Staff

Staff

Our Leadership

BOARD MEMBERSDIRECTORSCOORDINATORSCOACHESOPERATIONS
TODD HECKMANN

TODD HECKMANN

At Large
MATTHEW MENSAH

MATTHEW MENSAH

Secretary
JOE LARSON

JOE LARSON

Treasurer
STEVE GAUSTAD

STEVE GAUSTAD

President
KAREN MEYER

KAREN MEYER

At Large

Steve Gaustad

President

Karen Meyer

At Large

Todd Heckmann

At Large

Matthew Mensah

Secretary

Joe Larson

Treasurer

Edi Buro

Sporting Director

Shari Eckstrom

Manitou FC Eagan Technical Director

Mike Witt

Boys and Girls

Todd Heckmann

Field Coordinator

Ralph Akale

View Bio

Shari Eckstrom

View Bio

Dickenson Vilme

View Bio

Pedro Amusu

View Bio

Emily Heslin

View Bio

Gustavo Durruty

View Bio

Zuheer Al Abase

Andy Lynch

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Dave Ashley

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Ben Northrop

Mike Witt

Brittany Viskoe

Keagan Heckmann

Firmin Musungu

View Bio

Dave Zimmerman

Laura Leist

View Bio

Maged Makled

View Bio

Ian Smith

Almir Becic

Karen McCullough

Club Administrator & Game Field Assignor

Jen Musokwa

Club Registrar

Ralph Akale
Coach
  • Prominent Coach in Minnesota Youth Circles
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2019
  • 30+ years coaching experience
  • Former MTA Development Academy Technical Director

Coaching Career:

  • 200+ D1 players
  • Developed numerous professional players MLS, Europa
  • United States National Team Players
  • State CUP Championships
  • National Championships

“Outside observers often walk away shaking their heads at practices that look like a messy, madcap game of pick-up. But there is a method to the madness, says Akale: “I bring chaos to the training because I believe the game itself is chaotic dynamism.”

Shari Eckstrom
Coach

Coaching Career:

  • Eagan DOC 2013-2020
  • Eagan HS Girls Coach 2018- Present
  • Current 03 Girls Coach for Manitou F.C.

Playing Career:

  • Four year University of Minnesota Gopher Player

Premier Level Diploma

Dickenson Vilme
Coach
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2016

Coaching Career:

  • Assistant Coach at University of South Carolina (Aiken)
  • Former Technical Director at Aiken Soccer Club (South Carolina)
  • 10 years at St. Croix Soccer Club
  • 6 years at Woodbury Soccer Club
  • Has coached 54 Division I players, 60 All State players
  • USSF C License
  • NSCAA Advanced Diploma

Playing Career:

  • University of New Haven
  • Haitian National Team
Pedro Amusu
Coach
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2019
  • 28 years of coaching experience

Coaching Career:

  • Several Clubs: MTA, PSA, Blackhawks, Twinstars, Maplebrook
  • NPSL Twin Stars Men’s Team
  • Varsity Coach Prairie Seeds Academy
  • 100+ College placements (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA)

Playing Career:

  • Seattle Sounders
  • Greece 2nd Division
  • Nigeria 1st Division
Emily Hesline
Coach
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2020
  • Coached at River Falls Soccer Club

Playing Career:

  • 3 year letter winner, Hill Murray High School
  • MSHSL All-State 2012 and 2014
  • High School All American 2014
  • University of Minnesota Soccer team 2015-2018
  • 2017 and 2018 Gophers Team Captain
  • 2016 and 2018 All Big Ten Tournament Team
  • 2016 Academic All Big Ten
  • Finished College Career with 17 points in 87 games

“The way that you would hope all of your student-athletes choose to live their lives, that’s what she did” -Stephanie Golan, Head Women’s Soccer Coach, University of MN

Gustavo Durruty
Coach
  • From Mexico (Mexico City)
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2019

Coaching Career:

  • 5 years at STMA United
  • Waconia High School Varsity Girls Team, 2017
  • Mounds View High School Freshman Team, 2018
  • Head Coach FC Barcelona School of Soccer Cancun, Quintana U5-U18

Playing Career:

  • Pumas Unam Club 1995-1997
  • Club America 1997-2000
  • National Premier League VSLT

Fluent in Spanish and English

Andy Lynch
Coach
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2015

Coaching Career:

  • 6 years Coon Rapids Soccer Association
  • 4 years at North Metro
  • Assistant Varsity Coach at Andover High School

Playing Career:

  • As youth at PSA Premier
  • 4 year Varsity Starter, Coon Rapids H.S.
  • 4th in State, ’92 ODP State Team
Dave Ashley
Coach
  • Coaching Girls Soccer in WBL since 1991

Coaching Career:

  • Several teams with Manitou F.C. since 1997
  • U14 and U15 MYSA State Champions
  • U17 USA Cup Champions
  • U19 MYSA Premier League Champions
  • MYSA OATHS Sportsmanship Award Winners
  • WBL High School Girls 9th Grade / B Squad coach 2001-2011
  • WBL High School Girls Varsity co-head coach since 2012
  • 3 Suburban East Conference Championships
  • 30+ College placements (DI, DII, DIII)
Firmin Musongo
Coach
  • Coaching at Manitou F.C. since 2018

Coaching Career:

  • 2010-2014 North Metro Soccer
  • 1999-2005 Century High School
  • U10-U13 Girls Asst. Head Coach
  • Varsity Asst. Head Coach
  • Freshman Girls Head Coach

USSF C License

Languages: French, Swahili, English

Laura Leist
Coach

North Central University, MN – B.S. in Youth Development with an emphasis in Sports Management

Coaching Career:

  • 2018 – 2020 Oshkosh United Soccer Club
  • 2019 – 2020 Assistant Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach, Oshkosh North High School
  • 2017 – 2018 BCFC (Bangalore City Football Club), South India

Playing Career:

  • 2008 – 2012 Menasha High School, Menasha, WI
  • 2012 – 2016 North Central University, Minneapolis, MN
Maged Makled
Coach

Prior to coming to Minnesota in the late 90’s, Maged (Ma-jid) spent his childhood playing for Al Ittihad Alexandria Soccer Cub Academy in Alexandria, Egypt.

University of St. Thomas (MN) graduate – Computer Science

Graduate School, George Mason University (VA)

USSF “C” License

Coaching Career:

  • Multiple clubs and high schools in Minnesota
  • Local clubs in Northern Virginia

Playing Career:

  • Multiple clubs in Minnesota and Virginia
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