Coaches

VARSITY HEAD COACH

The 2025 season will mark Coach Griess’ twelfth season as the Head Varsity Coach at Andover High School and her sixteenth season overall with the Huskies. Under her tutelage, her team has won its first-ever NWSC Conference Championship, participated in six Section Championship games, earned back-to-back Section 7AA Championship titles and State Tournament appearances ('16-'17), a Section 7AAA Championship title and State Tournament appearance in 2023 and won a 3rd place finish in State in both 2016 and 2023; the highest finishes of any Andover Girls Soccer teams.  Coach Griess has also been named the Section 7AA Coach of the Year 4 years in a row ('16-'19) and was voted MN State High School Soccer Coaches Association (MSHSSCA) Class AA Coach of the Year in 2018.  After transitioning to three classes in Minnesota, Coach Griess was named Section 7AAA Coach of the year, MSHSSCA Class AAA Coach of the Year, and United Soccer Coaches State Coach of the Year for Minnesota large public schools in 2022.

Previously, Coach Griess spent four years as an Assistant Varsity Coach for the program and helped lead the team to back-to-back section championship games and their first- ever Section 7AA Championship and State Tournament appearance in 2013.

Prior to Andover, Griess spent 15 years coaching at various levels including Loras College of Iowa and Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, HI. Coach Griess has also coached club teams in the North Metro and took her Arsenal FC team to back- to-back League Championships and State Tournament appearances. Griess currently holds a US Soccer D License, USSF National E License and Coerver Youth Diploma.

Griess played high school soccer in California and went on to play Division I soccer at The Colorado College where her team made two NCAA Final Four appearances. She continues to play soccer in a women's league.

Coach Griess is a math teacher at Andover High School and lives in Andover with her husband, Aaron, and has four kids Madison, McClain, Makena, and MacIntyre. 

If you would like to contact Coach Griess, please e-mail her at andovergirlssoccer@gmail.com

SEASON RECAP:

2024 was a challenging season. We graduated 15 seniors from our 2023 State Tournament roster and we began the season without a returning Varsity goalkeeper.  This is where our group of young ladies stepped up. We had a previous field player who dabbled in goalkeeping step up and own the net. We had several others who had never even played soccer before don the gloves and do their part every day to give us the best chance of  winning. 

Our focus was on improvement. We talked about getting 1% better every day, every practice, every game. We had a tough schedule out of the gate and in our first 7 games we played 4 of the top ten teams in the state. We struggled but we were learning and we put together our best soccer in our last game in the Section Semi-Final and took the team to double OT. 

Overall, it was a great season. We competed, we fought, we struggled, we laughed, we learned and many new memories were made. This was a special group of players and we will miss the seniors dearly next year. 

Addie Dobratz ('26) was named to the MSHSSCA All-State team and also earned NWSC All-Conference honors along with Ellie Fields ('25), Mackenzie Uecker ('25), and Payton McKnight ('26). In addition we also had five more players recognized with All-Conference Honorable Mention awards: Mack Jones ('25), Ava Kowalchyk ('25), Bri Law ('25), Kate Overom ('25), and Abby Grant ('26). 

For the fifth year in a row the AGS program earned the MSHSSCA Gold Team Academic Award which recognizes programs that maintain a 3.75 GPA or higher. Our ladies collectively maintained a 3.83 average GPA.

This season we look forward to continuing to watch several of our players as they extend  their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Hopefully you can check out a game and cheer them on!

