By: Justin Grones
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis.
(GreenBayPhoenix.com) - The Green Bay
women's soccer team has added Lauren
Sesselmann to its staff as an assistant coach, head coach Trevor Warren announced on Monday. Sesselmann,
a Green Bay native, won a bronze medal while playing defense for the Canadian
national team in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
"She's going to be a great role model for our players,
and it will definitely help our profile as a program," Warren said of
Sesselmann's hiring.
After starring locally at Notre Dame Academy,
Sesselmann went to play collegiately at Purdue University, where she graduated
in 2005. She was named First-Team All-Big Ten in both 2003 and 2005 and set six
records during her time as a Boilermaker.
Sesselmann, a former forward who now plays defense,
will join second-year assistant coach Niki
Brooks, a goalkeeping and strength and conditioning specialist, under
Warren.
"Trevor called me and asked if I'd like to come be an
assistant coach, and I jumped at the opportunity," Sesselmann said. I love
being around the game and I love being in Green Bay.
Sesselmann grew up playing forward, but switched to
defender in 2010 while playing for the Atlanta Beat. She acquired Canadian citizenship
that same year through her father, and began playing for the Canadian national
team in 2011.
"I grew up watching the U.S. and Canadian national
teams because I liked their styles of play," Sesselmann said. "I fit better in
Canada's system, so when I got the call to go to camp I was excited."
Sesselmann started in all six of Canada's Olympic
matches, and recorded an assist in Canda's 3-0 win over the Republic of South
Africa. She also recorded a crucial goal-line save in the second half of a 2-1
loss to Japan.
Now back in the United States, Sesselmann comes to a
Green Bay team that features four Canadian players - senior Chanel Aries (Calgary, Alberta), junior
Renee Therrien (Winnipeg, Manitoba),
and freshmen Justy Linton (Winnipeg,
Manitoba) and Karina Fredette
(Gatineau, Quebec) on its roster. According to Warren, they're very big fans of
hers.
"It's really awesome to be coached by someone who won
an Olympic medal for Canada, and having her here reminds me of being at home,"
said Aries.
Green Bay has posted two of its best defensive seasons
in program history under Warren, who hopes the addition of a coach who plays at
an elite level will only make the Phoenix defense stronger.
"I stress pushing each other day in and day out,
because it helps you be on top of your game and play great," Sesselmann said.
"But I also stress having fun-when you have fun, you play well."
Although it's still too early to tell if she'll be
back for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Sesselmann plans to use her experience at
Green Bay to coach as well as recover from injuries suffered during the
Olympics to prepare for future contests.
"We have a few tournaments this spring, but the first
major goal before the Olympics is the World Cup in 2015," Sesselmann said.
"It's being played in Canada, and it would be an honor to play for that country
while it hosts the World Cup."
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