Norm Riker counsels his team after their double overtime 2008 NCAC Tournament victory over Wooster on Nov. 8.
Springfield, Ohio — The Wittenberg University women's soccer team has reached unprecedented levels of success the last three years on the field. Echoing the NCAA Division III model of student-athlete, the dedication and intensity it took for the team to win three straight North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championships can also be seen in the classroom.
Excellence on the field and in the classroom often go hand in hand, so it's hardly surprising that the Tigers, who have won three straight NCAC Tournament titles to reach the first three NCAA Division III Tournaments in program history, feature student-athletes who also achieve by hitting the books.
"We stand strong in the belief that we excel in the classroom, win on the soccer field and lead on our campus," said Head Coach Norm Riker, who is the winningest coach in program history with an 83-41-19 record in seven years at Wittenberg. "We believe in that balance and that there are no compromises for success in all three parts of our players' lives. In fact, the success in one area enhances the success of the other two, which leads to an overall quality collegiate experience and lasting memories and friendships."
Riker has gone to great lengths to ensure success both on the field and off, including a preseason training trip to Europe in which the team's student-athletes played games and visited Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and France.
"In season we prepare for each weekend's game with a study hall on either Friday night or Saturday morning," Riker said. "We study for 90 minutes to earn the privilege of wearing the 'W' and playing for 90 minutes.
"This is what we do as a team. Our alums have reaped the rewards of our study habits, our current players are earning the awards, and our recruits are told to bring some homework with them when they visit."
On the heels of the finest season in school history, in which the Tigers posted a record of 18-3-3 and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 16 in 2007, Wittenberg was stellar again in 2008 with marks of 11-4-6 overall and 5-2-1 in the NCAC. Ranked as high as sixth in the nation early in the season, Wittenberg went on to finish second in the conference regular season title chase. After winning its third consecutive NCAC Tournament title and advancing to the national tournament, the Tigers were knocked out in the first round by the University of Chicago.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photo By: Brian Schubert '09