Tuesday, May 13, 2008 
Rachael Safirstein Appointed Head Women's Soccer Coach at Mercy College
DOBBS FERRY, NY - The Mercy College Department of Athletics has announced the appointment of Rachael Safirstein as head women's soccer coach. She replaces Joseph Mendonca who stepped down after one season with the Blue & White.
"Rachael will be a great asset to our athletics department and the women's soccer program," said Interim Co-Director of Athletics Ashlee Kelly. "She brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for soccer. We are looking forward to her leadership for our young women."
Safirstein is the founder of FC Sting, a soccer club whose mission includes teaching soccer and leadership skills to young athletes in the Westchester area. As Club President, she is responsible for producing and implementing the FC Sting soccer curriculum, which is used in all Youth Academy classes and summer soccer camps. Safirstein also conceives and coordinates all FC Sting marketing and promotional programs, including the ongoing search for innovative and beneficial partnerships and sponsorships.
At FC Sting, Safirstein lead the current GU15 Killer Bees to three consecutive New York State Cup Championships, multiple top-20 national rankings, and US Club Regional Championships. Her younger Bees teams compete regionally, in national tournaments, and have won several league championships. In addition, Safirstein lead her U18 Premier team to the quarterfinals of the Dana Cup in Denmark. Under her guidance, numerous FC Sting players have been selected to the Olympics Development Program, and several have made it to the next level -- Region I ODP.
Safirstein played collegiate soccer at the University of Texas at Austin. As a scholarship athlete, she became the first Lady Longhorn to be named to Soccer America's Team of the Week. During Safirstein's tenure the team was consistently ranked in the top 25 in the NCAA Division I. In that time, she scored nine goals and had nine assists from her position as an outside midfielder, earning 27 points. Safirstein was named to the Scholar Athlete Honor Roll and earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism in 1995.
About Mercy College Athletics
Mercy College is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and a member of the East Coast Conference (ECC). The College sponsors 14 men's and women's sports. To learn more about Mercy's Department of Athletics and Recreation, call (914) 674-7220 or visit http://www.mercyathletics.com/.
