Haleigh (Svede) Drake was named a women's soccer assistant coach in January 2024 and enters her second season in 2025.
In her first season on the sidelines, Drake helped lead Stevens to the MAC Freedom Championship Game and the No. 2 seed in the Tournament. The Ducks conceded just one goal across seven MAC Fredoom regular season matches.
With Svede in the fold as the Director of Operations at Seton Hall, the Pirates recorded their most points and goals in Big East conference play since 2011 and secured the programâs second-most wins since 2012 (6), Following the season, senior Natalie Tavana was named the 2023 Big East Offensive Player of the Year, the first for the program since 1999. Tavana would go on to earn All-Region accolades from the United Soccer Coaches, which was the first for the program in 10 years. Before her tenure at Seton Hall, Svede was on the coaching staff at Felician University.
Named to the United Soccer Coachesâ 30 Under 30 Class of 2021-22, while head coach at the Manhattan Soccer Cub, the Minisink, New York native also coached soccer at various public, private, and charter schools throughout the five boroughs. She remained at the Manhattan Soccer Club through the summer of 2022. She also spent one year on the staff at the Eastern New York Girls ODP South program. Additionally, Svede spends her summers as a master coach at the Berkshire (Mass.) Soccer Academy. Svede now patrols the sidelines at Morris Countryâs STA program.Â
A four-year member of the Mercer University womenâs soccer program, Svede appeared in over 3,500 for the Bears, scoring six goals with two assists across 63 games. Two of Svedeâs six goals were game-winners. With Svede in the fold, Mercer captured the Southern Conference title in the programâs first season in the league after moving from the Atlantic Sun five months prior. The Bears advanced to the postseason in all four of Svedeâs seasons in Macon, reaching the A-Sun semifinals in her debut season, then reaching consecutive SoCon finals in 2015 and 2016, while accumulating 43 victories and 10 ties.
Svede, who resides in Jersey City with her fiancé, turtle and two cats, earned her bachelorâs degree in communication and media studies from Mercer in 2017. She notes that her love for soccer blossomed on the fields in Orangeburg, N.Y. while playing for World Class Soccer Club and expresses an immense amount of gratitude towards her parents, Joe and Regina her two sisters, Lizzie and Nicki, and husband Casey for the never-ending support throughout her playing and coaching journey.
