FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Former goalkeeper standout and assistant coach Kelly Boudreau announced that she will be leaving the Fairfield coaching staff and joining Princeton as an assistant coach. Over the last three seasons Boudreau served on the coaching staff in charge of working with Fairfield's goalkeepers. Boudreau accepted the coaching position after a stellar Fairfield career where the 2011 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year broke the Fairfield career shutout and saves records.
“It's a bittersweet day for the program and for me,” Head Coach Jim O'Brien said. “I have known Kelly for half of her life and I have always been a big fan. As a former goalkeeper, I admired Kelly as a player and made it certain once I had the opportunity to recruit the student-athlete she would not get away.”
Boudreau will join the staff of former Fairfield Associate Head Coach Sean Driscoll on a Princeton squad who had three-straight winning seasons coming into this year. Defensively, the Tigers allowed 1.86 goals per game which was eighth in the Ivy League. At Fairfield, Boudreau was instrumental in the development of goalkeeper Kathleen Early who in her senior season set the program record for goals against average in a career and was named First Team All-MAAC for the first time in her career.
The Stags were consistently near the top in the league's defensive standings throughout the last seven years because of Boudreau. Fairfield is coming off a 14-win season their most since 2008 and finished the year ranked 78th in RPI, the highest of any MAAC team.
“She took the step as an assistant coach and hit the ground running,” Coach O'Brien said. “She worked hard to get Early to the top of the list in standout goalkeepers in the MAAC. She is loyal to her mentors and passionate about being the best at her chosen profession. Kelly Boudreau is and always be part of the Stags family.”
