The Early Years - Doc Davis
In 1961, Hunter S. Davis cleared the pastures and painted the first touchlines for D&E's newborn team. Blessed with the talent of scholar-athletes like Jim Bushyeager, David Clapp, and Andy Maros, the lads took to the pitch in a gleaming white and scarlet polyester uniform that was quasi-baseball/basketball influenced! Gary Horvath ('62) wrote about the birth of the program for The Senator and noted that "the team received absolutely no publicity, no budget, no uniforms or boots." According to Horvath, Davis's eleven only had one ball. They defeated West Virginia Wesleyan College, 2-0, in their first match as Jim Bushyeager struck a 50-yard bullet that certainly had "the hand of God" attached to it as it sailed over the Bobcat 'keeper for the lads' first official tally.

In addition to Wesleyan, D&E also played West Virginia University twice during the 1961 campaign and battled to a 3-3 tie in Morgantown before walloping the Mountaineers 5-0 in knee-deep mud at home. Despite the score, the Senators had six penalty kicks called against them - none of which were converted! One has to wonder if fate and Appalachian slop had any influence on the Baggioesque performance of the blue 'n gold in Elkins!

Between 1962 and 1968, Davis worked with Dr. Jack MacDonald to help teach the lads basic technical skills and tactical understanding, much of which was brought to Elkins with numerous foreign national students like Maros and Horvath, both who played soccer in the native Hungary prior to enrolling in D&E. When Dr. Greg Myers arrived on the scene from WVU, soccer at this small NAIA-affiliated liberal arts college would never be the same. Myers built a legacy of athletic excellence, commitment to personal success, and sound fundamentals that still ranks among the greatest accomplishments in athletic history to date.

Here's a breakdown of what the scarlet 'n red did under Myers between 1968-72:

1968
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 3, Earlham (Ind.) 2, 2 (ot)
Plattsburg (N.Y.) 3, Rockhurst (Mo.) 1
Quincy (Ill.) 6, St. Andrews (N.C.) 1
Eastern Connecticut 4, Westmont (Calif.) 1
Earlham 4, Rockhurst 1
Westmont 4, St. Andrews 0
Davis & Elkins 1, Plattsburg 0
Quincy 5, Eastern Connecticut 0
St. Andrews 3, Rockhurst 1
Earlham 4, Westmont 1
Eastern Connecticut 0, Plattsburg 0 (3rd) Eastern Connecticut awarded victory after 2 (ot) for having most corner kicks
Davis & Elkins 2, Quincy 1, 5 (ot) (NAIA National Championship)

1969
Eastern Illinois 4, Campbell (N.C.) 0
Drew (N.J.) 2, Westmont (Calif.) 1
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 1, Ottawa (Kan.) 0
Spring Arbor (Mich.) 1, Eastern Connecticut 0, 6 (ot)
Campbell 2, Westmont 1
Ottawa 3, Eastern Connecticut 0
Eastern Illinois 6, Drew 0
Davis and Elkins 4, Spring Arbor 0
Eastern Connecticut 4, Westmont 0
Campbell 2, Ottawa 1, 3 (ot)
Drew 4, Spring Arbor 3 (3rd)
Eastern Illinois 1, Davis & Elkins 0, 2 (ot) (NAIA National Championship, Second Place)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1970
Quincy (Ill.) 4, Westmont (Calif.) 0
New Paltz (N.Y.) 2, Ottawa (Kan.) 0
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 1, New Haven (Conn.) 0, 6 (ot)
Campbell (N.C.) 4, Earlham (Ind.) 1
Ottawa 3, New Haven 0
Westmont 3, Earlham 0
Davis & Elkins 1, New Paltz 0
Quincy 4, Campbell 1
New Haven 4, Earlham 2
Ottawa 1, Westmont 0
Campbell 2, New Paltz 1 (3rd)
Davis & Elkins 2, Quincy 0 (NAIA National Championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1971
Ottawa (Kan.) 2, Newark Engineering (N.J.) 1
Quincy (Ill.) 8, Keene State (N.H.) 1
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 3, Goshen (Ind.) 1
Westmont (Calif.) 3, Erskine (S.C.) 2
Newark Engineering 6, Goshen 1
Keene State 4, Erskine 2
Davis & Elkins 2, Ottawa 0
Quincy 1, Westmont 0
Ottawa 1, Westmont 0 (3rd)
Quincy 1, Davis & Elkins 0 (NAIA National Championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

In 1971, Myers left D&E to coach the Miami Toros in the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). Goalkeeper Bill Nuttall accompanied him after leading his team to their second national championship in four seasons. Myers won two NAIA national championships in 1968 and 1970, and led the teams to (2) second place finishes in 1969 and 1971.

