The Vanzela File

Personal

Hometown

Cascavel, Brazil

Professional

2015-Present

Johns Hopkins University

Goalie Coach

Updated: February 2024

William Vanzela joined the Johns Hopkins men's soccer staff as the goalie coach in 2015. He also spent three seasons as the goalie coach for the Blue Jay women's soccer team.  

In his first season with the men, he coached junior Bryan See to one of the best season's in program history. See led the Centennial and ranked fifth in the nation in save percentage (.880) and eighth in goals against average (.486). In 2017, Vanzela coached See to First Team All-Centennial, Third Team United Soccer Coaches All-America and First Team D3soccer.com All-America honors. See was also named the 2017 D3soccer.com Goalie of the Year after setting the school and conference record for single-season goals against average (0.237). He also tied the school and conference mark with 14 shutouts. He ranked second in the nation in shutouts, third in goals against average and fourth in save percentage.

Vanzela coached Xander LeFevre to three All-Centennial Conference selections, including First Team honors in 2019 and 2021. In 2022, he coached Alex Morgret to First Team All-Region and All-Centennial Conference honors after he led the nation in shutouts (14) and ranked second in goals against average (0.41). 

With the women, he coached senior Bess Kitzmiller to First Team All-Centennial and First Team United Soccer Coaches All-Mid-Atlantic honors in 2017. The following season, he helped junior Robyn Lipschultz to second team all-conferenc honors. 

Entering his eighth season as a Blast player, Vanzela has become one of the best shot-stoppers in the MASL. He is a two-time All MASL second team selection, as well as being awarded the 2015 MASL Goalkeeper of the Year and the 2017 MASL Championship MVP. This past season, Vanzela reached 125 career regular season appearances for the Blast and is three wins away from becoming the third Blast goalkeeper to reach 100 career regular season wins. Most recently, Vanzela led the MASL in save percentage, stopping 75.3% of the shots he faced. His 4.09 goals against average and 15 wins ranked third and fifth in the league respectively, earning him an All-MASL Third Team selection. 

A dual citizen of Brazil and Italy, Vanzela was a member of Italy's World Cup-winning National Futsal team in 2011. He was also named Best Goalkeeper at the 2011 Futsal World Cup.

Vanzela also serves as the goalkeeper coach at McDonough, which won the 2015 MIAA A Championship, and the Baltimore Celtic Soccer Club. He coached at the Baltimore Bays Chelsea Academy for three seasons, and spent two years at Loyola Blakefield, which won the 2014 MIAA A Championship.