Simmons Head Soccer Coach Erica Mastrogiacomo has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference 2009 Coach of the Year, the GNAC announced Friday evening. The honor comes after a fall season in which Mastrogiacomo led the Sharks to a 9-5-3 regular season record (7-2-3 GNAC) and a GNAC Championship, after earning a berth in the conference post-season tournament as the fifth seed.

"I could not have done it without the help of my assistant coaches," said Mastrogiacomo. "They are a huge support and the three of us are completely committed to this program. I am honored and humbled by this award."

Mastrogiacomo is assisted by Caitlin Schimmel, in her fourth season with Simmons, and second-season Goalkeeping Coach Lynn Gugliuzza.

"Erica is so deserving of this award. She has been building a talented team at Simmons over the recent years, and this year it has showed," said Director of Athletics Ali Kantor. "Simmons was a seventh place preseason pick, and Erica has coached them to take the Championship. This championship team played with strength and depth of character to pull off a double overtime victory—the mark of a good team and the mark of a well-coached team. We couldn't be more proud."

Mastrogiacomo, a 2004 graduate of Syracuse University, and four-year starter for the Orange, is now in her fourth year at the helm of the Simmons Soccer program, after serving as a Sharks assistant for two seasons.