The Schmalz Years
From 1972-78, Over the course of six wonderful years, Fred Schmalz coached the lads and led them to (1) second-place finish, (3) third-place finishes and (1) fourth-place finish in 1972.

1972
Keene State (N.H.) 1, Harris Teachers (Mo.) 0
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 8, Earlham (Ind.) 0
Westmont (Calif.) 3, Fredonia (N.Y.) 0
Quincy (Ill.) 2, Erskine (S.C.) 0
Harris Teachers 4, Earlham 1
Fredonia 5, Erskine 3
Davis & Elkins 3, Keene State 0
Westmont 2, Quincy 0
Earlham 2, Erskine 0
Harris Teachers 4, Fredonia 1
Quincy 4, Keene State 1 (3rd)
Westmont 2, Davis & Elkins 1 (NAIA National Championship, Fourth Place)
Davis & Elkins forfeited game and vacated runner-up spot.

1973
Erskine (S.C.) 1, Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) 0
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 7, Goshen (Ind.) 0
Rockhurst (Mo.) 2, Eastern Connecticut 0
Quincy (Ill.) 7, Newark Engineering (N.J.) 1
Pomona-Pitzer 4, Eastern Connecticut 1
Goshen 6, Newark Engineering 4, (ot)
Rockhurst 4, Erskine 0
Quincy 4, Davis & Elkins 1
Eastern Connecticut 1, Newark Engineering 0
Goshen 7, Pomona-Pitzer 5, (ot)
Davis & Elkins 4, Erskine 1 3rd Place
Quincy (Ill.) 3, Rockhurst 0 (NAIA National Championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1974
Erskine (S.C.) 1, Cedarville (Ohio) 0
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 2, Westmont (Calif.) 1, (ot)
Benedictine (Kan.) 1, Keene State (N.H.) 0
Quincy (Ill.) 8, George Mason (Va.) 1
Cedarville 3, George Mason 0
Keene State 1, Westmont 0
Davis & Elkins 1, Benedictine 0
Quincy 6, Erskine 1
Westmont 6, George Mason 4, (ot)
Keene State 6, Cedarville 1
Benedictine 2, Erskine 1 (3rd)
Quincy 6, Davis & Elkins 0 (NAIA National Championship, Second Place)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1975
D&E did not qualify for the NAIA tournament. WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1976
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 1, Alabama-Huntsville 0
Simon Fraser (B.C.) 5, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 1
Rockhurst (Mo.) 2, Maine Portland-Gorham 0
Quincy (Ill.) 4, Houghton (N.Y.) 0
Maine Portland-Gorham 7, Alabama-Huntsville 4
Houghton 5, Spring Arbor 4, 2 (ot)
Rockhurst 2, Davis & Elkins 1, 14 (ot)
Simon Fraser 2, Quincy 1, (ot)
Alabama-Huntsville 4, Spring Arbor 2
Houghton 4, Maine Portland-Gorham 3, 2 (ot)
Quincy 2, Davis & Elkins 1, (ot) (3rd Place NAIA National Tournament)
Simon Fraser 1, Rockhurst 0 (championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1977
Quincy (Ill.) 3, Rutgers-Camden (N.J.) 0
Erskine (S.C.) 1, Goshen (Ind.) 0
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 1, Simon Fraser (B.C.) 0
Keene State (N.H.) 1, Midwestern State (Texas) 0
Simon Fraser 1, Midwestern State 0
Keene State 1, Davis & Elkins 0
Rutgers-Camden 2, Goshen 1
Quincy 4, Erskine 0
Midwestern State 3, Goshen 1
Simon Fraser 2, Rutgers-Camden 0
Davis & Elkins 2, Erskine 0 (3rd Place, NAIA)
Quincy 3, Keene State 0 (NAIA National Championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1978
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 3, The King's (N.Y.) 1
Rockhurst (Mo.) 3, Tennessee Wesleyan 1
Quincy (Ill.) 3, Keene State (N.H.) 1
Alabama-Huntsville 2, Simon Fraser (B.C.) 1
The King's 2, Keene State 1
Simon Fraser 5, Tennessee Wesleyan 3
Quincy 3, Davis & Elkins 2
Alabama-Huntsville 2, Rockhurst 1, 4 (ot)
Keene State 4, Tennessee Wesleyan 0
Simon Fraser 3, The King's 1
Rockhurst 1, Davis & Elkins 0 (3rd Place)
Quincy 2, Alabama-Huntsville 0 (NAIA National Championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

