All-Americans 1990 National Championship 1991 National Championship Year by Year Results

Since its inception in 1981, the Ithaca College women’s soccer program has established a winning tradition, featuring a pair of national championships (1990 and 1991), 15 NCAA playoff invitations and a streak of four straight NCAA semifinals visits, a run matched by just one other program (UC-San Diego). In 23 years of competition, the Bombers are 319-103-62 (.723).

 

Linda Buettner, Ithaca’s first head coach, posted a 53-24-5 mark in five years. Maureen Nolan, the school’s all-time leading scorer; Leslie Murphy, who set the Bombers’ career assist record; and goalkeeper Laura Slagle, the program’s career save leader; were among the team’s top players in the early years. In 1983 the Bombers won the New York State Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NYSAIAW) championship. One season later, Ithaca downed Geneseo, 2-1, to claim the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) title. In Buettner’s last season, Ithaca defended its ECAC title by edging Hartwick, 2-1, on an overtime goal by all-American Tracey Marullo. Marullo, who went on to win a national championship as the head coach at Oneonta, was voted into the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

 

Christine Pritchard guided the program in 1986 and led Ithaca to a state championship, thanks in part to the play of first-team all-American Terri Cilento.

 

The program’s climb into the national spotlight began in 1987, with the arrival of coach Pat Farmer, a 1998 inductee into Ithaca’s Athletic Hall of Fame. A 2-0 playoff loss to Scranton that year marked Ithaca’s first NCAA appearance. Ithaca won the NYSWCAA title in 1988 and returned to the NCAA playoffs. The Bombers advanced to the semifinals before losing, 2-0, in triple overtime to UC-San Diego.

 

The 1989 team placed first in the NYSWCAA tournament and again reached the NCAA semifinals. This time all-American Tracy Deyle’s two goals led Ithaca to a 2-0 semifinal win over Methodist before UC- San Diego beat the Bombers in the championship game, 3-2, in a third overtime period.

 

A stingy defense was the key in the 1990 and 1991 postseasons; the Bombers did not yield a goal in eight playoff games. Goalkeeper Beth Howland was in net for seven of those shutouts and set an NCAA record for lowest career goals-against average in playoff games (0.15). The Bombers earned their first title in 1990 with a shoot-out win over Cortland and won the 1991 championship by downing Rochester, 2-0. In 1998, Howland joined Deyle in the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

In 1992 the Bombers won the NYSWCAA championship and participated in the NCAA postseason. Back Cathy Moss, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this fall, earned all-American honors in 1990 and 1992. The 1993 team won the NYSWCAA crown and advanced to the NCAA New York regional finals before falling in overtime, 1-0, to William Smith. Back Megan Collins and midfielder Kristin Kaupang (a 2005 inductee into Ithaca’s Hall of Fame) earned all-American honors. The 1993 season was the last at Ithaca for Farmer, who was hired to direct Penn State’s first-year program.

 

In 1994, under new coach Mindy Quigg, Ithaca won its sixth state championship in seven years and earned a spot in the NCAA playoffs. Tanya Koning capped her career with first-team all-American honors. In 1995 the Bombers finished 11-4-4, but missed the NCAA playoffs for the first time in nine years. The following year all-Americans Amanda Mabee and Melanie Jones helped Ithaca to a 16-4 record and a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals.

 

In 1997 the Bombers were 10-4-4 and made their 10th NCAA playoff trip. A year later Ithaca returned to the NCAA semifinals, hosting the event for the first time. Back Erin DeMarco, the second Bomber sophomore to earn all-America honors, led Ithaca to a 15-4-2 record. DeMarco earned all-America honors again in 1999 and 2000.

 

In 2003, career scoring co-leader Becca Berry helped the Bombers to their 14th NCAA playoff appearance. Ithaca was back in the playoffs the next year as well; both the 2003 and 2004 teams reached the second round.

Last year's team, behind the play of Empire 8 Player of the Year Ashley Williams and record-setting freshman Chelsey Feldman, reached the NCAA playoff for the 16th time (only one school has played in more NCAA championship tournamentsonly one school has played in more NCAA championship tournaments).