Entraîneurs

HEAD COACH - Rob Gallo

rgallo@laurentian.ca

Born in Sudbury and literally raised in a soccer environment through the Italia Flyers organization, Rob Gallo credits the basis of his approach with the world’s most popular sport on early exposure to European-based coaching.

A defender who prided himself on maintaining a physical presence on the field, Gallo would capture three OUA championships during his post-secondary career, a stretch that would see him suit up both with Laurentian and Carleton.

As a player, the highlight would come in a Silver Medal performance at the CIS championships in 1984 when Carleton would fall on penalty kicks to UBC, just one year after the Laurentian men emerged as national champions.

Gallo’s start in coaching would come during his time in Belleville, when he joined the staff of the Loyalist Lancers under coach Eugene Courtney. The influence of both the well-respected Irishman as well as Laurentian mainstay Greg Zorbas are evident in Gallo’s teachings to this day.

Having spent time with both St Charles College and Lockerby Composite in the Sudbury high-school ranks, Rob Gallo becomes the first coach of the newly founded Lady Vees soccer program in 1999, first as a club team, then as full-fledged OUA participants one year later.

Among the special memories of his decade spent at Laurentian, the team’s first playoff appearance in 2002 as well as the magical run of 2004. “It was just one of those years when everything fell into place”, noted Gallo.

The team recorded an amazing string of seven straight shutouts, advancing all the way to the OUA final four after eliminating both Brock and number-one ranked York on the road.

ASSISTANT COACH: Rob Palladino

 Rob Palladino enters his seventh year with the Lady Vees soccer program, having been with the program since its inception in 2000.

A Sudbury, Ontario native Palladino played competitive soccer for 23 seasons. He graduated from St. Charles College in 1989, where he was the soccer team’s goalkeeper for 5 years and was part of 3 city championships. He then moved on to attend Cambrian College where he was once again played the role of goalkeeper, only this time for the Golden Shield. During his time at Cambrian, Palladino reached the OCCAA provincial semi-finals for indoor soccer.

In 1993, Palladino graduated from Cambrian with a Business Marketing Diploma and was hired by the Royal Bank of Canada in 1995.

As an assistant coach with the Lady Vees Rob has been an integral part of the team’s development and success. During the 2004-05 season Palladino’s keeper’s managed to go an impressive seven regular season matches without allowing a goal against. In that same year Palladino’s goalkeeper’s were an integral part of the Vees deep run into the playoffs that saw them reach the OUA final four for the first time in the team’s history.

Rob currently resides in Sudbury with his wife Leslie and two boys Brendan and Christian and works as a financial planner with RBC Investments.

Cassidy Throssell is entering her second season with the Lady Vees coaching staff having joined the team prior to the 2005-06 season.

 

Throssell is a former varsity soccer player having spent time in the blue and gold of the Lady Vees and a year with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. During the 2000-01 season with the Vees Throssell was an assistant captain with the team.

 

Throssell graduated from Laurentian University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and then moved onto the University of Toronto where she did her Masters degree in Health Sciences, specializing in Occupational and Environmental Health. She graduated in 2003.

 

Throssell currently resides in Sudbury, Ontario where she works as an Occupational Health Coordinator at the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW). She also coaches the U11 Sudbury Canadians competitive girl’s soccer team and holds her level III coaching certification.