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Lindsey Horner
Lindsey Horner was named the Drake women's soccer head coach in 2009 after serving five seasons (2003-08) as assistant coach for the Bulldogs.
Horner was named to her position on April 10, 2008, becoming only the second head coach for women's soccer, which began as a varsity sport in 2002.
In her 12 seasons, Horner owns a 104-97-30 overall record with two Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles. Drake has collected an impressive 59 All-MVC selections in her tenure, including 18 first-year Bulldogs being tabbed to the MVC All-Freshman teams. Her student-athletes have won three MVC Defensive Player of the Year awards, two MVC Player of the Year awards, two MVC Goalkeeper of the Year awards and one MVC Freshman of the Year winner. Her teams are just as successful in the classroom as the program has been recognized by the United Soccer Coaches Association for its academic success all 12 seasons and 17-straight overall with the college team academic award. To qualify for the award, the entire team must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher for an entire academic year. 22 Bulldogs have earned MVC Scholar-Athlete accolades while Ali Smith (2017) and Linda Firorito (2018) earned First Team Academic and Third Academic All-American honors, respectively.
In 2019, Horner guided the Bulldogs to eight wins, including a 4-3 mark in MVC play. Horner earned the 100th win of her career with Drake's 1-0 victory over Evansville. Five student-athletes -- Vanessa Kavan (first team), Cassie Rohan (first team/all-tournament), Delaney Goertzen (honorable mention/freshman), Abby Stephenson (honorable mention/all-tournament), and Audrey Vidmar (freshman) -- garnered All-MVC recognition.
The 2018 Bulldogs finished 9-9-1 and reached the MVC Tournament championship match.
Under Horner's leadership, Drake captured the 2017 MVC regular season title, its sixth overall and second in the past three seasons. The Bulldogs went 6-0-1 in league play and compiled a 13-4-2 overall record. The 13 wins are tied for the top single season mark in school history, equaling the 2003 and 2004 Drake squads. The Bulldogs swept all five MVC specialty awards. Redshirt senior Rebecca Rodgers was named the MVC Player of the Year for the second time in her career. Seniors Haley Morris and Smith were selected the MVC Goalkeeper and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Freshman Hannah Bormann was picked the MVC Freshman of the Year. Horner and her staff claimed the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year award.
Rodgers capped an outstanding career by becoming Drake's all-time leading goal scorer with 39 and she tied the all-time career points mark with 92. Rodgers and Smith were honored by Horner's coaching peers in the United Soccer Coaches Association as the pair were selected to the NCAA Division I Women's All-Midwest Region Teams as Rodgers was named to the second team while Smith was selected to the third team. Smith added to her awards by being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team selection. She is the first Bulldogs to be named an Academic All-American since 2005.
The 2016 Drake squad went 12-4-3 as eight Bulldogs earned All-MVC honors. The defense that season set a program-record with 11 shutouts.
Horner guided the Bulldogs to the 2015 MVC regular season title with a 4-0-2 record in MVC action. Along with winning the team title, Drake collected numerous MVC awards, led by Rodgers being named MVC Player of the Year for the first time in her outstanding career, junior Sarah Grace Nicholson MVC Defender of the Year and junior Brooke Dennis MVC Goalkeeper of the Year. Horner and her staff was also named the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year.
The Bulldogs went 9-9-2 in 2014 while advancing to the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Rodgers burst out for 12 goals while recording eight assists on her way to being named to the All-MVC First Team. Rodgers' 12 goals equaled a program record. Senior midfielder Ashlie Stokes also earned first-team All-MVC honors while defender Kylie DeHaven and midfielder Rhian Pritchard were named to the second team. Defender Kasey Hurt and goalkeeper Kylynn Moyer earned MVC All-Freshman accolades.
Drake faced a challenging 2013 campaign in which 15 of the Bulldogs’ 20 games were decided by a goal or less en route to posting a 3-12-5 ledger. Despite the record, Drake advanced to the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship for the first time since 2009 after besting Loyola on the road in the quarterfinal round via penalty kicks.
Three Bulldogs were recognized by the conference for their play on the field as Megan Fisher was honored as first-team All-MVC selection for the third consecutive year, while Rebecca Rodgers collected second-team All-MVC recognition. Rodgers and Sarah Grace Nicholson were tabbed to the All-Freshman team.
Off the field, Emma Winstead was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete first team. Recognized for the 11th consecutive campaign by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as a College Team Academic Award Winner, the Bulldogs were distinguished for maintaining a team grade point average of 3.42 for the 2012-13 academic year.
Drake was honored for the fifth straight year by the NSCAA with a Team Ethics Award. The Bulldogs were recipients of the Bronze award in 2013 after garnering bronze, silver, silver and bronze accolades following the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 campaigns, respectively.
Drake had a turnaround campaign in 2012 as the Bulldogs posted a 12-5-4 record on the strength of eight shutouts, including a third-place MVC showing with a 3-1-2 league mark.
