Coming into the 2004 season, the Truman women's soccer program was flying high having won five straight conference titles. But during the 2004 season, the team reached a new level of excellence. Prolific scoring and stellar goaltending led the way for a team that reached as high as #3 nationally over the course of the season--allowing just six goals over the course of the regular season.
The Bulldogs opened the season in Grand Forks, N.D. with back to back wins over North Dakota 3-1 and Minnesota-Duluth 4-0. Sara Murray scored four goals in the two matches, while Ellen Wright, Anna Sonderman and Robyn Mortenson each added one.
Truman came to Kirksville for their home opener against Missouri Southern in MIAA play, and battled to a scoreless draw as Lauren Davis kept all five shots on goal she faced out of the net.
The next weekend, the Bulldogs traveled to Omaha to take on Nebraska-Omaha and Minnesota State-Mankato. Murray put the only goal on the board against the hosts and then scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over MSUM. Stephanie Cepicky and Wright each got on the board in the win.
MIAA play kicked into full swing and the Bulldogs didn't miss a beat as they won at Missouri-Rolla 2-0 with Murray scoring both goals--her third brace of the season in just the first six matches. Wright led the way in the next six matches as she bagged seven goals in wins over Washburn 4-1, at Missouri Southern 1-0, both goals against Winona State 2-0, Emporia State 1-0, at Central Missouri 1-0 and at NW Missouri 4-0.
Following a 1-1 draw at Southwest Baptist, Truman returned to Kirksville for three straight against Rockhurst, Missouri-Rolla and Central Missouri. Murray got goals in the first two games and the only one against Missouri-Rolla. Goals from Sonderman, Mortenson and Wright propelled Truman to a 3-0 win over Central Missouri.
Mortenson bagged the lone goal in a win at Washburn then Sonderman and Murray scored in the last road match of the year at Emporia State. The last two matches of the season were at home against Southwest Baptist--a 1-0 win with a goal from Stephanie Cepicky and a 3-1 win over Northwest Missouri. Mortenson scored twice in her lone multi-goal game of the season and Wright reached ten goals for the season in the match.
At 18-0-2 overall, the Bulldogs earned their highest ranking in school history at #3 in the NSCAA poll and hosted the Central Region of the NCAA Tournament. In their first matchup they took down South Dakota 3-1 with goals from Murray, Stephanie Cepicky and Sonderman. It was Murray's 15th goal of the season, scored in the first minute of the game. SDU evened it up in the 22nd minute but Cepicky got the game winner in the 29th minute followed by the insurance goal from Sonderman in the 41st to make it 3-1 heading into half; and was the final score.
The next game was for the regional championship against the same opponent that had knocked Truman out the past two years--Nebraska-Omaha. UNO struck first in the 38th minute to take the lead, and took a 1-0 lead into the half. Truman evened it up in the second with an unassisted goal from Mortenson in the 60th knotted it up. Despite an aggressive push at the end of regulation, the Bulldogs could not find the game winner. UNO found the game winner just three minutes into the overtime session and ended the Bulldogs undefeated season.
Sara Murray raked in awards by virtue of her 15 goal, 13 assist season. She was named first team NSCAA All-America, NSCAA All-Central Region, All-MIAA and twice named MIAA Player of the Week. She also won numerous academic awards--including being named to ESPN the Magazine second team Academic All-American. The star forward still holds the career goals record at Truman with 59.
Anna Sonderman was named second team All-American in the midfield and also named first team All-Region and All-MIAA. She was third on the team with 20 points (six goals and eight assists).
Lauren Davis was named third team All-America with 15 shutouts on the season--second most in a season in program history. She also was named first team All-Region and All-MIAA, and five time MIAA Player of the Week.
Full honorees:
Stephanie Cepicky-first team All-Region, All-MIAA
Ellen Wright-second team All-Region, second team All-MIAA, one time MIAA Player of the Week
Lauren Cepicky-second team All-MIAA
Robyn Mortenson-second team All-MIAA
Lisa Manns-honorable mention All-MIAA
Rachael Schmidt-honorable mention All-MIAA
Molly Benson-honorable mention All-MIAA
Mike Cannon-MIAA Coach of the Year
