Williamsburg, KY – Just ahead of the Patriots women's soccer team starting practice Head Coach Steve Hamilton has announced the addition of two coaches to his staff.  Antonio La Gamba and Sagi Hirsch have both joined the staff for the start of the 2024 season.

La Gamba comes to UC after a stellar playing career at Longwood University and Siena College.  La Gamba began his collegiate career at Coastal Carolina University and was part of the Chanticleers Sun Belt championships as they won multiple games at the NCAA Tournament.  After that La Gamba was a standout at Siena College, where he played in 43 matches and started 30 games and dished out four assists over that three-year period. La Gamba transferred to Longwood, where he played as a grad student during the 2023 season.  There he started all 15 games and compiled one goal for the Lancers. 
 
La Gamba, who is originally from New York, played abroad in Italy competing for Benevento Calcio and Reggina 1914 of the Italian Serie D teams.  This past summer La Gamba returned to New York, where he coached Flower City 1872 if the UWS women's semi pro league.  La Gamba finished his USSF C's Coaching License while coaching for the WNY Flash Regional ECNL club team in Rochester, NY.  La Gamba graduated from Siena with a Bachelor degree in Business with an emphasis on Sports Marketing before attaining his MBA from Longwood.  
 
Hirsch joins the Patriots staff after a stellar career at Georgia Gwinnett College.  Hirsch was a three-time A.I.I All-Conference selection, including earning second team honors in both 2018 and 2019.  Over his standout career at GGC, Hirsch contributed five goals and 22 assists, including a record-setting 10 assists in the 2018 season. Hirsch appeared in 74 matches, starting 66, and played a key role in the defense's 17 shutouts. He was instrumental in GGC's three A.I.I. titles and their deep runs in the NAIA national tournament, reaching the quarterfinals in 2017 and the Round of 16 in 2018 and 2019.
 
The Patriots are coming off an 18-12-3 record last season that led to them capturing their first NAIA National Championship in program history.  UC has also won back-to-back MSC Regular Season titles.
 
Cumberlands will open their 2024 campaign on Saturday, August 17^th when they host Olivet Nazarene.
 
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