Strong Foundation: Brooklyn College Hires Horne to Build Women’s Soccer Program

March 23, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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By John Torenli

There’s nothing like getting in on the ground floor of something big, be it a major real estate deal, or a Division III women’s soccer program, according to Patrick Horne.

The former pro soccer player and head coach at Division II Concordia College expressed those sentiments after being named as the founding father of the new women’s program at Brooklyn College this week.

“It is a very rare occasion that one gets the opportunity to start a soccer program from scratch at a prestigious academic institution such as Brooklyn College,” said Horne.

“I intend to extend Brooklyn College’s exemplary academic reputation to the new women’s soccer program and look forward to the challenge of making the Bulldogs the most successful in the CUNYAC. I thank Athletic Director Bruce Filosa and his staff for giving me the opportunity to add to Brooklyn College’s prestigious history.”

Horne recruited, trained and mentored student-athletes as part of developing the women’s program at Concordia in Bronxville, N.Y., from 2007 to 2011 and also spent the 2006 season serving as an assistant at Molloy College in Rockville Center.

Those credentials, coupled with his playing experience in the North American and American Soccer Leagues, certainly made Horne an attractive prospect for the BC job.

“We are very excited to add someone with the quality and experience of coach Horne,” said Filosa, BC’s director of recreation, intramurals and intercollegiate athletics. “We are looking forward to the upcoming season and the start of a new phase of BC athletics.”

Horne received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he was a four-year member of the men’s soccer team, helping to lead the team to a runner-up finish in the 1975 NCAA Division I Tournament.

Horne also has a Master of Science degree in Education from Alfred University and is a New York state certified English teacher. He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) B License.

The Lady Bulldogs will kick off their inaugural season this coming fall.

“We are very excited to grow our family of athletic teams at Brooklyn College,” said Filosa. “With the success of our athletics program across the board, we will look for nothing but great things from our new women’s soccer program.”

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In other local news from the pitch, LIU-Brooklyn senior Adam Janssen will be with Team Canada on Thursday for an Olympic qualifying game against El Salvador in Nashville, Tenn.

The fourth-year goaltender earned a spot on the Canadian Under-23 unit, which is competing for a spot in this summer’s London Olympics.

Team Canada will take on Cuba Monday, with the top two teams from the event to move on to a semi-final qualifier.

The process of playing for Team Canada started in December 2010 for the Blackbirds’ goalie. He was invited to his first training camp in Arizona. Janssen’s first taste of action came in an exhibition against Team USA, where he played 75 minutes and let in only one goal.

Janssen got a callback in March 2011, and played a full 90 minutes between the pipes against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Canada won the game 2-0, with Janssen earning the shutout.

As a Blackbird, Janssen logged over 5,500 minutes in net during his four years, closing his career with a .738 save percentage. At the end of the 2011 season, Janssen was named to the All-Northeast Conference Second Team.

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Junior outfielder Albert Faz went 4-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored Wednesday, but the LIU-Brooklyn baseball team suffered a tough 4-3 loss to St. John’s in Jamaica, N.Y.

Matt Wessinger’s three-run homer in the fifth erased a 2-1 lead for the Blackbirds, who lost their fourth consecutive game, with three of the defeats coming by one run, including a 19-inning heartbreaker to Nebraska-Omaha in Auburndale, Fla., last week.

LIU (8-11) will open Northeast Conference play with the first of a four-game series at Central Connecticut State on Friday afternoon.

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LIU-Brooklyn freshman Sanne Louwers was named the NEC Women’s Tennis Player and Rookie of the Week on Tuesday. Louwers continued her red-hot play over the past seven days, going undefeated in both singles and doubles action for the Blackbirds.

Louwers earned the honors for a second consecutive week after posting a 4-0 singles record in No. 1 flight play. She also went 3-0 teaming with junior Taysha Blessington at the top doubles spot on LIU’s spring break trip to Florida.

The Netherlands native beat Liberty’s Cameron Richard — the 2010-11 Big South Freshman of the Year — in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, last Tuesday, then followed with a 6-3, 5-7, 10-5 victory over Navy standout Darien Sears a day later.

She wrapped up play with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Fordham’s Amy Simidian, a Penn State transfer.

Louwers is now a perfect 6-0 in singles play this spring, and has paired with Blessington to go 4-1 in doubles action.

LIU begins NEC play on Sunday, April 1, against Monmouth.

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The St. Francis College women’s bowling team faced three nationally ranked foes last Sunday in the playoff bracket rounds of the Columbia 300 Music City Classic, hosted by Vanderbilt University at Smyrna Bowling Center in Tennessee.

St. Francis edged Alabama A&M, 4-3, dropped a 4-1 decision to Adelphi University and blanked NEC rival Monmouth, 4-0.