Kentucky Players Academy Kentucky Players Academy
Matt WilkersonMatt is entering his third year as Hanover's Head Coach. In his first two seasons in charge the program has made significant progress and established multiple school records. In his first year the team finished with a 7-7-4 record - the first .500 finish since 2006. Defensively, the team lowered the number of goals allowed from 49 in 2011 to 22 in 2012. They also claimed impressive results with two teams that participated in the NCAA tournament - a 2-2 draw with Thomas More and a 0-0 draw with #25 DePauw. The team finished in 5th place in the HCAC and placed three players on All-Conference teams.
2013 was a record breaking year for the program. The team set school records for total wins (10), longest winning streak (6). and most conference wins (6). The Panthers finished with a 10-8-2 record and advanced to the semi-finalist of the Conference tournament. Four players received All-Conference awards. Matthew Eldridge was named the Conference Newcomer of the year. Two players were named Academic All-Region.
Prior to arriving at Hanover, Wilkerson was an Assistant coach and the Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Kentucky (2003-2011 ). In his time at the University of Kentucky the Wildcats experienced significant success including:
Wilkerson recruited and helped develop players that were named All-Americans, Academic All-America, Conference Player of the year, and Conference newcomer of the year. Wilkerson also assisted three players in earning MLS contracts. Additionally. multiple players earned contracts in some of Europe's top leagues.
Wilkerson also has experienced success at the Club and High School level. In 2000, Wilkerson led his Alma Mater, Iowa City West to the school's first ever Iowa High School Athletic Association State Championship. The Trojans finished with the season ranked #4 in the nation by the NSCAA. Matt has been heavily involved in Club Soccer since 2000. He was the Assistant Coaching director for the Iowa Soccer Club from 2000-2003. In his time with the Iowa Soccer Club the club won multiple State Cups - including its first ever and placed multiple players in College programs. Wilkerson also coached for the Commonwealth Soccer Club (2005-2013) in Lexington, KY - serving as the clubs Interim Executive Director in 2013. Wilkerson's teams were the first in the club to advance to the State Championship game. Many of Matt's former CSC players are now playing collegiately. Matt has earned his USSF National "A" License as well as the USSF National Youth License.
Tim ChastonayIn 2013, longtime head coach Tim Chastonay returns to the sidelines for his 16th season as the head coach of Bellarmine’s men’s soccer program. Compiling a 138-124-22 record over that span, Chastonay is the program’s all-time wins leader.
Through the years Chastonay has coached 27 All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selections and two All-Americans, earning GLVC Coach of the Year honors in 2005.
Bellarmine has reached the double-digit wins plateau in five of the last seasons which included a 10-5-2 season in 2010 when the Knights reached their highest national ranking ever as they checked in at No. 18 in the NSCAA poll.
Chastoney also led Bellarmine’s women’s program for 12 seasons, guiding the program to their first ever appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2009. The tea
Prior to coming to Bellarmine he was a successful high school coach in Louisville at Eastern High School. He spent four seasons at the lead of the Eagles soccer team where he had a 71-19-2 record including winning the 1996 Kentucky State Championship and finishing the season ranked nationally in the top 25. For his accomplishments that season he was named the KHSAA Soccer Coach of the Year.
A 1993 Bellarmine graduate, Chastonay was a four year member of the soccer team where he helped the Knights to GLVC runner up finishes three times. As a senior he was named All-GLVC team as well as getting Bellarmine’s Silver Knight award for athletic achievement and sportsmanship. After his collegiate career, Chastonay spent one season playing semi-pro for the Louisville Thoroughbreds of the USISL.
Chastonay currently lives in Louisville with his wife Kelli and their two children, AJ and Ryan.
Matt CannadyFormer Bellarmine standout Matt Cannady returns to the program in 2013 as he enters his first season as an assistant coach for the Knights. He will assist Head Coach Tim Chastonay with all aspects of the program.
A four-year letterman for BU from 2006-09, Cannady started 66 matches over his career as a midfielder, serving as team captain as a senior.
“I am thrilled to be back working at my alma mater where I made so many special relationships,” said Cannady. “Bellarmine has always been home to me, and I couldn’t be happier with the opportunity to rejoin the program.”
After graduating from Bellarmine in 2010 with a degree in business administration, Cannady spent the previous three seasons working with the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s soccer program, helping out with all aspects of the program. He served as VCU’s graduate assistant for the 2010 season before being promoted to assistant for the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. In 2012, Cannady helped the Rams to an Atlantic-10 runner-up finish, and the 14th overall seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
The Belleville, Illinois native is a graduate of Althoff Catholic High School and holds a national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He received his Master’s Degree in Education from VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership in August of 2011.
Cannady and his wife, Jamie, reside in Louisville with their golden retriever, Riley.
Kyle SchickelKyle was four-year starter on St. Xavier High School's varsity soccer team winning back to back State Champions 2007 and 2008. His honors at Saint Xavier include:
From U-9 to U-19 Kyle was a member of Javanon Soccer Club which was the Kentucky State Cup champions five times, and a Regional II Champion and National Finalist.
Kyle was four year starter at Northwestern University and was team captain his senior year.
Danny CeperoDanny Cepero enters his first season as an assistant coach with the Louisville Cardinals. Cepero's main responsibility on the field is working with the Cardinal goalkeepers. He is also responsible for the equipment needs of the team. Cepero comes to Louisville after spending two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast as the goalkeeper coach.
In his first season on staff in 2011, Cepero worked closely with FGCU's group of goalkeepers which included an Atlantic Sun All-Conference first team and a Lowe's Senior CLASS finalist and All-America first team selection in senior Adam Glick, and the A-Sun Tournament MVP in freshman Nathan Ingham. Under his direction, the goalkeeping tandem combined for a 12-6-2 overall record in net, recording a 1.11 goals against average and a .772 save percentage to go with four shutouts. During the 2011 season, Cepero helped coach the Eagles into postseason competition in the program's first year of eligibility. The Green and Blue secured the program's second consecutive A-Sun Conference regular season crown with a 7-1 league mark while clinching the A-Sun Tournament No. 1 overall seed. The Eagles earned the A-Sun's automatic NCAA Championship berth after clinching the league tournament title with a pair of one-goal victories over No. 4 Mercer (2-1) and No. 6 ETSU (1-0), becoming the first team since 2004 to claim both the regular season and tournament titles in the same year.
Penn's all-time leader in shutouts with 23, Cepero was a three-year starter for the Quakers from 2004-06, before being selected in the fourth round of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft. Cepero made 51 starts over his four years in Philadelphia, accumulating an 18-10-3 record over the final two seasons, highlighted back-to-back campaigns with eight shutouts. As a senior in 2006, he posted a 0.76 goals against average (GAA) en route to being a unanimous All-Ivy first team choice and NSCAA All-Northeast Region third team selection.
Cepero's professional career began on the New York Red Bulls reserves for the 2007 campaign before making his first career MLS start on Oct. 18, 2008 against the Columbus Crew. In that game, Cepero picked up the win in net and became the first goalie in MLS history to score a goal when he drilled home a free kick from 81-yards out. Cepero went on to start all four of New York's playoff games, posting back-to-back shutout wins at Houston and Real Salt Lake before starting the franchise's first-ever MLS Cup Final. In 2008, Cepero was loaned out to the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division, and while with the City Islanders Cepero established himself as one of the top keepers in USL-2. Following his successful loan stint he was recalled by the Red Bulls.
Cepero earned his bachelor's degree in History at the University of Pennsylvania.