Merrimack College Women's Soccer

Recognized as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA women's soccer history, Gabe Mejaíl takes on his 42nd season at the helm of the Merrimack College women's soccer program in 2025.   The only head coach that the program has ever known, Mejaíl has enjoyed a long and decorated career – now in his fifth decade with the Warriors – and has guided the program from its inception in 1984 into the perennial regional and national contender that it is today.   The MIT graduate has led the program over all 41 seasons of existence and boasts an all-time coaching record of 524-277-72, including a 494-254-65 all-time mark at Merrimack. Mejaíl’s milestones are plentiful, but the most notable include his being the winningest active coach (total victories) in NCAA Division II women's soccer, as well as ranking 2nd among all NCAA division active coaches, and is currently the all-time leader in number of seasons coached (all Divisions) with 45 seasons.   An orchestrator of one of the most consistent programs across the country, Mejaíl has led the Warriors to eight Northeast-10 Conference regular season championships, six NE10 Tournament titles, two ECAC titles and 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament – including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 1996.  The Warriors have also excelled in the academic front, receiving the USC (United Soccer Coaches) Academic Award 21 consecutive seasons, they received Team Academic Excellence Awards by having the highest team GPA (3.7) of any team in the NE10 conference as well as having the top GPA in the NEC and MAAC.   Mejaíl recorded his 500th career victory as a head coach on Sept. 21, 2022, as the Warriors downed Vermont 3-1 in North Andover. On Oct. 1, 2011, Warrior Field was renamed Martone-Mejaíl Field, honoring Mejaíl and long-time coaching colleague Tony Martone, the head coach of the Merrimack College men's soccer team.   In 2024 Merrimack joined the MAAC and qualified for the tournament by going in a three-game unbeaten streak with a tie and then two wins to finish the season.  Two Warriors, Abby Cieri ’24 and Lily Morgan ’24 were recognized as NEWISA All-New England Performers.   In 2023 Merrimack finished the season in 1st place in the NEC by winning their last two games, both coming back from 0-2 deficits in the second half and winning 3-2, and 4-2 securing their first Division 1 Regular Season Championship.  Six Warriors received post-season accolades Abby Cieri ’24, Jillian Golden ’25, Ella Cormier ’25, Molly Murnane ’23, Lily Morgan ’24 with all-NEC honors and Bella Keogh ’27 as NEC Rookie of the Year.    Merrimack finished the 2022 season in 2nd place in the NEC with a 6-2-1 record and a winning record for the 36th time in the 39 years of program history.  Mejaíl coached five Warriors, Abby Cieri ’24, Ella Cormier ’25, Molly Murnane ’23, Hallie Shiers ’23, and Erin Tyldesley ’23 to All-NEC honors.  Cieri was recognized as well as NEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.   In 2017 Merrimack qualified for the Northeast-10 playoffs in dramatic fashion by winning 5 of their last 6 games.  Along the way, Mejaíl led the team to wins over two top-10 nationally ranked teams, #7 LIU Post in September, while also knocking off #6 Adelphi, the #1 NE10 seed in the first round of the playoffs, thus advancing to the NE10 Semifinals for a record 26 times.   Mejaíl has overseen the development of 101 all-conference performers, and 27 of his players have earned All-America honors including (class): Megan Gada ’17, Danielle Dion '14, Jessica Peacock '12, Gabrielle Gramprey '10, Caitlin Hall '09, Heather Macedo '08, Hillary McGarr '08, Shannon Rowan ’08, Lindsay Sheffield '06, Laurie Lamoureux '05, Patty Cronin '03, Rachel McCarthy '02, Alison Skoglund '02, Annmarie Yutkins '02, Lisa Jensen '00, Sue Cookson '00, Kim Hall ’98, Jen Kusz '97, Danielle Ouellette '97, Kathryn Barkman '96, Jessica Lanzo '96, Nancy Daly '95, Bethann O'Leary '91, Beth Licopoli '90, Sue Plante '90, Janice Carter ’89, and Michelle Muise '88.   The Warriors' play within the NE10 has been nothing short of dominant, as Merrimack stood at 267-99-31 (.712) in league play since 1985. Over that same time, Mejaíl has coached his club to six Northeast-10 tournament titles, eight Northeast-10 regular season crowns, 11 appearances in the ECAC tournament – including the 1988 and 2000 championships – and 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.   Along with the victories and championships have come the coaching accolades for Mejaíl. He was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year on eight occasions: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2003 and 2008. In addition, he was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional and New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA) Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2003 and the National Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1996. Mejaíl also received NEWISA's Service Award in 1992.  In recent seasons he received the 2022 and 2023 NEC Coach of the Year award as well.  Mejaíl started his coaching career at Wheaton College, coaching there from 1979 to 1982.   Born and raised in Argentina, Mejaíl moved to the United States in 1967, gaining citizenship in 1974. He studied Urban Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and earned his degree in 1978. He earned his master's degree in education from Harvard University in 1989, teaching for 35 years at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass.   Mejaíl resides in Medford, Mass. His twin sons Matthew and Jonathan are recent college graduates, Matthew attended UMass Amherst and Jonathan attended Merrimack and was a member of the Track & Field team and Jazz Band, while his daughter Emily is also a graduate of Merrimack College.

