Women's Soccer

#TBT: Women's Soccer Alums Shine Bright

The inaugural American Athletic Conference members have rich histories. From the playing field to the classroom and into their communities, American institutions and their programs have long legacies of making their marks in the world of sports and beyond. On Thursdays, the American intends to highlight these stories in our Throwback Thursday feature series. This week, the series begins with a history lesson in women’s soccer, the first sport to kick off play in the American’s first year later this month.

When browsing the record books of the 10 women’s soccer programs in The American, some famous names quickly appear. Alumnae netters of American schools have been at the forefront of the sport from the beginnings of women’s soccer as a national program in the early 1980s and into the recent success seen by the U.S. Women’s National Team. Three of these alumnae in particular have had significant impacts on the statistics, and shaping the scene of the sport on a worldwide level.

Carli Lloyd’s name became common knowledge during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2012 Olympic run by the USWNT, when she played all but 16 minutes in the World Cup matches and netted both goals in the 2012 gold medal match. Fewer know that Lloyd is a Rutgers alum who tops many of the record books in Piscataway. A Scarlet Knight from 2001-04, Lloyd is Rutgers’ all-time leader in points with 117, goals (50) and shots (295). She’s also a presence in the records of the former BIG EAST, earning First-Team All-BIG EAST honors all four of her years and 2004 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year. Lloyd is also a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America, and earlier this year, was inducted into the Rutgers University Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

Since her time at Rutgers, Lloyd has been a consistent force on the field for the USWNT thanks to her abilities to come through in the clutch. In her 157 caps since her debut in 2005, she has scored 44 goals and has become a mainstay in the lineup at midfield on the largest of stages. Beyond her achievements in 2011 and 2012, Lloyd also put in the game-winning goal during the 2008 Olympic gold-medal match in Beijing, pushing the U.S. over Brazil in overtime. Born and raised in New Jersey, Lloyd splits her time between her USWNT duties, her NWSL club (the Western New York Flash), and her home state.

Prior to Lloyd, one of the most decorated players in the history of American Athletic Conference institutions spent her collegiate career at one of the most storied women’s soccer programs in the nation, UConn, under current head coach Len Tsantiris. Sara Whalen, a Husky from 1994-97, was a three-time All-America, and her outstanding senior season in 1997 earned her both NSCAA National Player of the Year and the Honda Award Women’s Soccer Player of the Year honors. Whalen still holds the most goals, assists and points ever recorded by a UConn senior, and she is only the second women’s soccer player in UConn’s 35-year program history to have her number retired.

Whalen made her debut with the USWNT in April 1997 prior to graduating from UConn and scored her first goal a year later. She played her part as a reserve defender during the U.S.’s celebrated 1999 World Cup run, notching the second-most minutes by a reserve and playing the entire overtime against China in the memorable final. Whalen also earned a silver medal a year later as a member of the 2000 Olympic squad. Until complications from ACL/MCL reparative surgery nearly ended her life in 2002, effectively ending her soccer career, Whalen was a founding member of the WUSA, the first women’s professional soccer league in the U.S. Today, Whalen (now Sara Hess) is a psychologist and mom in Connecticut who still enjoys coaching her kids through their young soccer careers, as noted in a USWNT feature published in March.

When Whalen entered the 1999 World Cup Final at the beginning of overtime, she was subbing for another alumna of an American program and a pillar of women’s soccer in the United States, Michelle Akers. Akers played for UCF in 1984 and from 1986-88, and went on to play for the USWNT for 15 years. As a Knight, Akers was a four-time All-America, the first Hermann Trophy award winner for women in 1988, and recorded the most points in program history (134). She was inducted into UCF’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 and her jersey number 10 has been retired.

Akers was a founding member of the USWNT in 1985, and remained on the roster until retiring in 2000 after notching 153 caps. Her national team career was groundbreaking; she is the third all-time leading scorer with 105 goals, 37 assists and 247 points, second to only Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm. Akers won two World Cups, in 1991 and 1999, and led the U.S. in scoring in the 1991 event. She is also an Olympic gold medalist, which she earned at the 1996 Atlanta Games, a 1998 FIFA Order of Merit honoree and was inducted to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. Since retiring, Akers has written several books, founded her own soccer training company and lives outside of Atlanta with her family.

Other notable alumnae of American women’s soccer programs include:
  • Saskia Webber, Rutgers – Webber played at Rutgers from 1989-92, where she holds the most career saves with 522. She was the first women’s soccer player inducted into the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame, and was a reserve goalkeeper on the USWNT from 1992-1999.
  • Karen Ferguson-Dayes, UConn – Ferguson-Dayes was a UConn Husky from 1990-93 under Len Tsantiris. She was a three-time All-America and member of the USWNT in 1992 and 1993. Ferguson-Dayes is now the head women’s soccer coach at American rival Louisville.
  • Tara Buckley, UConn – Buckley is UConn’s only four-time All-America, which she earned during her 1980-83 career. She spent two years on the USWNT (1993 and 1995) and is the only other women’s soccer player other than Whalen to have her number retired by UConn.