Meet Our Coaching Staff

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Meet Our Coaching Staff

MJ Ball

MJ Ball is the Director of Coaching for River City Athletics, the Assistant Director of Coaching for SoccerMaine, Executive Director and founder of Fields4kids, and the Girls Varsity soccer coach for Hermon High School.  He has a USSF “A” License and is a US Soccer National Instructor. He recently became the second coach in Maine to receive the Grassroots National Instructors License through US Soccer.  He has the rare distinction of being named Coach of the Year at the Club, High School and College level.  In 2020, Coach Ball was named High School Regional Coach of the Year as well as High School State Coach of the Year.

He has coached many teams during the past 25 years including; Head Coach for ODP teams in Maine and PA West; Founder and Director of Coaching/Head Coach for Blackbear United FC/ Seacoast United Blackbear, Pittsburgh Strikers, Penns Forest FC, Coldbrook Travel Soccer Club (formerly Bronco Travel)  and Hermon Middle School.  His teams have won 16 state titles to date.
 
Previously, he was the assistant men’s soccer coach for two years at University of Maine and coached the men’s and women’s soccer teams at the University of Maine at Machias for four years (2000 – 2004).   Prior to his arrival in Maine he coached and taught at Seton La Salle High School in western Pennsylvania.  He was a four year starter and two year captain at Westminster College in Pennsylvania and received his Masters degree in education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.
 
He resides in Hampden with his wife Heather and their two children Aidyn and Kelsey.

Alex Caballero

 
Matt Goodman

Matt Goodman was a member of the Husson Men’s soccer team from 2001-04, leaving his mark as one of the best goalies to play for Husson. To this day, he ranks top-five in saves (327) and shutouts (11) while tying for second-most shutouts in a single season with seven. He was named to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) All-Tournament Team and UMPI Invitational Round Robin All-Tournament Team his senior year.

Prior to attending Husson, Matt was diagnosed with Osgood Schlatter’s, which led to his focus on becoming a highly skilled goalkeeper versus becoming a field player. In high school, Matt was the starting goalkeeper for the prestigious Hampden Academy and he had the opportunity to play for Husson Sports Hall of Fame Head Coach Keith Bosley with the Rising Sun Soccer Club. This opened up multiple opportunities for Goodman, as he was invited to travel to England to compete with All Pro Soccer against several professional clubs in a showcase tournament.

Since 2004, Goodman has gathered experience coaching all over the states of Maine and New Hampshire. He has coached for the Maine Olympic Development Program, All Pro Soccer (Maine), Seacoast United (Maine), Granite State Soccer School (N.H.), Nashua World Cup (N.H.), Memorial High School (N.H.), John Bapst High School (Maine), Brewer High School (Maine), and is currently the Women’s Goalkeeping Coach at Husson University. While in his most recent tenure coaching high school goalkeepers,  just the past few years, helped 2 different goalkeepers make back to back All-State squads, and had another 7 goalkeepers make All-Region and All-Conference respectfully. He has also attained a NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma. Goodman will head the goalkeeping program for River City Athletics.

 
Damion Gordon
 
Troy Gravel
Coach Gravel joins us from North Carolina will coach one of our two U17 Boys teams.  He is currently the B Team Head Coach at Brewer Middle School.  In North Carolina he was the Head Coach at Ayden Grifton High School Varsity Boys & Head Coach at AG Cox Middle CoEd.  He has been coaching for about 15+ years and coached recreational soccer for 12 years before taking over at the High School & Middle School.
He holds the NFHS Certified InterScholastic Coaching Certificate and is a member of United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA).Coach Gravel is a semi-Retired IT Consultant, moved to Maine in August 2016.  His family is originally from Houlton & his daughter attended UMO.
 
Wayne Harvey
Wayne is the President and one of the founders of River City and has been coaching youth soccer since 2009.  He has coached at the rec, travel and premier levels with Bangor Parks and Rec and Bangor Soccer Club.  He has coached a girls fall travel team with Bangor Soccer Club since 2011.  He has also coached teams in the SoccerMaine Pine Tree League and in the Maine State Premier League and State Cup.
 
