George Washington University Athletics
Women's Soccer
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
In 2015, Erin Ridley completed her first season as assistant coach with the George Washington women's soccer program.
With Ridley's help, the Colonials set a new program record for shutouts in 2015 (12), en route to their first Atlantic 10 regular season title since 1995 after posting a perfect, 10-0-0, conference slate for the first time in program history. The squad matched a school record for victories after tallying an overall 15-5-0 record. Along the way, the Buff and Blue set a new program record with 13 consecutive victories - a mark that led the nation at the close of the regular season. In 2015, GW owned the top defense in the A-10, posting a 0.77 goals against average on the season.
A 2015 A-10 All-Conference First Team Selection, redshirt-sophomore Miranda Horn led the Colonials between the posts, tallying five solo shutouts and combining with senior Ellen Conway for five more. Horn posted an overall 0.86 goals-against average with an impressive 0.27 GAA against conference opponents. Horn landed on the NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team for her efforts.
Making four starts and 10 appearances, Conway proved to be a strong option in goal for the Colonials. Under Ridley's guidance, Conway tallied a 3-0 record with one shutout while posting a 0.53 GAA in 507 minutes of play.
Prior to joining GW's staff in the spring of 2015, Ridley coached at Virginia Tech in the ACC, where she helped create a strong goalkeeping core that posted 44 shutouts, leading the Hokies to their most shutouts in program history with 12 in 2012 and 2014 and 11 in 2013 over the course of her four seasons as assistant coach. Four different goalkeepers earned shutouts during Ridley's time at Virginia Tech.
In 2014, Ridley helped the Hokies to a 16-6 overall record, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in school history as then-junior Carline Kelly and then-freshman Kaylyn Smith combined for 12 shutouts before falling to No. 8 Penn State. The Tech defense also landed in the record book, allowing a record-low 18 goals that season. In 2013, Ridley saw the Hokies advance to their first-ever NCAA College Cup, while tallying a 19-5-3 mark - the best record in program history. The squad reached the finals of the ACC tournament after knocking off previously undefeated and top-ranked Virginia in the semifinals en route to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament - their sixth-consecutive appearance.
Ridley developed Virginia Tech keeper Dayle Colpitts into one of the top goalkeepers in the country as the Hokie allowed a program-low 0.81 goals per match in 2013, largely due to Colpitts' efforts as a senior. Colpitts set a single-season record for shutouts (11), wins (19) and goals-against average (0.77) and finished her career atop the all-time record list for minutes (7,329), shutouts (29), wins (46) and GAA (1.15).
In 2012, Ridley helped Virginia Tech to a 13-6-1 overall record, the fewest losses in program history at the time. Tech posted 12 shutouts on the season, setting a new program record. Colpitts missed the first five games of her junior season to compete for Team Canada in the 2012 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Japan. Freshman Caroline Kelly was called into starting duty for the Hokies and the young goalkeeper earned 5 wins (4 shutouts) to begin her collegiate career.
Colpitts returned from international duty to earn her starting position and was promptly named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week for shutting out Illinois and Massachusetts. She would finish the season with 55 saves, 7 shutouts, while allowing only 18 goals as Tech earned a home bid in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
In Ridley's first season with the Hokies, Tech matched its best finish in program history, making it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. She helped lead the Hokies to a 14-8-1 overall record, the second most wins in program history. Tech's 14 victories included 11 shutouts that set the record for most shutouts in a season. Colpitts faced 212 shots and finished with a save percentage of 0.81, while back-up goalkeeper Anna Romeiser stepped in while Colpitts missed seven games to injury, garnering three shut-outs.
Ridley previously spent 3 seasons as the assistant and goalkeeper coach at Davidson College. With Ridley's help, the Wildcats made program history in 2009 as they earned their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after winning the program's fourth SoCon Tournament Title. The squad finished with a 12-10-1 overall mark, while closing out league play at 7-3-1 - the sixth consecutive winning season for Davidson.
Ridley came to Davidson after two seasons at Stephen F. Austin as an assistant coach, during which time she also served as the interim head coach. During her tenure, the Ladyjacks compiled a 22-13-3 record, including a 13-5-2 mark in her second year, the third-best season win total in SFA history. The Ladyjacks took the Southland regular season championship and Southland Conference Tournament title that season, travelling to play Texas A&M for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ridley, who is currently a part of the Region I Olympic Development Program goalkeeping staff, has also been on State ODP staff in Tennessee and North Carolina. She has also served as a club coach, working with male and female goalkeepers and field players at North Meck Soccer Club and also New River United where she was the U15 girls head coach and goalkeeping director.
A graduate of Virginia, Ridley was a three-year letterwinner who played goalkeeper for the Cavaliers and helped lead them to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2004. She was a member of Soccer Buzz's Number One Recruiting Class in the Nation her freshman year in 2001. Ridley also excelled in the classroom, earning ACC Honor Roll honors three times during her playing career.
Ridley, who was a co-captain on the 2004 championship team, was the women's soccer representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Council while at Virginia. She also played for the Memphis Mercury, a semi-pro women's soccer league in the summer of 2002. A 2005 graduate, Ridley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology. She holds the USSF "B" License, the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and the NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma.
