1998 Women's Soccer Team

Bio

Led by head coach Mark Fales, the 1998 women’s soccer team finished the season with a 16-3-0 overall record and captured the MIAA Tournament title to become the first women’s team in school history to compete at the NCAA Championships. During the regular season, Olivet posted a 13-2 overall record. The Comets’ two losses were to Calvin and Kalamazoo, but they avenged those defeats with wins over the Knights and Hornets in the MIAA Tournament. Olivet traveled to Delaware, Ohio, to play perennial NCAA powerhouse Ohio Wesleyan University in the NCAA Championships. The Comets battled tough before falling by a 4-3 score in double overtime.

Three members of the team – Crystal Dye, Laura Fiorino and Tricia McNorton – earned All-MIAA First Team honors, and a fourth player, Tanja Rupert, was an All-MIAA Second Team selection. Fiorino broke the Olivet single-season school record with 27 goals and 60 total points. Dye was right behind her with 25 goals and eight assists for 58 points. Doris Sullivan tallied 22 goals and three assists for 47 points. McNorton was a stalwart on the defense. Rupert logged every minute in goal, posting a 1.16 goals against average.

Other members of the team were Jamila Faraj, Sheri Hause, Gail Hoag, Mary Hoban, Joni Hoffman, Hope Murphy, Jennifer Paczas, Paula Peterson, Martha Vardai and Consuelo Vivas.

Olivet honors the team and is proud to induct it into the Olivet College Athletic Hall of Fame on this 7th day of October, 2022.