EDINBORO
UNIVERSITY
>

OF PENNSYLVANIA

'96 WOMEN’S
SOCCER
“The Beginning of a New
Winning Tradition”

Women’s Soccer Era Begins at Edinboro!
On July 25, 1995, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
announced that women’s soccer would be added to its intercollegiate
athletic program, with the team set to start play in the fall of 1996.
“We’re very pleased to announce the addition of women’s soccer
to our excellent athletic program,” said Foster F. Diebold, Edinboro’s
President at the time. “Edinboro University is committed to providing
equal opportunities for men and women in all endeavors campuswide.
By adding the sport, we will offer another excellent opportunity for young
women to enjoy a positive collegiate experience.”
The addition of women’s soccer gives Edinboro 17 intercollegiate
sports. Like other sports, the Fighting Scots will compete in the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in soccer. According to
Edinboro head coach Gary Kagiavas, several of the 11 PSAC schools
that compete in women’s soccer feature programs of national caliber.
“With the growing interest in the sport of women’s soccer locally,
regionally and nationally, we felt we could build a successful program
here at Edinboro,” said Edinboro athletic director Jody Mooradian. “We
have a very strong community base for the sport, and adding soccer is
just another excellent way to expand opportunities for women.”
On July 19, 1996, Kagiavas was named as Edinboro’s first-ever
women’s soccer coach. Involved in coaching since 1989, Kagiavas has
guided several teams, including a professional team in his native South
Africa. He was an assistant coach at Gannon University and also has
directed Villa Maria Elementary School and the Erie Admirals and Erie
Strikers youth teams.
Kagiavas was a four-year starter as a defender at Gannon,
where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1991. He has played profes­
sionally in South Africa, Greece and Canada. Kagiavas comes to
Edinboro from Family First Sports Park in Erie, where he served as
assistant manager since October of 1994.
“We are very pleased to have a coach with such a great blend of
experience as a player, coach and administrator,” Mooradian said. “We
are very excited to have such a quality coach to direct our new program.”
School history was made on September 7, 1996, as Edinboro
played its first-ever women’s soccer match. Things didn’t go exactly as
Edinboro hoped, however, as the Scots lost to a very good Kutztown
University of Pennsylvania team. Nevertheless, women’s soccer was off
and running at the Boro.
More school history was made on September 11, 1996, as the

Edinboro President Dr. Frank G. Pogue tosses the coin at
the Fighting Scots first-ever home soccer game.

Edinboro women’s soccer team played its first-ever home match against
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Playing on the campus soccer field located north of Sox Harrison
Stadium, Edinboro made its home debut in front of a large, receptive
crowd that included Edinboro President Frank G. Pogue, other Edinboro
officials and representatives from the school’s other athletic programs.
Slippery Rock beat Edinboro, but it still was a banner day for
Edinboro’s newest athletic program. Freshman Lindsay Smith scored
the Boro’s first-ever goal, and the warm reception the Scots received
proved that Edinboro women’s soccer has full support from the universi­
ty community.
“It was fantastic,” Kagiavas said. “The President was there, the
band was there, the cheerleaders were there, some of our other teams
were there. Just the fact that so many people were there was great, it
really meant a lot to us. The school is so supportive of the program.”
Edinboro plays 17 matches in its initial season, including seven
home matches and 10 PSAC contests.

