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Laurence Paterson

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Northern Illinois University women's soccer head coach Michael O'Neill announced the hiring of assistant coach Laurence Paterson to the Huskie soccer staff on Wednesday (July 6). Paterson comes to NIU following three seasons as an assistant coach with the Saginaw Valley State men's and women's soccer programs.

"I'm extremely excited to add Laurence to my staff here at NIU," said O'Neill. "Laurence adds so many different dimensions to our staff with his ability to work with goalkeepers and outfield players. Laurence has also established himself as great recruiter and knows what it takes to get the players we need to build this program. I look forward to working with Laurence and seeing the impact he will have on this program in years to come"

Paterson is reunited with O'Neill after working together for the past three years at Saginaw Valley State.

"I'm delighted to be joining the women's soccer staff at Northern Illinois University," said Paterson. "I'm especially grateful to continue working alongside head coach Michael O'Neill as well as a talented and dedicated group of student-athletes."

In 2019, Paterson joined the Saginaw Valley State men's and women's soccer programs as an assistant coach, working primarily with the goalkeepers. During his first season, the Cardinal women's program won 12 matches while the men's team won 13 games, with both advancing to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship.

Paterson mentored a pair of goalkeepers to conference honors during the 2021 spring season. The Saginaw Valley State men's program posted a perfect 7-0 mark in the COVID-altered campaign to win the GLIAC regular season crown and Mason Maziasz was named GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year. On the women's side, the Cardinals advanced to the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament and goalkeeper Alyssa Watts claimed Second Team All-GLIAC recognition.

The Saginaw Valley State women's program set a school record with 14 wins in 2021, reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Goalkeeper Olivia Argeros recorded a school record 13 shutouts to earn GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors and was also named to the All-Midwest Region Second Team by the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association. The Cardinal men's team won 10 matches in 2021 and Maziasz led the league in save percentage and goals against average.

Along with his collegiate coaching experience, Paterson became the head coach for the Michigan Olympic Development Program (ODP) '07 Girls Team in 2020 and the Michigan ODP '08 Boys Team in 2021. He has also worked with the National Tri-County Soccer Club, the Mid-Michigan Youth Soccer Association and as an assistant at Flint Kearsley High School.

Paterson played collegiately at Saginaw Valley State, helping the Cardinals to a pair of GLIAC championships (2011, '12). In 2012, the Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament Championship game, finishing the season with a 19-3-4 overall record.

A native of Flint, Mich., Paterson earned his bachelor's degree in English and Economics from Saginaw Valley State in 2015. He earned a master's degree in Chinese Studies from the University of Glasgow in 2019.

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