York University Sport & Recreation has named Peyvand Mossavat as the new head coach of the Lions women’s soccer team.
Mossavat (right) comes to the Lions from Ryerson University, where he was the head coach of the Rams women’s soccer team for the past six seasons. He is the program’s all-time leader in wins and was named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East coach of the year in 2007. His student-athletes have won more than 20 OUA and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) awards, including Ryerson’s first-ever CIS all-Canadian honour for a female athlete.
In addition to his coaching prowess, Mossavat has been a strong contributor to the Ryerson soccer program off the field. He formed a new alumni soccer chapter through which the annual alumni dinner began, raising $15,000 over the past two years. He also encouraged his student-athletes to get involved in community initiatives such as running soccer clinics for underprivileged children and organizing tournaments to raise money for local charities.
“Peyvand comes to York as a well-connected and well-respected coach in the soccer community and he has an outstanding track record recruiting and connecting with alumni,” said Jennifer Myers, director of Sport & Recreation. “He has proven he can take our program to the next level and build upon the success established by [former Lions master coach] Paul James. With Peyvand’s reputation, passion and commitment, I am confident that our championship program will continue to thrive and that many more banners will be won under his guidance.”
Mossavat is a Canadian Soccer Association National ‘B’ Licensed coach and the technical director for the North Toronto Soccer Club, where he is responsible for coaching and player development for the grassroots and competitive level soccer teams in a club with more than 4,000 players.
During his playing career, Mossavat was a five-time all-star in the Canadian Professional Soccer League and a member of the Canadian Olympic team program. He represented Canada at the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, NY, and also played in the National Professional Indoor Soccer League and with the Toronto Lynx of the American A-league.
“York University is a school with an excellent soccer program and I am looking forward to being part of the Lions soccer community,” said Mossavat. “The program has grown to become one of the strongest in the country over the last few years and I am excited to be coaching a group of student-athletes that has already accomplished a lot in the OUA and CIS. I want to provide a great environment for the student-athletes to play in with a focus on contending for the national championship.”
Mossavat is taking over a team that has become one of the top programs in the league. York finished first in the OUA West division three straight seasons and has won three OUA championships in the past five years, including last fall. The Lions will begin their title defence in September. The full schedule will be announced in June.
Submitted by Alyson Fisher, sport & recreation information officer with Sport York