PEMBROKE – Having served the past three seasons as a graduate assistant for the UNC Pembroke women's soccer team, former player Brittany Padilla has ascended into a full-time assistant coach role, head coach Lars Andersson recently announced.

"I want to thank Mr. (Dick) Christy for this opportunity and Coach (Lars) Andersson for welcoming me back into the program as the assistant coach," Padilla said. "I would also like to thank Coach Pauline Privitera for her mentorship and encouraging me to pursue my dream to become a coach."

With Padilla on the sidelines as a graduate assistant, the Braves have racked up a 35-18-4 record in three seasons, including a 22-7-4 mark in Peach Belt Conference (PBC) play. Last season, the Black & Gold made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2010 when Padilla was on the pitch for the Braves.

"I've been a part of the #BraveNation family since 2009 and I'm very excited to continue working with such a great group of student-athletes at this exceptional university," Padilla added.

Padilla donned the UNCP uniform from 2009-12 and played in 65 games for the Braves. The Jacksonville native scored 10 goals and handed out six assists to compile 26 points in her four-year career. She took 63 shots, including 32 on goal, scored five game-winning goals and was a perfect 3-for-3 in penalty kicks. As a sophomore in 2010, Padilla led the Braves with 2,105 minutes of action and was named the PBC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 12. She was a member of the PBC Presidential Honor Roll as a junior and a senior.

"I am thrilled to announce that we have hired Brittany Padilla as our new assistant women's soccer coach," Andersson remarked. "Brittany was a very successful player in our program and has served as a graduate assistant with our team for the past three seasons. She has a clear understanding of the high expectations we place on our student-athletes both on and off the pitch and has played an integral part in the recruiting, coaching and the retention process since joining our coaching staff."

Padilla graduated with a bachelor's degree in health promotions from UNCP in May of 2013 and earned her master's degree in physical education from UNCP in December of 2017.

"Brittany has a wealth of soccer knowledge and her work with our goalkeepers, in particular, has been outstanding," Andersson added. "We feel fortunate to have her joining our staff on a full-time basis and look forward to working with her as we continue to elevate our program to new heights."

The Braves will hit the pitch to kick off the 2018 season on August 30 against Chowan at Lumbee River EMC Stadium in Pembroke.