Ottawa University Soccer
1965-Present

Through the efforts of Ottawa University President Andrew B. Martin, a native of Ireland, soccer came to OU in 1963. Within two years the program grew from club status to a full-fledged varsity sport. Soccer is just one of the sports that has contributed to a rich and long heritage of winning teams at OU. The 1965 team was inexperienced but enthusiastic. Players, as has been tradition since then, came from all over the country and other parts of the world. This diverse group was led by O.U.'s first soccer coach Bob Schoonover, who led the team to a record of 3-7.

By 1967 the players and the coach had learned (Schoonover had been a track coach), and the team experienced its first winning season (7-6-1). Now part of the MO-KAN Soccer Conference, which was established in 1966, along with Benedictine, Rockhurst, Tabor, Park and William Jewell, OU was well on its winning ways. The post war "baby boom" brought many students to college and OU was no exception. Schoonover did much of his recruiting on the east coast; this brought many diverse but experienced players to OU (the east coast invasion). All this talent was ably molded and with the help of Schoonover's Assistant Tony Van Leiden, the OU soccer team won its first MO-KAN Conference title and area championship which earned them a birth in the 1969 NAIA National Soccer Tournament. They placed sixth out of eight teams.

1969 was followed by realignment of soccer conferences, from the MO-KAN to the Mid-West Conference and two more consecutive trips to the NAIA National Soccer Tournament where the Braves placed fifth and third respectively. With the winning tradition came a demanding 20 game schedule against nationally ranked opponents such as UMSL, Eastern Illinois, Southern Illinois and the Air Force Academy, just to name a few. The 1971 team finished the season ranked 9th nationally, this ranking included NCAA schools. They did climb up to as high as 3rd nationally during the season. Coach Schoonover mentioned, "this was an impressive feat considering OU was competing against much larger schools." Through 1971 the OU Braves had amassed a record of 74-29-3. Accompanying the success came budgetary problems and a need for the administration to bring the soccer program with the boundaries of the other sports.

This shift in emphasis brought a coaching change and a more "realistic" soccer schedule. Through the efforts of Tony Van Leiden, the new coach, and a few dedicated returning players, soccer was saved and a new era began. The dedication, enthusiasm and love for the sport of soccer never ended. Neither did the support from the soccer fans. Through the next five years Coach Van Leiden had to limit the playing schedule to nine matches per year and work with a drastically reduced budget. Nevertheless, players kept coming and experiencing O.U.'s special brand of soccer. Several players continued to make all-area teams, which suggest that talent and good coaching were still here, but some of the depth was gone.

The middle 70's saw the country plagued by inflation and the disappearance of the "baby boom" generation. Both had an affect on OU Soccer. The former kept the soccer budget trim; the latter made it more difficult to recruit students on campus. Records for the 1973-1974 and 1975 teams were .500, but as mentioned earlier, victories are sweeter when one is called the "underdog". 1976 saw Coach Van Leiden's first winning season 6-4, but also his last as Head Coach. Ron Dear, a former soccer standout and member of the first All-Decade Team, took over the reigns and guided the Braves to their second consecutive winning season (6-4) in 1977. (Coach Van Leiden continued on as the Assistant Head Coach).

1978 brought about another coaching change (the second change in as many years) and a renewed emphasis, which meant an increased playing schedule and greater emphasis on recruiting. Paul McNally, a successful Missouri High School soccer coach, led the Braves to their third consecutive winning season (10-7) and their first serious contention for the District X NAIA title since 1971. (They lost in a close game 2-3 to Bethany Nazarene). Coach McNally continued his recruiting efforts and coaching success through the 1979 season, but decided to move on. (McNally is currently the Women's Soccer Coach at Avila University). Van Leiden, Dear and McNally brought the OU soccer team back into contention. No longer was OU considered just another team in Area II of the NAIA; the scores show a vastly improved record against the power teams of the Midwest.
Frank Lemp, another former OU soccer standout, took charge in the summer of 1980. His four-year stay kept OU teams in the thick of things. Defeating Benedictine twice, with a memorable overtime game in the 1981 District 10 Championship, several overtime games and a tie with Rockhurst as well as a tie. During Lemp's tenure, they defeated Benedictine twice; one of those wins was in the 1981 District 10 Championship. They played a lot of overtime matches and had a tie against Midwest power Rockhurst. Avila was a huge match during the Lemp years and there were many great matches between these two sides. This four-year run put together by Lemp, again put OU soccer back as one of the best in Area II of the NAIA. Lemp continues to teach at OU.

