Women's Soccer

June 5, 2007

WATERBURY, Conn.-Post University Director of Athletics Anthony Fallacaro announced on Wednesday afternoon that John Benitez has been named the head coach of the women's soccer program. Benitez spent the last 10 seasons as an assistant women's soccer coach at Western Connecticut State University.

"The search for our new coach was a very extensive process," Fallacaro said. "The search committee narrowed it down to several qualified applicants and John was ultimately the right fit for us. His coaching and playing background, coupled with his love for the game made John the right choice for our women's soccer program."

Benitez was part of a very successful coaching staff at Western Connecticut State, led by Head Coach Joe Mingachos. During his time on the Danbury campus, the program made nine post-season appearances and six trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

"It's a great opportunity to land this job," Benitez said. "There is great potential here and with the commitment from the University, we are looking to take this program to the next level. Our initial goal is for the program to make the CACC Championships, like last season, and then in the next year or two after play for a bid in the NCAA's."

This past season, WCSU finished with a 20-2-1 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in the Little East Conference. The Colonials advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. They would also finish the season ranked number-two in the National Soccer Coaches of America Top-25 Poll. It was the second 20-win season for the Colonials, who finished the 2001 season 20-3 overall, while finishing as the NCAA Division III New England Region runner-up.

He is also active in club soccer in the State of Connecticut, as he is the head coach of the Connecticut Football Club U15 Elite team, which is currently ranked 15^th in the Nation. In addition, the U15 squad is also the number-two ranked team in Region 1. He is also the director of operations for the CFC Gunners Division, and is responsible for all areas of the program, including hiring coaches, scheduling, marketing, and player registration.

"John has seen success at both the collegiate and club level," Fallacaro added. "Most important however, is his familiarity with the local soccer landscape and ability to recruit top-level student-athletes. I have no doubt that he will be able to continue the tradition of landing strong recruiting classes at Post University."

He was a two-time captain of the Western Connecticut State men's soccer team, and finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in 1995. He tallied 41 goals and assisted on 35 more, for 117 career points. He was also twice named first-team All-New England, and helped the Colonials to three NCAA Tournament appearances, while reaching the Elite 8 in 1992.

Benitez takes the reigns of the program from Matt Micros who resigned earlier this spring to become an assistant women's soccer coach at Quinnipiac University.

"We wish Matt the best of luck in his future endeavors," Fallacaro said. "In a short time, Matt took the women's soccer program to the top of the CACC and made it one of the most respected programs in the northeast. Matt is a tremendous coach and a great role model for his players."

Last season, the Eagles enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in recent memory, finishing with an 11-8-4 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the CACC. The Eagles also reached the semi-finals in both the CACC Championships and the ECAC Division II Championships. Post also tied the school-record for wins in a season, and set new program marks for conference wins and points with 37.

The Eagles open the 2007 campaign on August 24 as they face the University of Bridgeport in the second-annual Connecticut Cup, which features each of the four Division II programs in the State of Connecticut.