Gary Kagiavas
Head Coach
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
appointed Gary Kagiavas head coach of the
Fighting Scots nev\r women’s soccer program in
August.
Kagiavas, who has a wealth of playing and
coaching experience both locally and at the
international level, joined the Edinboro staff after
serving as assistant manager of the Family First
Sports Park in Erie, Pa., since October of 1994.
Kagiavas was a standout defender at
Gannon University from 1987-91, and played
professionally in his native South Africa, in
Greece and Canada after earning his bachelor’s
degree in 1991. He has held a variety of coaching positions at many levels of competi­
tion since 1989, highlighted by a successful stint as a professional coach in South Africa
and a year as an assistant coach at Gannon.
While at Family First, Kagiavas was responsible for organizing all phases of the facil­
ity’s indoor and outdoor soccer leagues, serving as tournament director for more than 12
tournaments a year and camp director for five major camps each year. Kagiavas was
assistant tournament director for the 210-team Flagship Cup tournament, hosted by
Edinboro University, and also coached the Erie Admirals, a new premier soccer club.
In 1994, Kagiavas was the head coach of Gannon’s men’s junior varsity soccer pro­
gram, directing the team to its first winning record ever, an 8-5-3 mark He also assisted
head coach Marco Koolman \Mth the varsity squads as the Golden Knight men posted a
15-2 overall record while advancing to the NCAA Final Four, as well as assisting with
Gannon’s women’s program and coaching the 18-and-under Erie Strikers soccer club.
Kagiavas has been involved in coaching since 1989, when he began coaching the
Erie Strikers and also coached at Villa Maria Elementary School. He guided Villa Maria
to an 11-2-2 record, its first-ever winning mark. Between 1989 and 1994, Kagiavas
coached at numerous camps and served as assistant director at several tournaments.
In the spring of 1992, he was head coach of the Springs (South Africa) Old Boys of the
Division I men’s semi-professional league, earning Coach of the Year honors. In the
summer of 1991, Kagiavas was head coach of the Boksburg “Two for Joy" Division II
team that competed in the National Soccer League of South Africa. Kagiavas has earned
a South African coaching license as well as a professional referee license.
Prior to his coaching career, Kagiavas was a four-year starter at Gannon, helping the
Golden Knights advance to two NCAA Division II Final Four tournament appearances
(1989 and 1990) and a pair of Elite Eight berths (1987 and 1988). He also has played
professionally, competing for a St. Catherines team that won the Canadian Cup in the
National Soccer League. Kagiavas was a player/coach for the Springs Old Boys and
Boksburg “Two for Joy,” as well as for the Eastern Transvaal all-select indoor team.
Gary and his wife. Dawn, a native of St. Marys, Pa., have a daughter, Kaylee, who
was born in July.

Q & A with Coach K
Q: V\/hat attracted you to the job at Edinboro?
Kagiavas: i think this is a great opportunity to
build a program from the ground up. Edinboro
University is committed to being successful in all
of its athletic programs. I know we have strong
commitment from the administration. Our goals
and intentions are the same, and that is to build a
very successful program. It’s exciting to be a part
of a new program.
Q: What are your goals for the Edinboro women’s soccer program?
Kagiavas: The immediate goals are to recruit the best available players and
prepare for the season. At the same time, we want to look at what’s best for
the program in the long term. We might struggle a little this year, but I’m con­
fident in a year or two we’ll have a very good program. Things will get better.
Q: Talk about the growing pains of a first-year program.
Kagiavas: It’s tough being a first-year program, but I think we’re going to sur­
prise some people. Just because we’re new, don’t think for a second that we
won’t be competitive. Our players have worked hard in the preseason, and I
think we’re going to do well this year, especially if teams take us lightly. In
soccer, there’s not a lot of scoring. Games are usually 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, so we
feel like if we play good defense, we’ll have a chance to be In each match.
Q: How does the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rate as a women’s
soccer conference?
Kagiavas: The PSAC is very tough, much better than some people may real­
ize. Eight or nine of the 11 teams are of national caliber, and it’s our goal to
be included in that group as soon as possible.
Q: Realistically, how soon do you feel Edinboro can be a program of nation­
al caliber?
Kagiavas: I think we can be a Top 20 program, a program that will be con­
sistently ranked (in NCAA Division II), in two to three years. We will have
more time (in the near future) to recruit quality players, and the players who
are here now will have a year under their belts. We don’t want to be content
with being mediocre; we want to be a Top 20 program.

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
1996 Women’s Soccer Alphabetical Roster