1979
D&E did not qualify for the NAIA national tournament.

1980
Wilmington (Ohio) 5, Southern Maine 2
Sangamon State (Ill.) 2, Dowling (N.Y.) 0
Simon Fraser (B.C.) 2, Keene State (N.H.) 0
Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) 4, Sangamon State 3, 4 (ot)
Alabama-Huntsville 8, Wilmington 1
Quincy (Ill.) 1, Rockhurst (Mo.) 0, (ot)
Keene State 4, Dowling 3
Rockhurst 1, Southern Maine 0, (ot)
Simon Fraser 5, Davis & Elkins 0
Quincy 4, Alabama-Huntsville 0
Rockhurst 4, Keene State 1
Davis & Elkins 3, Alabama-Huntsville 2 (3rd Place)
Quincy 1, Simon Fraser 0 (NAIA National Championship)
WVIAC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

The Heinke Years: 1981-85
In 1981, Nils Heinke was appointed head coach and led the team into their first NCAA national tournament appearance. During Heinke's five years at the helm, the Senators qualified for the NCAA national tournament three times and won the WVIAC Conference Championship in 1984.

In 1983, D&E lost to the University of Tampa, 2-1, in double overtime to exit in the first round of the NCAA tournament. After a first round bye in 1984, D&E lost to Seattle Pacific University, 2-1, in penalty kicks after playing two scoreless overtime periods. In 1985, the boys defeated East Stroudsburg University, 4-0, in the first round, and Gannon University, 2-1, in the second round. Again, it was Cliff McCrath's Seattle Pacific University coming out on top, 2-1, in the semi-final as the lads finished fourth in the nation. In 1986, the scarlet 'n white returned to the national finals and defeated the University of Tampa, 3-1, to avenge an earlier loss in 1983 play and a trip to the semifinals. D&E lost to Oakland University, 1-0, to finish fourth in the nation.

The Year of Gorman: 1986
Barry Gorman coached the D&E men for one season and helped them win the WVIAC Conference Championship for the first time since 1982. Under the leadership of defender Erik Christie and forward Anders Svensson, the lads reached the NCAA national tournament and only to come up short to the University of Tampa in the semi-finals. Gorman later departed D&E for Penn State University where he has been the head coach ever since.

The Adlard Years: 1987-88
Steve Adlard coached the team for one season prior to leaving in the summer of 1988. Carlos Ayala, Dan Court, Paul Grimes, Tom Seetoo, Scott Stonesifer, Simon Tinsely, and Vincent Rooney were among the standouts that season.

The McCray Years: 1988-91
New England native Peter McCray was brought into Elkins to fill the void left by Adlard, who departed Elkins after the 1988 season, and asked to re-vive the program. McCray managed to recruit several prominent foreign national prep school stars from England, Ireland, Trinidad, and Wales during his four years in charge of the program. D&E narrowly missed the WVIAC Conference championship in 1989 after defeating West Virginia Wesleyan and Alderson-Broaddus College, both of whom were ranked among the top 10 schools in NCAA Division II.

The Bigney Years: 1992-95
The following was told to FOSS by Bob Bigney, "After some stressful and upsetting situations in my personal life, I arrived at D&E after the 1991 season had begun. I came in to serve as the assistant coach to Peter McCray. Although talented, the team, and the entire soccer program, was struggling. The squad had only about 13 players, and many of them were looking to leave at the end of the season.

In March 1992, Bigney was appointed Head Coach after Peter McCray resigned. All of the senior members of the team, including Jason Gatt, Mike Hasiuk, Doug Homer, and Kevin MacGabhann, supported the change.

In the Fall of 1992, my first season in charge, I was lucky to have a former player, Dan Court ('92), join me as an assistant coach. Through recruiting and scouting, I was able to bring in a few new players, but the core of the team were the returners. They were excited for the new season – and we did well, breaking into the NCAA Division II National Polls. A typical lineup for the 1992 Senator Squad would have Greg Mitchell ('95) in goal; MacGabhann and Homer patrolling the central defense; J.D. Lamagna ('95), Jon Voorheis ('95) or Sean Walle ('93) out wide in defense; the middle of the park had Hasiuk doing the dirty work and Sheldon Hilaire ('95) looking pretty, with Duane Dyer ('94) sitting in behind, Pat Heintzelman ('95), Prior Jones ('96), or even David Brun ('94) on one flank midfield with Dwight Findlay ('95) running at people on the other; and Gatt wrecking havoc up front. This team finished third in the WVIAC and was in and out of the Top 20 polls with a final record of 10-6-1.