Drake registered a school-record eight straight victories from Aug. 31 through Sept. 22 as part of a nine-game unbeaten streak.
Seven members of the team garnered All-MVC honors in 2012. Megan Fisher and Ashlie Stokes were honored as first-team All-MVC selections, while Laura Moklestad, Kalena Litch and Brittany Schuling collected second team All-MVC recognition. Tabbed as honorable mention honorees were Generve Charles and Rhian Pritchard. Pulling in All-Freshman team laurels was Pritchard.
Stokes was chosen a 2012 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Regional third-team selection.
Kelsey Pigg was tabbed an honorable mention All-MVC Scholar-Athlete. Moklestad also was recognized for her academic success being selected by the NSCAA to its Women's University Scholar All-North/Central Regional First Team.
Horner directed a youthful 2011 squad that featured 10 underclassmen starters to a 4-11-4 mark. The record may not belie the talent on the team as the Bulldogs were involved in 14 games decided by a goal or less, posting three wins and four ties in those matches.
Four members of the team garnered All-MVC honors, led by Fisher, who was a first-team All-MVC selection. Moklestad and Litch collected second-team All-MVC recognition. Pulling in All-Freshman team laurels was Tori Flynn.
Additionally, Moklestad became the first Bulldog to earn regional accolades more than once when she was tabbed a NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-Great Lakes Regional third-team selection for the second-consecutive year.
Moklestad joined Andrea Schmitz and Sarah Foote, who were also named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Regional team in 2004 and 2006, respectively, as the only Bulldogs to earn regional honors.
Off the field, the Bulldogs were honored for their academic success by the NSCAA as a College Team Academic Award Winner for 2011. The Bulldogs maintained a team grade point average of 3.31 for the 2010-11 academic year. Additionally, Moklestad was selected as a first-team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete for the second-straight season.
Horner led the Bulldogs to a breakout campaign in 2010 as Drake posted a 10-6-3 overall mark. The 10 wins marked the Bulldogs' first double-figure win campaign since going 12-6-2 during their NCAA Tournament season in 2006.
As a team, Drake matched a school record with nine shutouts, all by Litch.
Six members of the team garnered All-MVC honors, led by Moklestad, who was a first team All-MVC selection.
Paige Dusek, Fisher and Litch collected both second team All-MVC and All-Freshman team recognition. Pulling in honorable mention laurels were Bailey Dorrington and Ali Walsh.
Additionally, Moklestad and Katie Anderson were selected to the All-MVC Scholar-Athlete first and honorable mention teams, respectively.
Horner led the Bulldogs to a 9-9-1 mark in 2009. Earning first team All-MVC honors was Elizabeth Woerle, while Blair Nelson and Crystal Townley collected second-team laurels. Receiving All-MVC honorable mention recognition was Rachel Gielau and Melissa Lewis along with Bailey Dorrington. Moklestad was selected to the MVC All-Freshman squad. Lewis also earned first-team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete honors for the second consecutive year.
In Horner’s first season leading the Bulldogs, Drake posted an 8-10-1 mark in 2008, including a 4-2 record in the MVC. Katie Sauer was tabbed a first team All-MVC selection, while Jenny Schroeder, Woerle and Townley were chosen second-team All-MVC. Nelson and Lewis gained honorable mention all-league accolades, while Samantha Knosby and Danielle Figliola were named to the All-MVC Freshman team.
Off the field, Drake maintained a collective 3.25 grade point average with Schroeder and Lewis tabbed as first team All-MVC Scholar-Athlete selections.
Horner was the Bulldogs' top assistant from 2003-08. During her tenure, the Bulldogs compiled a 56-35-9 record winning four MVC Conference regular season championships, competing in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. She assisted in all facets of the Bulldog soccer program and served as camp director of the Premier Soccer camps.
"I am proud to have been a part of this program for five seasons as an assistant coach, and I am honored to be able to continue as the head coach," said Horner when named head coach. "This program has been very successful in its short history, and I am excited about the possibilities for the future."
Horner has been involved with the Iowa Olympic Development Program since 2004. She plans to coach the Iowa 1998 girls squad this season.
She has worked with several youth clubs as a clinician and a coach.
In 2002, Horner was a sports marketing intern for the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association, where she was invited to try out for the team and also was a coach for Freedom camps and clinics.
A native of West Des Moines, Iowa, Horner was a four-year letterwinner at Kansas, being named the Jayhawks' most valuable offensive player as a senior in 2000. She was an all-academic Big 12 Conference selection in the spring of 2001 and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree from the school of education, majoring in exercise science with an emphasis in sports management. She earned a master's degree in adult learning and organizational performance with an emphasis in leadership at Drake.
She also helped the Kansas women's basketball team to a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference Tournament while making an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1997.
Horner holds a Premier Coaching Diploma from the NSCAA and an 'A' license from USSF.
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