 Paul Athanasiadis enters his 25th season as the Women's Soccer Associate Head Coach in 2025.   He joined the Warrior soccer program in 2001 following nine years as head coach at Marian High School. During his tenure at Marian, Athanasiadis guided the school to a 135-38-18 record and captured the 1999 Massachusetts State Championship; as a result, he was named Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe, the Eastern Massachusetts Coaches Association, and the Metro West Daily News.   Athanasiadis is a former Massachusetts Youth Olympic Development Program state team coach and served as an assistant with the Boston Storm semi-professional team from 1994-95.  He also led the Massachusetts Amateur State team to a regional championship in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and a National Championship in 2001.  Athanasiadis resides in Lexington, Mass., with his wife, Danielle ‘97, and their four children – Emily, George '25, Nadia, and Aidan.  George recently graduated from Merrimack and was a member of the Merrimack Baseball team, while Nadia is a Merrimack sophomore for 2025.  Paul is currently an executive in Somerset Industries in Lowell.

Perry begins his 10th season as an assistant coach with the Merrimack College womens soccer staff in the fall of 2016. Prior to his arrival at Merrimack, Perry spent six years as an assistant soccer coach at Littleton High School and also served as an assistant coach for the Massachusetts State Select Team in 2006 and 2007. Perry began his coaching career as a volunteer at his alma mater, Dickinson College, in 1993, while also volunteering his time at the local YMCA, both as a coach and league administrator. He coached the junior high school girls soccer team in Bedford in 1993 and the boys in 1994, and later assisted with the varsity team in 1995. Perry returned to Littleton and coached from 1996-98 before moving onto Lasell College in 1999, where he served as an assistant in 1999 and 2000. Perry resides in Medford, Mass., and is currently a system administrator at Navisite Corporation, where he has worked since 2003.

Rich Perry begins his 19th season as an assistant coach with the Merrimack College women’s soccer staff in the fall of 2025.   Prior to his arrival at Merrimack in 2007, Perry spent six years as an assistant soccer coach at Littleton High School and also served as an assistant coach for the Massachusetts State Select Team in 2006 and 2007.   Perry began his coaching career as a volunteer at his alma mater, Dickinson College, in 1993, while also volunteering his time at the local YMCA, both as a coach and league administrator. He coached the junior high school girls’ soccer team in Bedford in 1993 and the boys in 1994, and later assisted with the varsity team in 1995.   Perry returned to Littleton and coached from 1996-98 before moving onto Lasell College in 1999, where he served as an assistant in 1999 and 2000.   Perry resides in Woburn, Mass. with his wife Marjorie, and is currently a system administrator at NaviSite Corporation in Andover, Mass.