Matt Cosinuke

Matt Cosinuke is entering his fifth year as an assistant coach with the University of Cincinnati women’s soccer program where he will once again continue to work with a deep goalkeeping corps while also serving as the Director of Recruiting for the Bearcats program. Under Cosinuke’s tutelage, UC has formed an outstanding stable of net minders as the quartet have each contributed to the success of the program, which included just 11 goals allowed in 2017, tying for the fewest in a season in school history. And, in 2018, all four keepers are back once again.

UC got off to its best start in program history (6-0-1) in 2017 and that was in large part due to the efforts of the defense. During that stretch, the Bearcats shut out four foes and limited opponents to just four goals in total. Despite the first loss of the season that snapped that streak, the keepers did their part to start another streak as UC would 5-0-2 over their next seven matches with the defense holding foes scoreless for 588:22, the fourth-longest streak in program history.

Madison Less led the way with a 0.66 goals-against average and seven shutouts, both of which tied the redshirt freshman for second among all keepers in the American Athletic Conference. Rookie Jane Sensibaugh added a 0.44 GAA in her five appearances and posted two shutouts while Claudia Eustaquio and Kaleigh Piscioneri each had a hand in at least one save on the year as the four players combined for a collected 0.56 GAA in 2017. All of this came despite the loss of one of the program’s top keepers in Natalie Smith, who closed out her career in 2016.

As the goalkeeper coach, the Bearcats have continually been ranked among the best in the American Athletic Conference as the team’s defensive statistics have continued to excel as well. In 2016, the defense allowed just 21 goals, the fewest surrendered by a Neil Stafford-led team at UC and an improvement for the fourth year in a row (37-27-22-21). On the strength of Smith’s play in goal, the team had two stretches where it shut out foes for long periods of time, posting three shutouts in a row on two occasions with scoreless minutes played of 300+ in each of those streaks.

With depth and improved numbers, his group came up big in 2015 as the keepers allowed just 22 goals and posted a 0.87 goals-against average which is a major improvement from prior to his arrival when the goalkeepers held a 1.79 (2014) GAA. The trio of Sam Pavlika, Natalie Smith and Kaleigh Piscioneri combined to post 95 saves in 24 matches en route to 12 shut outs, which ranks as the third-most in a single season in the program’s 36-year history. The 22 goals allowed ranked as the fourth-fewest in a season of 20+ matches played (11th overall).

With an improve defense playing ahead of them, the keepers saved 81-percent of the shots they faced and helped the team not only to its seventh conference crown, but its first NCAA appearance since 2002.

In his two years working with the program, Cosinuke has seen his goalkeepers record 20 shutouts and help UC to a 23-14-7 overall record, giving the Bearcats back-to-back 10+ wins seasons for the first time since 2002. In his first season with the program, Cosinuke coached the goalkeepers to eight shutouts on the year. UC finished with a 10-8-2 record, which made it only the second time since 2002 that UC reached double-digit victories.

Cosinuke spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons as a volunteer assistant with the Bearcats’ men’s program where he worked mainly with the goalkeepers and aided UC in qualifying for the conference tournament each year. In 2013, he had a keeper named National Goalkeeper of the Week once and American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Week once. Off the field, he was heavily active in video analysis and organizing team camps and clinics. 

Cosinuke came to UC after two seasons at Dartmouth, where he helped the Big Green to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and trip to the Sweet 16 in 2010. He mentored 2011 all-Ivy League selection Noah Cohen, who posted six shutouts in leading DC to the Ivy League Championship.

During his time in Cincinnati, he has also coached the U13, U16 and U18 Girls at the Kings Hammer Academy. Cosinuke guided the U16 Girls to the 2012 State Cup Championship and Regional Championship. 

After graduating from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H., Cosinuke played Division I soccer at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. During the 2009 season, he served as an assistant coach at FAU in addition to his extensive involvement with local youth soccer clubs and camps.

Cosinuke holds the Advanced National Goalkeeping License from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and several licenses from the US Soccer Federation. He is a native of Lebanon, N.H. Prior to the start of the 2018 season, he and his wife Alexis welcomed the arrival of their first child, Iris Marie.