The Stetson Community is invited to the first-ever Stetson Night in Orlando on Friday, April 19, as the Orlando Pride women’s soccer team takes on the San Diego Wave, and two of Stetson’s top coaches are honored during halftime.

Stetson will provide free bus transportation for students, faculty, staff and alumni, and seats are available first come, first served at Stetson.edu/bus. The bus will leave from the Lynn Business Center at 5:30 p.m. for the Inter & Co Stadium at 655 W. Church St. in Orlando. 

Tickets for the 8 p.m. game cost $14 to $18 and are available at tickets. Use the promo code: Hatters. 

During halftime, two Stetson head coaches will be recognized for their contribution to Hatter athletics: Lynn Bria, Stetson’s all-time winningest coach for women’s basketball, and Kristina Hernandez, who has led the beach volleyball team to four NCAA Tournament appearances and is the third winningest beach volleyball coach in NCAA history.

“We are so proud of Coach Bria and Coach Hernandez,” said Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD. “They have built enormously successful programs at Stetson that allow our female athletes to compete at the highest levels and continue to help grow the popularity of women’s sports.”

The two coaches say they are honored to represent Stetson at the event and to serve as role models who inspire younger women and girls to pursue athletics in high school, college and as a professional career.

“To be at the Orlando Pride game and have two women coaches being recognized, I think that’s what it’s all about,” Coach Bria said. “One of the reasons I do what I do is to empower women and to be impactful in young women’s lives. Empowering women is something that, I feel, goes beyond the basketball court.”

Added Coach Hernandez, “We always talk to our team about the impact that they are leaving and understanding that there’s always a little girl watching them who wants to be them. … I think that’s the way women’s sports are becoming now. It is all about how we are empowering other women and other young girls to want to be able to achieve all that.”

The event follows a year of discussions between Stetson and the two Orlando pro soccer teams — the Orlando City MLS team and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride — to build partnerships and create opportunities for Stetson students.

“We are committed to building a great Sport Business program here at Stetson, and these are the types of relationships and experiences that will benefit our students and help us grow,” said Matt DiFebo, Director of Stetson’s Sport Business Program. “It’s an opportunity to show the Central Florida community some of the great things happening at Stetson, the accomplishments of our women’s athletic program, and for the Stetson students, faculty, alumni and friends to be recognized.”

-Andrea Mujica