The 2017 Lincoln soccer coaching staff has a whole new look. From professional players to club coaches, this year’s staff is packed with experience. The huge change brings a new dynamic to Lincoln soccer and the way the teams train.

Although almost all of the coaches are new this year, one familiar face remains. Pablo Dipascuale, Spanish teacher and last year’s assistant boys varsity coach, has stepped up to head coach and brings the intensity and work ethic of the championship season in 2015. He is joined by a team of experienced assistants, and the girls staff is similarly well-stacked.

“Seven coaches on the current staff bring a wealth of knowledge,” says Dipascuale. Most of the coaches have played before at least in high school and some professionally, and they have been “coaching at various levels for a combined 65 years.”

Assisting Dipascuale are Maureen Fitzgerald and Frankie Lopez, who both played professionally. Etsy Geiger and Stuart Ellsworth lead the girls team this year. Geiger played for Portland State University for four years and Ellsworth played at Whitman College as a Goalkeeper.

Lopez was a star in high school and moved on to play abroad. He spent time in Mexico playing for Jaguares FC and played with the Sounders U23 team in 2016.

Fitzgerald played for University of Oregon on their Division 1 soccer team after playing at Boise State. Briefly, she also played for the the local professional team, the Portland Thorns. Many years of experience have shaped her into a disciplined and knowledgeable coach.

Fitzgerald thinks that “a fresh start is beneficial” and that it can help Lincoln’s program become even better. Both she and Dipascuale see great potential in the teams this year. “I’m particularly enthusiastic about the upcoming season when seeing how committed and dedicated the players in the entire program are,” says Dipascuale.

But both coaches see hard work as essential to becoming a good soccer team. Fitzgerald believes through effort and hard work the team can be “as good as [they] want to be.”