Wayne has his USSF “E” license and is taking the next “D” level course.  Wayne graduated with a degree in Mass Communications from the University of Maine.  Wayne lives in Bangor with his wife Courtney and their three daughters and their Catahoula Leopard Dog, Riggins.
 
“Wayne’s coaching philosophy is defense comes first, offensively he places an emphasis on passing, possession and team work.”
 
Yates Murphy 
As a former player, Yates played for the UMaine and SCSU men’s soccer teams while competing collegiately. His elite playing experience continued as he trained with both The Maine Sting and GPS Portland Phoenix. In 2017 he returned to the field as a starter for the Seacoast United Mariners NPSL team.As a coach, he has worked closely with both MJ Ball and Cid Dyjak to assist in the development of both youth and high school athletes in the greater Bangor area. Working as the assistant girls soccer and goalie coach at Orono High School, Yates helped lead his team to back to back state championships.“I am very excited to be working with River City Athletics. I look forward to aiding in the progress of local athletes within the the state of Maine.”

Jaime Pangburn

Jaime was an All State soccer player for several years in high school and then joined the men’s team at Eastern Maine Community College.   She has enjoyed coaching boys and girls teams at the rec, and travel levels for both Bangor and Brewer Soccer clubs.   She has coached a girls fall travel team with Brewer Soccer Club since 2015.

Jaime has a bachelors of science in sonography from Thomas Jefferson University and currently works at Bangor OB/Gyn – Women’s Ultrasound of Maine.  Jaime holds a USSF Class “E” license.

Jaime lives in Eddington with her husband Jason and their three children, Jon, Jacki and Josh.

Jason Pangburn

Jason played soccer at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, then went on to coach at Katahdin, Cony and Bangor High Schools.  He holds a USSF Class “E” coaching license and coaches with the Brewer Soccer Club.  Jason teaches in the Bangor School Department and at Husson University.  He has a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology and Physical Education and is a Certified Adapted Physical Education teacher.

Jason lives in Eddington with his wife Jaime and their three children Jon, Jacki and Josh.

Ryan Pelletier

Ben Poland

Coach Ben Poland is entering his third year coaching for River City where he coaches the U12 boys.  This past fall he completed his sixth year as the Boys Varsity Soccer coach at Brewer High School. Coach Poland is entering his 17th overall season as a soccer coach.

Prior to being hired at Brewer High in the fall of 2012, Coach Poland was the boys JV coach at Orono High School for 2 seasons (2010-2011) and the girls varsity soccer coach at Hermon High School for 3 seasons (2007-2009). He was the boys JV coach at Hermon for 5 seasons before being named girls varsity coach at his alma-mater in Hermon. Coach Poland was also a track & field coach at Hermon High School for 9 seasons.

Coach Poland graduated from Hermon High School in 1998 and played two years of soccer at Husson University before sustaining two knee injuries and transferring to the University of Maine. At Husson, Poland was a member of the Maine Athletic Conference championship teams in 1998 and 1999, advancing both seasons to regional postseason playoff berths.

For a full-time occupation, Coach Poland serves with the Maine Air National Guard based out of Bangor. He has served in the Maine ANG since January 1999.

Coach Poland currently holds his USSF “E” soccer coaches license and also coaches for the Brewer Soccer Club.  In addition to coaching, Coach Poland serves as a board member for the Brewer Soccer Club and as the Vice President for River City Athletics.   

Poland resides in Levant with his wife Jessica and his children, Liam, Alexis, and Tenley

Ben Sidaway
Ben is originally from England where he played soccer for Loughborough University and representative soccer. He coached in England and holds an English Football Association Prelim coaching badge and USSF “E” license.
Ben’s undergraduate education was in Sport Science and Physical Education at Loughborough University he also has an MA and a PhD from UNC and Penn State. In addition Ben has a PT degree and is currently a Professor of Physical Therapy at Husson University where he is the Director of the Kenduskeag Institute’s Human Performance Research Lab and the Director of Dahl Anatomy Lab. Ben has coached in North Carolina, Louisiana and for Brewer travel teams.

Phil Turmelle