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Men's Soccer Canisius College Athletics

Canisius Creates Four Full-Time Coaching Positions

Canisius College Director of Athletics Timothy J. Dillon announced today that men's lacrosse coach Randy Mearns, women's soccer coach Meagan Dougherty and men's soccer coach Jim Hesch are being promoted to full-time status, beginning July 1, 2003.

In addition, Canisius will create a position for a full-time men's and women's swimming and diving coach and will conduct a national search to fill the position after the new year. With these upgrades, Canisius will now have 11 full-time head coaches for its 16 varsity sports, beginning in the 2003-04 academic year.

“This is another step in our strategic plan to make Canisius athletics more competitive in the MAAC and in the region,” said Dillon. “Randy, Meagan and Jim are excellent young coaches with extensive playing and coaching experience. We've gone from three full-time head coaches to 11 during my tenure here, and we believe that providing qualified, full-time coaches is a major component of providing a quality experience for our student-athletes.”

Mearns enters his fifth season as head coach of the Canisius men's lacrosse team. He has the distinction of being the first head coach to lead the Griffs to a winning season with a 7-6 mark in the 2001 season.

The 11-year pro returned to action as a member of the Buffalo Bandits last season after spending the last six seasons as an attackman for the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League. The team captain helped lead the Knighthawks to a World

Championship in 1997 and was a member of the World Champion Buffalo Bandits in 1993. He was also named Team Canada's MVP in the 1999 NLL All-Star Game. Mearns was the captain of the Canadian national team that finished second in the International Lacrosse Federation World Championships in 1998. He was also a member of Team Canada at the World Cup of Lacrosse in 1999. He is a 1992 graduate of Canisius.

“This is a really positive step forward for our team,” said senior midfielder Mark Miyashita. “It's something we've been hoping for and now that it has happened, hopefully we can take advantage of it now and in the future.”

Dougherty will begin her third season as the Canisius women's soccer coach in the fall of 2003. A four-year letter winner with the Tar Heels at North Carolina, the former striker won four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer National Championships. She graduated in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in communications.

Dougherty was an assistant coach at the University at Buffalo from 1994-2000 and received her master's degree in education from UB in 2000. Dougherty assisted the Bulls to a 1999 Mid-American Conference Quarterfinal appearance and a 2000 regular-season championship as well as a Mid-American Conference semifinal appearance.

“We've already taken such a big step forward with Coach Dougherty, but this will help her bring in better players that will push us to the next level and make us a better team,” said defender Maria Violante, who will be a senior in 2003.

<#IMAGE:3#>Hesch heads into his third season at the helm of the Canisius men's soccer team. He came to Canisius from Fredonia State, where he spent one year as an assistant coach under P.J. Gondek. The Blue Devils finished 13-3-2 overall and 9-0 in the SUNYAC in 2000.

The Syracuse, N.Y., native was also a member of the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Indoor Soccer League. Hesch played
in 38 games and tallied 21 goals and 14 assists in 2000. Last season, Hesch captured a Major Indoor Soccer League Championship as a member of the Philadelphia Kixx, scoring 36 points in 28 games.

He has been in the league since 1995, played with the Harrisburg Heat from 1996-99 and was named an NPSL All-Star in the 1997-98 season after posting 119 points, the eighth-best single-season total in Heat history.

“You need a quality person to run a quality program,” said Dustin Corrigan, a four-year lettermen who graduated in 2002. “The head coach has full-time responsibilities so you really need a full-time coach in order to provide your student-athletes with a good experience.”
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Players Mentioned

Dustin Corrigan

#5 Dustin Corrigan

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5' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Dustin Corrigan

#5 Dustin Corrigan

5' 8"
Senior
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