The 1984 season brought a new coach, Jeff Wolfe. During his tenure, Wolfe compiled a 15-19-1 record. Memorable games include a 1-1 draw against John Brown University and two heartbreaking losses; one to Rockhurst and one to Benedictine in District play. Wolfe will be remembered for bringing the first High School Soccer All-American on campus. Mike Pearson and Steve Christian were both All District 10 players under Coach Wolfe.

George Jaworski took over in 1986 and guided the side through the 1988 season. Jaworski was a standout soccer player for OU and compiled a 5-42-1 record during his stint as Head Coach. Coach Jaworski had the opportunity to coach three All Conference players; they included Greg Fields, Mike Pearson and Kevin Schorgel. George Jaworski is currently in business for himself.

Dan Hogan took over in 1989 and guided the team through that season and also the 1990 season. Coach Hogan compiled a 2-31 record in two seasons as Head Coach. Highlights of Coach Hogan's tenure include a 2-1 victory over Kansas Newman in 1989 and coaching three All Conference players and one All District player. All Conference players included: Mike Collins, Tim Collins and Sergio Guerrero. Tim Collins was an All District 10 second team selection.

Frank Trovato took over in 1991. Coach Trovato guided the Braves for 3 seasons, compiling a 28-22-2 record during his stint as Head Coach. The 1993 season was a great season for the Braves, they went 12-5, which was the best record since the 1981 team, and the best record currently until the 2003 team went 16-4. Coach Trovato is currently the Director of Coaching for Alaska.

Mike Cullina took over the program in 1994 and guided the Braves for 4 seasons. He compiled a record of 17-47-2, but did guide the 1997 side into the Conference playoffs for the 1st time. They were defeated by Friends 1-2. Coach Cullina is currently working for the Nebraska State Soccer Association.

Tony Carbaugh took over for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Coach Carbaugh came from a great DIII Program on the east coast (Messiah College). Coach Carbaugh compiled a record of 5-28-1 and is currently working as an engineer in Illinois.
Matt Walberg, a former O.U. standout and Goalkeeper of the Decade took over the program in 2000. During his two-year stint as Head Coach, the Braves compiled a record of 3-31. Coach Walberg currently resides in Olathe, KS and works for the Olathe Soccer Club.

Chip Wiggins took over the program in August of 2002. He inherited a program that had been neglected, but was unfazed as he started the rebuilding process. He was determined to bring O.U. soccer "Back to Where We Belong". The 2002 season was a struggle, the Braves went 2-16-1, but the overhaul had begun and he was looking forward to the 2003 season.

The 2003 season saw a huge increase in numbers (35), and the atmosphere of a real program. The Braves finished 16-3-1 during the 2003 season, the best record since the 1971 team that advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. That team also qualified for the KCAC Playoffs for the first time since 1997 and won a Playoff game for the first time since the 1971 team.

The 2004 season started at home in the 1st annual Tony Van Leiden Classic. The opponent was nationally ranked Illinois-Springfield. This is the first time a nationally ranked opponent had visited Ottawa since the glory days of the late 60's and early 70's. Old rivalries were renewed with Benedictine and Baker. The Braves beat the U. of St. Mary for the first time. The Braves finished the regular season 9-9 and 6-3 in the KCAC. With the playoffs was a renewed focus and commitment to win the tournament championship. Tough matches with McPherson and at Bethany set the stage for a rematch with Friends in Wichita for the championship. The Braves beat Friends 4-0 to capture their first KCAC Tournament Championship and first bid to the Region IV tournament in school history. The first opponent at Regional's was Park University, a school that Ottawa has a long history with, dating back to the start of the soccer program. The Braves came up short, losing 2-1. This was the 7th 2-1 loss for the Braves on the season. The Braves finished the season 12-10.

The 2005 season brought along another new coach for the men's soccer program, Glen Cahill. Cahill was the former men's soccer coach at Ottawa High School. The men finished with a second in the KCAC with an overall record of 9-8-1 and a KCAC record of 6-2-1. Tyson John and Brett Parker were selected first team All-KCAC, first team All-Region IV and were OU's first All-American selections since 1971 when Mirko Grgas earned the honor.  John a forward and Parker a defender both received Honorable Mention All-American honors. Andy Martinus, Jonathon Woolley and Justin Berbena were selected second team All-KCAC. Daniel Gray was an honorable mention All-KCAC selection.

The 2006 season saw the men falter with a 2-12-2 overall record and a 1-7-1 KCAC record. Gordon Temple, Jacob Eaton and Jarod Sigmund were honorable mention All-KCAC selections.