, Lopes led the Friars to its third-consecutive winning season with an 11-7-2 overall record and a 5-3-1 mark in conference play. The team earned its third-consecutive appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Friars faced St. John’s in the quarterfinal round of the Tournament and fell to the Red Storm, 1-0.
Lopes mentored Kristyn Shea, Hannah Wear and Kathryn Hiller to All-BIG EAST Second Team honors. Shea also broke the Friars’ all-time shutout record with 25 career shutouts, the accolade was previously held by Caroline Haines ‘03 (19).
During the 2015 campaign, Lopes directed the Friars to a 13-8-1 overall record and a 5-4 record in conference play. The Friars' 13 victories marked the most in program history, and just the fifth double-digit win season for the program all-time.
Providence secured the No. 6 seed in the 2015 BIG EAST Conference Tournament and advanced to the championship game with a quarterfinal victory against DePaul (1-0) and a thrilling semifinal win against Georgetown in which Providence advanced on penalty kicks (1-1). The Friars' tournament run came to an end in the tournament final, falling to Butler, 1-0. Zimmerman was tabbed BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, marking just the second Friar all-time to earn the honor, joining former Providence goalkeeper Jennifer Mead (1993). Klaum and Kathryn Hiller were honored along with Zimmerman as members of the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Zimmerman capped her career with the Friars as the program's only four-time BIG EAST post-season honoree, having earned First-Team recognition in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015. She also was a Second-Team selection in 2013 and finished her freshman season as a BIG EAST All-Rookie Team pick in 2012.
Zimmerman also was named to the 2015 NEWISA All-New England First Team, NSCAA NCAA Division I All-Northeast Region Second Team, while goalkeeper Kristyn Shea made an appearance on the NEWISA All-New England Second Team. Shea was in net for all eight of the Friars' shut-out victories, tying former Friar Caitlin Walker (2011) for the most shutouts during a single season in program history.
During his first season with the Friars in 2014, Lopes led Providence to a 9-8-2 overall record and a 5-4 finish in the BIG EAST Conference. It marked the Friars' first winning season since 2010. Additionally, Lopes guided Providence to its fourth appearance all-time in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament, and first since 2011.
Lopes mentored three All-BIG EAST selections in his first season at the helm, including the program’s first-ever All-BIG EAST First-Team honoree in Catherine Zimmerman. Zimmerman was one of two unanimous selections on the First Team. Christina Klaum, who was honored on the All-BIG EAST Second Team, also was invited to the United States Soccer Under-19 Women’s National Team training camp in Carson, Calif. in April 2015.
Lopes spent one season as the head coach at New Hampshire during the 2013 campaign. He coached three Wildcat players who earned America East post-season honors. Goalkeeper Mimi Borkan earned a spot on the 2013 America East All-Rookie squad, while Hannah Blondin and Colleen Murray nabbed spots on the All-Academic Team.
Prior to his term at UNH, Lopes spent two years as an assistant coach at Providence College (2011-2012). In his first season with the Friars, Lopes assisted Providence to their first BIG EAST Tournament game since 1994. Providence then defeated Rutgers, 1-0, to advance to the quarterfinals. He also helped coach Jenna Roncarati to her third-consecutive All-BIG EAST honor. As the assistant at Providence, Lopes handled recruiting, scouting, travel and budgeting, as well as monitoring the academic progress of student-athletes and planning team training and individual workouts.
Lopes was the head assistant women's coach at Southern Connecticut State University from 2005-2011. He was highly involved in recruiting, planning off-season training and helped establish the Freshman Athletic Scholastic Training (F.A.S.T.) academic program.
Lopes, a 2002 graduate of Quinnipiac University, received a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems. He was a four-year member of the soccer team and was a captain during his senior season. After playing at Quinnipiac, Lopes went on to play in the United States Soccer League for the Connecticut Wolves and the Westchester Flames.
He began his coaching career in 2002 as an assistant at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn. Additionally, Lopes served as an assistant coach with the Boston Breakers (2010-11), Quickstrike Lady Blues (2009) and New England Mutiny (2007-08).
Lopes and his wife, Lisa, who is the Field Hockey Head Coach at Johnson and Wales, were married in June 2015. The couple has two sons, Jax and Cruz.
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