Andrea Grasso Hometown: Haddonfield, N.J. Last College: Delaware (2002) Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 8th season

Andrea Grasso returns for her eighth season on the sidelines as Villanova's Assistant Coach.

Grasso continues her role as the program's primary assistant. She is involved in every aspect of the program, including game and practice preparation, recruiting, scouting, and running camps. In 2008, Grasso helped coach a Villanova defense which accounted for six-shutouts for the season, which ranked the `Cats 12^th nationally in shutouts per game. Specializing in goalkeeping, Grasso assisted in helping junior goaltender Maura McCormick receive a 15^th national place ranking in save percentage per game.

Grasso's knowledge of the game goes well beyond play between the posts. She also plays a large role in the development of the defensive unit and shares her expertise as far as to the midfield and forward line.

Grasso's overall involvement in the field hockey circuit extends far beyond the Main Line. During the summer months, Grasso coaches and serves in an administrative role for several camps. She currently holds the Assistant Director position for Villanova's camp and recently served her second year as the Assistant Director at Eastern Field Hockey Camp in Pottstown, Pa.

Furthermore, Grasso also assists in coaching for USA Field Hockey (USFHA) at the High Performance Training Centers New Jersey/Pennsylvania site, where she primarily works with the center's goalkeepers. Under head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn, the program aims to identify and train potential national team athletes through training skills sessions and elite level competitions. In June 2007, Grasso's team sealed a first place finish, as well as three individual player accolades, at the Women's National Championship in Virginia Beach, Va., where her goalkeepers only allowed seven goals throughout the tournament.

In addition, Grasso is greatly involved in the NFHCA Futures program. In the summer of 2006 she was named as a Selector for the National Futures Tournament for the U-14 and U-16 goalkeepers. Prior to that, she coached the goalkeepers at the Region 7 Delaware Futures site from 1999-01, before serving as a Regional Selector in 2004 for Region 7 Maryland in the same categories.

Amidst all of her coaching duties, Grasso also manages to engage in actual competition. For the past four years, she has been an active player on the Philadelphia Women's Team, which is part of the North American Premier League.

Grasso graduated from the University of Delaware in May of 2002 with a degree in Communications and a minor in English. She is in her fourth year at Immaculata College as an adjunct professor specializing in Health and Exercise Science. She resides in Manayunk, Pa.