Keri Ferreira may have just been named the Division I Coach of the Year by the Rhode Island Girls’ Soccer Coaches Association, but the 1997 Mt. Hope graduate and four-year head coach says the honor isn’t hers alone:

“There’s a lot of people that made this possible,” she said Thursday.

Among them are her players, her parents Kevin and Paula, her assistant coach Brendon Craveiro and her mentor, former coach Roy Borges.

“He was instrumental,” said Ms. Ferreira, who served as Mr. Borges’ assistant coach for nine years. “He taught me how to handle a team, how to handle expectations, and how to be the coach that I am today. There’s a lot to it; it’s not just X’s and O’s. He trusted me and gave me that opportunity to coach with him.”

The X’s and O’s have been good to Ms. Ferreira, who teaches at the East Bay Career Academy in Warren. A standout forward during her time at Mt. Hope, she holds the school record for goals and assists and is a member of Mt. Hope’s 100-point club. During her tenure as coach, the Lady Huskies have amassed a record of 47-11-15.

Her style relies heavily on flexibility and coming up with game plans tailored to their opponents’ specific weaknesses. That said, there’s an over-riding philosophy:

“Our expectations are always the same,” she said. “We work hard to play the best that we can and we play however (the opponent) fits us.”

This year, the Lady Huskies had their best season since the 1990s, finishing with a 12-1-3 record before bowing out in the semifinals. With six seniors graduating, Coach Ferreira believes the team will have a solid corps of return players next season.

“We want to take it to the next level,” she said. “We want to make it past the semis and hopefully go all the way.”

As for the honor, which she received at the association’s annual awards banquet on Sunday, Dec. 11, she said she is overjoyed.

“I was humbled and surprised,” she said. “It reflects on a lot of other people, not just me.”