Jamie McIntyre

Lisa Rusch

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Following one of the best seasons in school history, the Wittenberg University women's soccer program has pulled in three additional honors, two that recognize individuals and one that recognizes the team.

Since Head Coach Norm Riker, the 2004 North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, stresses a team-first philosophy, that award is a good place to start. The Tigers posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.05 for the 2003-04 school year, which earned the team a 2003-04 National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Women's College Team Academic Award. This is the fourth time that the program has earned the award.

"The NSCAA Academic Award truly represents the ideals of the Wittenberg women's soccer team and the university," said Riker, who has a 25-26-5 overall record in three seasons in the Red & White. "I feel Wittenberg provides an incredible balance between academics, community leadership and athletics. Our women work extremely hard in the classroom and on the soccer field, and we are very proud of this award and our program's accomplishments.

"When you have passionate and caring faculty coupled with intelligent and determined student-athletes who want to be successful, this is the result."

Individually, sophomore defensive back Jamie McIntyre (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) continues to earn acclaim for her outstanding play in 2004. Already named the NCAC Defensive Player of the Year, McIntyre was awarded first-team All-Great Lakes Region honors. In addition, freshman midfielder Lisa Rusch (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), a first-team All-NCAC pick, took home second-team all-region honors.

"I'm thrilled for our program that Jamie and Lisa made the Great Lakes All-Region Team," Riker said. "Even though these are individual awards, this is a tribute to how well we did as a team this season. We talk about this type of recognition as being a reflection of our team and that every player is a part of these awards."

McIntyre has started every game in her two-year collegiate career, including all 20 games in 2004. She spearheaded an amazing defensive effort as the Tigers allowed just 14 goals all season and recorded 11 shutouts, which tied a school record. In addition, she chipped into the offensive attack with two assists.

"Jamie is our brick wall on defense," Riker said. "She doesn't get beat and thus creates a lot of our possession after winning the ball out of the back. NCAC Defender of the Year and being named to the first team, those are fitting honors for her. She has had an incredible two years as a Tiger."

Rusch made an instant impact on the Tigers' offense, much as McIntyre did in 2003 on defense. A starter in all 20 games and the team's quarterback on offense as much of the action moved through her toward the opposition's goal, Rusch led Wittenberg and ranked among the best in the NCAC in scoring with eight goals, five assists and 21 total points.

"Lisa is mature beyond her years and does so much for us in terms of possession and scoring," Riker said. "She is incredible on the ball, and her ability to stand on it in traffic and beat defenders makes her very worthy of second-team all-region."

The Tigers enjoyed one of the finest seasons in school history in 2004, posting just the second winning season since 1995 at 11-4-5 overall and 5-3 in the NCAC and advancing to the conference tournament championship game for the first time ever. Three of Wittenberg's four losses and two of its ties came against nationally ranked teams, and the Tigers finished third in the ultra-competitive NCAC, which included four of the top eight teams in the final Great Lakes Region. Wittenberg wound up No. 6 in the region.