DeSales University Women's Soccer

Couzis came to DeSales having served as the Interim head coach at Long Island University in 2023. She also has served as the head coach and Girls Elite Technical Director for the Massapequa Soccer Club since March, 2023 and been the head coach of the Eastern NY Soccer Association Olympic Development Program since November, 2023.   Couzis was a highly successful Division I soccer player playing four years at UCONN from 2017-21 earning United Soccer Coaches East Region Second-Team honors and was named First-Team All-Big East as a senior. She then played one more season as a graduate student at St. Johns University earning Big East All-Tournament team honors, finishing the season with one goal and five assists.   Couzis graduated from UCONN in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science, earned her first Masters in translational medicine from CCNY in 2022, and earned her MBA from St. Johns University in 2023.   She hails from Baldwin Place, NY where she graduated from Somers (CT) scoring 60 goals and 63 assists in her HS career helping Somers win the 2014 NY State Class A Championship and earning several conference, regional, and national accolades during her HS career.

Melina Couzis was named the eight coach in DeSales University women's soccer in July of 2024. She led the Bulldogs to a 6-12-2 overall record in her first season, guiding the Bulldogs to the MAC Freedom postseason tournament for the 13th time in team history. Couzis came to DeSales having served as the Interim head coach at Long Island University in 2023. She also has served as the head coach and Girls Elite Technical Director for the Massapequa Soccer Club since March, 2023 and been the head coach of the Eastern NY Soccer Association Olympic Development Program since November, 2023.   Couzis was a highly successful Division I soccer player playing four years at UCONN from 2017-21 earning United Soccer Coaches East Region Second-Team honors and was named First-Team All-Big East as a senior. She then played one more season as a graduate student at St. John’s University earning Big East All-Tournament team honors, finishing the season with one goal and five assists.   Couzis graduated from UCONN in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in exercise science, earned her first Masters in translational medicine from CCNY in 2022, and earned her MBA from St. John’s University in 2023.   She hails from Baldwin Place, NY where she graduated from Somers (CT) scoring 60 goals and 63 assists in her HS career helping Somers win the 2014 NY State Class A Championship and earning several conference, regional, and national accolades during her HS career.  

Maya Alberts joins the DeSales Women's Soccer coaching team as a Graduate Assistant in the summer of 2025. Alberts gained a large amount of soccer experience as a player at both St. Johns University (N.Y.) and Lawrence University. While being the Graduate Assistant, she will also be working towards her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentation in Project Management.  Alberts graduated in 2025 with a degree in International Relations from Lawrence University. While there, competing with the Women's Soccer teams she earned, 2024 Midwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, 2023 and 2024 All-Midwest Conference First Team, and the 2025 BluCrew Female Athlete of the Year. Alberts was also named Midwest Conference Defensive player of the Week three times (9/23/24, 10/7/24, 10/28/24). Off the soccer field, she was a members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, participated in the honors program, earned high honor roll recognition, studied abroad at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in the Spring of 2024, competed for the Lawernce University Women's tennis team during the winter and spring of 2025.  At St. John's University (N.Y.) Alberts played her first two seasons for the Red Storm, tallying one assist as a rookie and helping the team reach the sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2021. Named to the Academic All-Big East Team in both 2021 and 2022.  Alberts is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She also played three seasons for the Green Bay Glory (2022,2023, 2025) in the WPSL pre-professional league.