Edinboro Excited About First Season of Soccer
The Edinboro University of Pennsylvania women’s soccer team is excited
about the prospects of its first-ever season.
While new head coach Gary Kagiavas knows growing pains are to be
expected for a first-year program, he and the players are ready to face the
exciting challenge of not only competing this year, but in building a program.
“I think this is a great opportunity to build a program from the ground up,”
Kagiavas said. “Starting a program is difficult, but we hope to build a quality
program through hard work and dedication.”
Edinboro athletic director Jody Mooradian feels Kagiavas is the right fit for
the Scots’ program. Kagiavas has a wealth of local and international experi­
ence as a player, coach and administrator. A former player and assistant
coach at nearby Gannon University, Kagiavas comes to Edinboro from
Family First Sports Park in Erie, where he served as assistant manager.
“Gary has great knowledge of the sport, and he is we 11-respected in the
local soccer community,” Mooradian said. “His strong ties with area coaches
and players should pay dividends in recruiting quality student-athletes to our
program. He also has enjoyed a great deal of success as a player and coach
internationally that he will bring to our program.”
Even though Edinboro’s roster consists of mostly first-year players, some
who never played soccer before, Kagiavas feels his team can sneak up on
opponents this season.
“I think we’re going to surprise some people this year,” Kagiavas said.
“Just because we’re new, don’t think for a second that we won’t be competi­
tive. Our players worked hard in the preseason, and I think we’re going to do
well this year, especially if teams take us lightly.
“In soccer, there’s not a lot of scoring. Games are usually 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, so
we feel like if we play good defense, we’ll have a chance to be in each match.
It’s exciting to start the season to see where we are in our development.”
“We might struggle a little this year, but I’m confident in a year or two we’ll
have a very good program,” Kagiavas said. “Anything we do this season is a
bonus. We’re not PSAC champs yet, but our goal is to have a winning sea­
son. You need to teach players how to win.
“We don’t want to be content with being mediocre. We want to be a Top
20 program, a program that is consistently ranked (in NCAA Division II). And
I think we can be a Top 20 program in two or three years. We will have more
time to recruit quality players, and the players who are here now will have a
year under their belts. Things can only get better from here on out.”
Edinboro plays 17 matches in its initial season, including seven at
home and 10 against PSAC schools. The Scots will play their home match­
es on the new campus soccer field located north of Sox Harrison Stadium.

No

Name

Pos

Yr

Hometown/High School

22

Adiutori, Cara

FB

Jr

Fairview, Pa./Fairview

21

Blackhurst, Lisa

S

Fr

Franklin, Pa./Franklin

11

Dittman, Amy

F/HB

Sr

Gibsonia, Pa./St. Joseph’s

Elder, Colby

G

Jr

Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley

Fox, Wendy

MF

Fr

Cuddy, Pa./South Fayette

3

Hatton, Jessica

MF

Fr

Wyalusing, Pa./wyalusing

12

Hawley, Angela

HB/FB

Jr

Fairview, Pa./Fairview

24

HokaJ, Lisa

MF/HB

Sr

Erie, Pa./McDowell

23

Isgan, Dory

MF

Fr

Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan Cath.

MF/HB

Jr

Erie, Pa./McDowell

15

2

Juiliano, Stephanie

6

Kreider, Kristy

FB/D

So

Fairview, Pa./Fairview

14

Kress, Michelle

D

Jr

Lockport, N.Y/Lockport

10

Kronenwetter, Jenna

MF/F

Sr

Ontario, N.Y/Wayne Central

17

Lolley, Corrina

MF/HB

So

Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf

Moves, Jen

G

So

DuBois, Pa./DuBois Area

25

Peyton, Cara

MF

Fr

Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley

22

Raco, Nikki

HB

Fr

Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette

4

Rodgers, Jessalynn

D

Fr

Chicora, Pa./Kams City Area

9

Smith, Lindsay

MF

Fr

Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley

7

Tague, Brittany

F

Fr

Erie, Pa./McDowell

Head Coach; Gary Kagiavas (Gannon ‘91)
Position abbreviations:
D - defender; F - forward; FB - fullback; G - goalkeeper;
HB - halfback; MF - midfielder; S - sweeper.

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
1996 Women’s Soccer Schedule
Sept. 11

at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania*
i
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania*

3 p.m.

Sept. 14

at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania*

1 p.m.

Sept. 21

at Shippensburg Ur iversity of Pennsylvania*

1 p.m.

Sept. 26

at Thiel College

4 p.m.

Sept. 28

Millersville Universit / of Pennsylvania*

1 p.m.

Sept. 29

at Wheeling (W.Va.) Jesuit College

3 p.m.

Oct. 5

at Ashland (Ohio) University Invitational

3:15 p.m.

Oct. 6

at Ashland (Ohio) Ujiiversity Invitational

2:15 p.m.

Oct. 8

at California University of Pennsylvania*

4 p.m.

Oct. 12

West Chester University of Pennsylvania*

1 p.m.

Oct. 14

Thiel College

3 p.m.

Oct. 15

at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania*

4 p.m.

Oct. 20

West Virginia Wesleyan College

3 p.m.

Oct. 22

at Gannon University

4 p.m.

Oct. 23

Indiana University of Pennsylvania*

3 p.m.

Oct. 26

East Stroudsburg Ufiiversity of Pennsylvania*

Sept. 7

i

* Denotes Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference matches

1 p.m.

1 p.m.