Custom Search ORANGEBURG, SC—South Carolina State department of athletics has announced the hiring of Melissa Sherwood as the new Women's Head Soccer Coach.
"I am very excited to be a part of the South Carolina State family, the Bulldog welcome has been a warm one and I am very much looking forward to my time here", said Sherwood. I would like to thank Mr. [Stacy] Danley for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the Lady Bulldog Women's Soccer to success. The vision for the program is an ambitious one and one that I am determined to bring to fruition. "
Sherwood comes to SC State after spending four seasons as the head coach at Saint Peter's University.
During the 2018 season Sherwood led her women's soccer team to the highest MAAC finish in 20 years. She guided the Peacocks to a 7th place ranking in the conference, their best finish since 1998, and just one spot shy of a playoff appearance. The Peacocks posted the program's most MAAC wins (3) and points (10) since 1998 and posted its most overall wins since 2009 under Sherwood in 2018.
Over the four seasons under Sherwood, the team improved their MAAC record each year from 0-9-1 (2016), to 1-8-1 (2017), to 3-6-1 (2018) and 3-13-1 (2019). Freshman Brooke Boutchie was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team, becoming the first player to earn the honor since 2014 and the first all-conference player under Sherwood.
Under Sherwood during the 2017 campaign, the Peacocks finished the regular season with four league points the most in a season for the program since the 2011 season when that squad earned six MAAC points. The team also secured its first trip to the postseason under Sherwood's direction. In the MAAC tournament, the Peacocks scored the program's first postseason goal since the 2005 MAAC tournament. Saint Peter's has led the conference in saves and saves per game in both of Sherwood's first two seasons.