Coaching Staff

Michael Barshai is in his third season as a soccer assistant to the Cougar program.

A native of Moscow, Barshai began playing soccer at the age of seven with the youth program of famed Russian side Spartak Moscow. He came to the United States at the age of 16 where he attended Niles North High School in north suburban Skokie. Barshai continued to commute between both countries where he furthered his playing experience with teams in the Russian second and third divisions, and locally with the Chicago Soccers U21 team. He has nine years of coaching experience to his credit with youth teams in Evanston, Skokie and Morton Grove. Barshai holds a "B" license from the United States Soccer Federation.

Barshai became involved with Concordia's soccer programs during the 2005 season, and he contributed to the success of both teams that year - the men winning an NIIC conference title and the women winning 10 games and establishing several new offensive records. During his two year with the Cougars, Barshai has adhered to a basic tenet of coaching: "I like to teach players how to think on the field, to be able to read the situation and react to it smartly. When you see a player that can improvise within the system that you are teaching, you have an excellent gauge of their progress."

Barshai earned his B.A. in economics and management from Moscow State Building University in 2002 and works for the Glenview Soccer Club. Barshai and his wife, Kristina, welcomed their first child in April of 2006, son Sebastien.

Maureen MacConnell is new to the Cougar coaching staff in 2007. She will serve as a women's assistant coach and work with the goalkeepers.

MacConnell is a 2007 graduate of the University of New Haven where she enjoyed an outstanding four-year career as a goalkeeper for the Division II school. She played in 80 career matches and established school records with 30 solo shutouts (plus six shared shutouts) and 47 wins. The Chargers compiled a four-year record of 47-24-9 while she was there. MacConnell was named a second-team All-ECAC all-conference player and an All-Region selection in 2005. She was chosen as the ECAC's Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2006, at one point recording a scoreless streak of 448 minutes, and she received an invitation to play in the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association's Senior Bowl in December.

MacConnell graduated New Haven with a degree in clinical psychology and will pursue her Master's degree in this field while in Chicago.