• Addie Baumhauer '24 - Minnesota State University - Mankato

• Emma Heath '22 - St Olaf University (hockey)

• Alicia Hoffman '24 - Minnesota State University - Mankato

• Brenna Hudson '24 - Minnesota State University - Mankato

• Mack Jones  '25 - (hockey) - University of Wisconsin

• Ava Kowalchyk '25  -  Augustana University

• Cece Kostick '24 - Marian University

• Olivia Knoepfle '21 - University of Northern Iowa

• Lydia Nordquist '24 - Northern State University

• Mariah Nguyen '21 - University of Minnesota

• Chloe Pallow '23 - University of Minnesota - Duluth

• Elizabeth Schmidt '24 - University of Sioux Falls

• Bri Stocke '22 - Bemidji State University

• Dayna Stocke '24 - Bemidji State University

• Chloe Voss '23 - Northern State University

VARSITY ASSISTANT COACH

In 2025, Kelsey Kallio ('20) returns to the Huskies for her second year as the Varsity Assistant.  Kelsey grew up in Andover and was a four-year starter and letter winner for the Huskies. Kallio was a team captain her junior and senior campaigns, earned All-Conference accolades for three years ('17-'19), was selected to the All-State first team for two years ('18, '19), and is the programs lone Ms Soccer Candidate ('19). Coach Kallio helped advance her teams to the State Tournament during her freshman and sophomore seasons, finishing 3rd in 2016 with a 17-3-1 record and a NWSC conference title. The team went 11-2 in conference during her senior year while she recorded 13 goals and assisted on six others. She continues to lead the AGS record books in career points (157), goals (60), and assists (37).

Following her stellar career at Andover, Kallio continued to play at North Dakota State University, where she logged over 3,800 minutes. She started in 52 of 69 matches and was ranked 68th in the nation for assists her freshman season. Over her 4 years, Kelsey recorded 6 goals and 13 assists, giving her a total of 25 points for the Bison. Kallio helped lead her team to a Summit League quarterfinal appearance her junior year and in her final season with the Bison, she was named Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the week. Kelsey graduated from NDSU in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in University Studies and minors in Biology and Psychology. She currently resides in Lino Lakes.

Coach Kallio can be reached at: 763-516-2714 or via email at Kelsey.kallio8@gmail.com 

GOALKEEPER COACH

Alyson "Aly" Cole is returning for her second season as a goalkeeper coach with the Huskies in 2025. Aly grew up in Andover and is an AGS alumna (2018). Cole helped lead the Huskies to back-to-back State Tournament appearances ('16-'17) and a third place finish in State in 2016. Aly served as a co-captain her senior year for the Huskies. She played her entire club career with North Metro.

Cole continued her soccer career at North Dakota State University, where she tied the school's D1 era record for single game saves (15). She also received Summit League Defensive Player of the Week. While at NDSU, Cole served as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Aly graduated from NDSU in 2022 with her Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Aly and her wife, Ellie, reside in Maple Grove. She works for an automation technology company in Shakopee as a Mechanical Engineer.

Coach Cole can be reached at: alysoncole68@gmail.com

GOALKEEPER COACH

In 2025 Abby Wilkinson will be joining the Huskies for her first season as a volunteer goalkeeper coach. Abby is a Colorado native and graduated from Chatfield high school in 2020 and continued her soccer career at North Dakota State. Abby logged 3,411 minutes for the Bison. She was the starting keeper for the 2022 and 23 season. Her senior year with the Bison she was crowned the 2023 Goalkeeper of the year for the Summit League, as well as First team goalkeeper. After her time with the Bison she was recruited to play professionally for FC Pinzagu in Saafeldon, Austria. She was named the starter for the 2024 season.  After her one and only pro season she decided to retire from playing but wants to continue coaching at a high level. Outside of soccer, Abby enjoys spending time outside hiking, skiing, and swimming. She also enjoys spending time with her family.  

Coach Wilkinson can be reached at: Wilkinson.Abby.L@gmail.com

JUNIOR VARSITY HEAD COACH

Dan Cowan is entering his thirteenth year as a coach in the Andover High School Girls Soccer Program. Coach Cowan brings with him 30 years of coaching experience and an unmatched familiarity with soccer in the North Metro area.  He played youth soccer for Blaine and North Metro and high school soccer at Spring Lake Park.  Staying true to his roots, he later began coaching youth soccer in Blaine and with the North Metro Soccer Club.

Coach Cowan works at Andover High School and lives in Andover with his wife, Barb, and has three kids, Brandon, Mariah, and Hannah.  He also helps coach girls basketball and is the Head Girls Varsity Golf coach at Andover High School.  He has also spent 23 years as a volunteer firefighter in Andover.

