June 2, 2011
Contact: Dan Carr
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Eric Lapsansky, a 12-year high school coaching veteran who was tabbed as the NSCAA/OSCAA Ohio Coach of the Year in 2004, and Kelly Zinkiewich, a four year CSU letterwinner and the 2010 Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year, have joined the Cleveland State women's soccer team as assistant coaches.
Head coach Derrek Falor made the announcements on Thursday (June 2).
"I'm very excited about both these additions," Falor said. "Eric comes in with a lot of experience and Kelly is somebody already familiar with the program who had a fantastic college career and will be a great role model for the team."
Lapsansky spent the past 12 years as the head coach of the girl's team at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High, compiling a 142-57-26 record highlighted by a No. 23 national ranking in 2004. He led the Lady Bees to a top 10 state finish eight times and was a six-time conference coach of the year, earning Greater Cleveland Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2007.
"I'm excited about the addition of Eric to our staff," Falor said. "He's a local guy who knows the club scene and the high school scene in Cleveland, and he'll give this team the ability to recruit more high-profile area kids to our program. Eric's had tremendous success at the high school level, and I'm confident he'll help us continue to build a winning program at Cleveland State."
Lapsansky has also served as the boys team coach and goalkeeping director of the U-17 and U-18 Cleveland Whitecaps Premier Soccer Club since 2009, and his experience working with goalkeepers was what drew him to Cleveland State.
"He will be a goalkeeper-specific coach, which is something we've never had at Cleveland State," Falor said. "He has proven experience in developing quality goalkeepers, and I feel that we've done well in adding somebody who can add that dimension to our coaching staff."
Lapsansky has been developing goalkeepers since 1997, when he concurrently served as the goalkeeping coach for the Emerald Soccer Club and as the head coach and goalkeeping director for the high school boys squad with the Elite Soccer Club. Since 1998 he has been the goalkeeping director and instructor for soccer camps at the College of Wooster, and from 1998-200 he held the position of Ohio North Goalkeeping Coach at the Ohio Youth Soccer Association North Olympic Development Program.
This will mark the second collegiate assistant coaching stint for Lapsansky, who was an assistant coach specializing in goalkeeping at Case Western Reserve from 1998-2000.
A graduate of Solon High, Lapsansky played at Pittsburgh from 1991-92, earning academic all-Big East honors before transferring to North Carolina-Wilmington to earn a degree in elementary education in 1995. Lapsansky later earned a master's degree in curriculum, instruction and design from Walden in 2003.
He briefly played with the Cleveland Caps of the United States Indoor Soccer League in 1996 before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at Chagrin Falls High. In 1997 he joined the coaching staff at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High, serving as an assistant with the boys team before being elevated to the head of the girls team in 1999.
The Cleveland State career leader in saves (386), shutouts (15), goals against average (1.95) and minutes played (6,221), Zinkiewich is coming off a senior season in which she helped lead the Vikings to a school record nine wins. A 2010 All-Ohio second team honoree, Zinkiewich set single season records with seven shutouts, a 1.15 GAA and a .807 save percentage.
"Kelly is a great player who is making a natural evolution into coaching," Falor said. "Her game has continued to grow since her freshman year at CSU, and she is a great role model who bleeds Viking green."
Zinkiewich became the first CSU player to earn the league goalkeeper of the year award and joined teammate Natalie Daniels as the first ever all-Horizon League first team selections from Cleveland State. Zinkiewich ranks fourth in league history in saves and minutes played.
"We almost have an embarrassment of riches as far as goalkeeper coaching now that Kelly has joined the staff," Falor said. "She has great knowledge of the entire game, though, and I see her as being more of a general assistant this season."