In the spring of 1993, Bigney hit the recruiting trail and by the time the fall season began, the Senator squad had 20 players, a new assistant coach, and a team manager. Included in the recruits were 5 players from Virginia Beach, Bigney's hometown. Craig Melton was invited to join Bigney on the sidelines as his First Assistant Coach, which he gladly accepted, and Randy Lambert ('95) served as the Team Manager. In the fall season, the team posted an 11 – 6 – 1 record and was in and out of the NCAA Division II National Top 20 polls all season. That year, the Seniors (and 4 year starters), Jason Gatt, Mike Hasiuk, Duane Dyer, Sheldon Hilaire, Greg Mitchell and Dwight Findlay led the team and set a great example for younger stars Prior Jones, Jon Pratt, Jeremiah Hubbard and Ashley Bennett to follow.

While the 1994 graduation took many of the team’s leaders, a new recruiting class opened a promising 1994 fall season. The international flair of D & E soccer was rekindled, with new players arriving from England and Canada. In addition to these foreign signings, the 1994 freshman class included players from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the first D & E soccer player from Elkins, Corey Wagner. In all, 13 new players arrived to play for the Senators.

I brought Mark Stollsteimer on board as my new assistant coach. I’m sure not even Stolli realized that this would be the start of his stay in Elkins. Of special note is that in the spring of 1995, the Senator squad traveled to Trinidad. We played 5 games and enjoyed some wonderful hospitality by the families of current and former D&E players. It was a once in a lifetime trip for many of the D & E players and a truly beneficial experience for all.

The Stollsteimer Years: 1997-2006
Mark Stollsteimer has been a mainstay on the Senator touchlines for more than eleven seasons (nine as head coach and two as an assistant to Bob Bigney (1991-96). A native of New Hyde Park, N.Y., "Stolli" is one of the most energetic and creative coaches in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).

During the 2006 season, Stolli lead the Scarlet and White to a final record of 8-7-3 and 3-2-2 in the WVIAC. The young Senators defeated WVIAC power Shepherd, 2-1, in front of a boisterious home crowd during Homecoming Weekend '06 and also defeated the University of Charleston.

In 2007, things turned around in a major way as an experienced Senator squad raced all the way to the WVIAC Conference Tournament Final after crushing their fellow WVIAC foe to win the 2007 regular season title for the first time since 1985. Stolli was named WVIAC Coach of the Year as the scarlet and white led the WVIAC with an 8-1 record and #1 seed in the conference tournament. D&E finished the season 17-5 and was ranked 5th in the regional poll.

Women's Soccer is Born! The Gregory F. Mitchell Years: 2000-2004
In May of 2000, Greg Mitchell was officially hired as the first coach of the Women’s Soccer Team at Davis & Elkins College. Mitchell (’95) was a standout goalkeeper and student leader during his time at D&E and fulfilled the duties of an Admissions Counselor and International Student Advisor while coaching.

During the summer Mitchell recruited student athletes for the institution’s inaugural Women’s Soccer Team. Despite the time limitation he was able to assemble a roster of fifteen student athletes and play a game schedule that deemed them an official NCAA Division II program. According to Mitchell, five players from that first year were dedicated and talented enough to become the base on which the program was built. They were: Amber Bowman, Jeanette Fauth, Alison Jones, Rachel Landfried and goalkeeper Emily Nalls, who was the first recruit to sign an NCAA National Letter of Intent.

Mitchell’s first team began its first season with a 5-0 win over fellow WVIAC conference newcomers WVU-Tech and completed their season with a record of 4-8, which was good for sixth place among the 8 WVIAC teams. Three players earned all-conference honors: 1st Team Alison Jones, 2nd Team Emily Nalls, and Honorable Mention Michelle Barr. Memorable moments that season included: a 1-1 (5-3 PK) loss in the WVIAC Conference Tournament to third seeded Concord (who defeated D&E, 6-0, during the regular season), and a 1-0 loss to West Virginia Wesleyan, who was the Conference and Regional Powerhouse at the time. The match against Wesleyan was played at home and the lone goal was scored in the 85th minute off of a mis-hit cross. That game led to a feature article on the front page of the October 11 edition of the Inter Mountain, with the headline “D&E not playing like a first year program.”

The article’s opening sentence read: “The Davis & Elkins Women’s Soccer Team is in its first year of existence but West Virginia conference teams may want to beware in the future”. The programs’ performance over the next three years would lend justice to this very statement.

The Lady Senators’ second season was bolstered by greater talent and depth thanks to a recruiting class of ten players that included: Adelina Abreu, Coqui Baez, Jacqueline Lutman, Carrie McKinney, Brandi Nicols, Kauren Nordstrom, Kim Peterson and Kasie Thomas.

Both Abreu and Peterson would suffer broken legs at the beginning of their freshman campaigns while McKinney had nagging injuries throughout the season. Despite the loss of these talented players, the team improved to 6-9-1, 3-4 in conference play and 5th place in the WVIAC standings for the year. