Hall of Fame
The Bulldog Men's Soccer team in 1997 advanced to the NCAA Final Four after winning their sixth Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title and fourth straight. Dennis Sweeney's team went 14-5 during the regular season and was selected to their fourth NCAA Division II tournament in the past seven years.
Round one was a match again rival Southern Illinois Edwardsville in frigid conditions. The Cougars struck three minutes into the match to take the early lead. Senior Jimmy Duran deflected a shot off the post from Adrian Marrero for the equalizer. Now late in the match, Marrero scored the winner off a pass from Jeremy Jackson to give Truman their first postseason victory.
The Bulldogs returned home and faced East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University with a ticket to the Final Four on the line. It was Marrero again getting the lone goal as his header off a corner kick in the 14th minute stood up for the win.
Truman traveled to Boca Raton, Florida for the Final Four and faced California State-Bakersfield in the national semifinals. The Roadrunners scored a first half goal off a corner kick. The Bulldogs thought they tied the match early in the second half but Jimmy Duran's goal was waved off due to a foul. Bakersfield would score with 20 minutes left to seal the victory and they would eventually win the national title two days later.
Marerro finished with a team-high 15 goals. He was one of six Bulldogs to earn First Team All-MIAA honors along with Matt Berry, Mike Quante, Heine Andersen, Lee Letourneau and MIAA Most Valuable Player Steve Wilhuesen. Scott Meis, second team, and Jimmy Duran, honorable mention, were also listed for the Bulldogs.
Andersen, Marrero and Quante were all named to the NSCAA All-Region team, Andersen was a first team selection.
