Terrapin Women's Soccer Coach To Participate In Two National-Level Events By U.S. Soccer
9/6/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 6, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland assistant coach Laurie Pells has been asked to participate in two national-level events by U.S. Soccer. Pells will be a featured speaker at the Coaching Symposium at the upcoming Women's Nike Friendlies. Additionally, she will serve on the coaching staff for the Girls U.S. National Team during this fall, including the upcoming Nike Friendlies.
U.S. Soccer's Coaching Department will host the second annual Women's Nike Friendlies Coaching Symposium in conjunction with the 2007 Women's Nike Friendlies from Sept. 20-23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The symposium includes nightly presentations on Sept. 20 and 21, as well as a match analysis on Sept. 22 at The Home Depot Center.
The Nike Friendlies is a high profile tournament featuring some of the top U15-U17 club teams in the country, as well as several of the girls U.S. National Teams. The event is scheduled from September 20-23rd. Coach Pells will be working directly with the goalkeepers at this event. This is the second stint for Pells with the U.S. youth national team program, as she was the goalkeeper coach for the U14 girls national team in the summer of 2006.
"We're excited and happy for Laurie," said Maryland head coach Brian Pensky. "This is a testament to the type of coach she is, and the respect that others have for her abilities."
The Coaching Symposium will be led by U.S. Soccer National Staff Coaches Jeff Pill and David Rubinson and will feature interaction with several of U.S. Soccer's National Team coaches. In addition to Pells, scheduled speakers are U14 Girls' National Team head coach and National Staff Coach Mike Dickey and U15 GNT head coach Tad Bobak. More details on presenters and times will be available in the coming weeks. ? The nightly symposium sessions will take place at The Home Depot Center and are expected to last approximately two hours. On Saturday, coaches will analyze a Girls' National Team game at The Home Depot Center fields led by U.S. National Staff Coaches.
Registration is open to all coaches, and "A" Licensed coaches will receive one Continuing Education Credit per day for their attendance at the symposium. There is no fee to attend any of the symposium sessions and participating coaches will also have the opportunity to watch the 2007 Women's Nike Friendlies.
Pells is in her first season at Maryland after spending the previous six years as an assistant coach at Clemson. During that time, the Lady Tigers reached the NCAA tournament each year, including the 2006 Elite Eight and the 2001 Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and a No. 11 final ranking.
Clemson's defense was outstanding while Pells coached the goalkeepers. During her six seasons there, Clemson registered 53 team shutouts and allowed just over one goal per match.
Prior to coaching at Clemson, Pells was an assistant coach at the College of New Jersey for three years. While there, the Lions won the 2000 NCAA Division III National Championship. The College of New Jersey was a semifinalist in 1999 and finalist in 1998 at the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Pells graduated from Georgian Court College (Lakewood, N.J.) with a B.A. degree in elementary education and psychology in 1998. At Georgian Court College, she was a starting goalkeeper for four seasons and was a three-time NSCAA All-America goalkeeper. While at Georgian Court College, she led her team to the NAIA Final Four in 1994 and 1995 and the quarterfinals in 1997. In her senior season in 1997, the two-time team captain was selected as one of the top 16 players in the nation by being named to the Umbro Select Elite 16.
During her time at GCC, she set the NSCAA national record with 57 career shutouts as a goalkeeper and was named conference player of the year as a senior. Pells was also named the New Jersey Woman of the Year after her sophomore season.
Pells played two years in the W-League with the Delaware Genies. Pells was drafted by the Philadelphia Charge in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) Professional League and played one season in the summer of 2001.
Pells is a director for former US National Team coach Tony DiCicco with SoccerPlus Goalkeeper Camps. She is a member of the ODP Region I coaching staff.
She has her USSF B Coaching License and NSCAA Advance National Goalkeeper License.
