Central Islip, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference is proud to bring you the first edition of the Soccer Insider Blog. Be on the lookout for the scoop on happenings in ECC soccer with insider stories, recaps, question and answer sessions, and all-access features.
by: Mike Fleischmann
Success in sports is usually hard to sustain over the course of a
few years, let alone for more than a decade. This does not seem to
register with the University of Bridgeport’s Women’s
Soccer Coach Mangus Nilerud. Over the past 14 seasons, Nilerud has
led the Purple Knights to an impressive overall record of
165-82-15, which ranks in the top five in the East Region in both
winning percentage and career wins among active coaches. He is one
of only five current coaches in the East Region with at least 100
career victories, and has transformed the University of Bridgeport
into one of the most successful women’s soccer programs in
the ECC.
Having already posted a 4-1 record in ECC conference play
this season, you can see how Nilerud’s continued emphasis on
hard work and creating a strong sense of continuity throughout the
team is vital to Bridgeport’s success. Boasted by an exciting
group of young players and strong core of returning players,
Bridgeport’s on the field play has been outstanding. Nilerud
has emphasized that the success of the program is due in large part
to the continued support of everyone from the administration, to
the professors, players, and coaches alike. It also doesn’t
hurt when you have forward Danielle Puddefoot in scintillating
form. She has already recorded 22 points in all competitions, and
is nationally ranked in the top 50 for points per game, goals per
game, and total goals. Her leadership on and off the field has
inspired the Purple Knights this season, and coach Nilerud states
that she can get even better. Much of the success on the field can
be attributed to the commitment of the collective group, who
Nilerud said, “Will fight for the shirt at all costs.”
He has created an identity for a program that he initially
inherited at a time of transition, and has pushed the principles of
which he used as a star player and team captain for the Purple
Knights from 1995 to 1999.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing this season, with the team
taking some time to gel after losing some of their senior players
to graduation. The Purple Knights had two early season losses,
which left them low on confidence. Nilerud had said that these
setbacks provided the team with a steep learning curve, but
inevitably proved to strengthen their mentality. Even so, coach
Nilerud has never questioned the desire and commitment of his
players to show leadership, and put in the hard work needed to
elevate Bridgeport up to second in the ECC standings. There is no
question of the character that the team has shown throughout their
campaign so far.
Of course the Purple Knights will be looking to capitalized on
their strong form in the upcoming ECC playoffs, but Nilerud stated
that it is important to only look as far as the next game. He will
like his chances this year given the consistency the team has been
showing, and is looking to capture his first ECC title since 2009.
Consistency has never been in question at the University of
Bridgeport, and there is no reason to see an end in sight with
Nilerud at the helm.
Entering his 13th season at the University of Bridgeport,
Men’s Soccer coach Brian Quinn’s longevity and
experience has helped the Purple Knights become recognized as one
of the stronger soccer programs in the ECC. Quinn has gained a
wealth of knowledge about the game by starting out as an Assistant
Coach at the University of Southern Connecticut, before moving to
the University of Bridgeport. He had also served as a member of the
NCAA Division II Soccer Committee and chairman of the Northeast
Regional Committee up until 2005. To say that he overqualified
would be a bit of an understatement.
Quinn has attributed much of the success on the field to the way
he has established a style of play at Bridgeport. He stated that he
has imprinted this style that is now being passed on to the
underclassmen from the more senior players in the squad. “It
is important to hold a great deal of possession during the game,
and try to wear down the opposition. We haven’t changed the
style of play over the course of the past few seasons, but we wait
for the right moment where the opposition turns off, and we look to
capitalize.” This style that Quinn talks about has seemed to
work well over the course of his illustrious career, and I
don’t think he will be looking to change it anytime soon.
The University of Bridgeport is currently 5-1 in conference play,
and has only conceded 21 goals throughout the season. The Purple
Knights had gone on a vicious seven game winning streak, but LIU
Post proved to be too strong this past weekend. Quinn will not be
too overly concerned by their recent loss, as he stated that the
spine of his team is stronger than it has been over the past few
seasons. He has been attributing this to the upperclassmen leading
by example, and the fight that is instilled in his players.
The defense has noticeably improved over this past season, and
Coach Quinn was quick to praise freshman goalkeeper Augustin Prados
of Madrid, Spain, and junior holding midfield Clayton Ulmer. Prados
stands at a massive 6’4, has great command in the air, and
provides outstanding communication with his backline. Ulmer has
stepped up from the back-four and shown his versatility by fitting
in perfectly as a defensive midfielder. Both of these players have
made great strides in improving over the course of the season, and
the defensive solidarity that Bridgeport now possess, gives them a
chance to win against anyone in the country. Coach Quinn stated
that even though Ulmer and Prados have helped out immensely, the
Purple Knights would not be in the position they are without the
team spirit that lies deep within each player. They are fighting
for each other every time they step onto the pitch, and their work
rate and desire to get on the ball has taken Bridgeport to the next
level.
There was one game in particular that Quinn stated signified the
turning point in their season. Coming off of two tough away losses,
and a start of 0-4 to the season, Bridgeport were set to face a
tough opponent in Bentley. He was proud of the performance that his
team put in, and recognized an improvement in ball retention, and
the amount of confidence they showed after the 2-1 victory. This
win proved to kick start Bridgeport’s season, and showed the
grit and determination that Quinn asks of his players on a daily
basis.
Quinn is looking to continue the fine vein of form that Bridgeport has show over the course of the last few weeks, and with only five game remaining, they will look bounce back from the hard fought loss this past weekend and kick on.