Coach Cowan can be contacted at (612) 270-0922 or via e-mail at dancowan71@gmail.com

B SQUAD Co-HEAD COACH

Sara Henrikson is entering her sixth year as a coach at Andover High School. Previously, Coach Henrikson was at St. Michael-Albertville High School for 7 years, where she taught Art and coached the 9A and JVII teams.  She was named the Section 8AA Assistant Coach of the Year (2019) and has coaching experience with Spring Lake Park High School (1 year) and Centennial High School (3 years). Coach Henrikson grew up in Blaine, and played for the Andover Invaders and Twin Cities Fire, and played high school soccer at Spring Lake Park. 

Coach Henrikson lives in Andover with her husband, Cal and her little boy, Auggie! She is also an Art Teacher at Andover High School.

Coach Henrikson can be contacted at sarajhitchcock@gmail.com

B SQUAD Co-HEAD COACH

Pryce Sebambulidde returns to the Huskies in 2025 for his second season as a coach for Andover high school. Born and raised in Uganda, East Africa, Sebambulidde grew up playing football, inspired by his oldest brother Ronnie. Watching his two uncles, Jimmy Muguwa and Charles Jaggwe coach in the Uganda Super League and with the Uganda National team, Cranes, he became a student of the game and turned to coaching. 

2025 will mark Coach Sebambulidde's 10th year coaching both football and basketball. He has previously spent time coaching club with Great Rivers Soccer and Force Soccer Club and has high school experience with North St Paul, Park Center, and Osseo Senior high.

When not coaching youth sports, Pryce is a recording musical artist by profession and records and performs internationally as Blaq Fuego. In 2020, he founded a football Blaq Fuego F.C. as a charity to give back to the communities of Jinja Uganda during covid. The youth that were gathered from the neighborhoods to play pick up football are now playing organized football. Coach Sebambulidde is a big advocate for women's sports and will soon have both football and basketball teams in Uganda. He also caters to  Aimers Kids Foundation which is an orphanage in Uganda and helps to provide food, clothing, shelter, and education for the orphaned and neglected children off the streets. Pryce currently lives in Dayton with his wife Kathryn and daughter Izadora. 

Coach Sebambulidde can be reached at pryce1212@mail.com

"Above all things love is the answer. Nothing exists in the universe without love."

VOLUNTEER COACH

2025 will be Chris Johnston's fifth year as a coach for the Huskies. Previously, Coach Johnston was a head JV coach and assistant varsity coach in Fairmont, Minnesota for four seasons. Prior to that, he spent two years coaching the Fairmont middle school team. Coach Johnston has over 24 seasons of coaching experience.

Coach Johnston is an attorney and started coaching while in law school. He has continued to coach soccer ever since. He is excited to help the Andover soccer program again this year. Chris lives in Coon Rapids with his wife, Melissa, baby girl, Aurora, and their two puppies, Hamilton and Coral. 

Coach Chris can be contacted at (515) 441-9296 or via e-mail at chrisjohnstonpd@gmail.com

VOLUNTEER COACH

Kaila Gillespie joins the Huskies again in 2025 for her second year as a volunteer assistant for the Varsity team. Kai has been passionate about soccer her entire life. After overcoming an injury her freshman year when she instead managed the AGS varsity squad, she went on to become a three-year starter for the Huskies earning All-Conference honors as well as All-State recognition in both 2018 and 2019. Gillespie is a 2020 Andover grad and had the opportunity to play alongside both Coach Kallio and Coach Cole creating memories that still inspire her today, including a trip to the 2017 State Tournament.

After high school, Coach Gillespie earned her bachelor's degree in biology and is now pursuing her Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Returning to Andover as a volunteer assistant coach is especially meaningful for her because it combines her lifelong love of the game with her passion for mentorship, teamwork, and holistic health. She is excited to support the next generation of the AGS family both on and off the field.

Coach Kai can be reached at (763) 412-7354 or Kai.Gillespie28@gmail.com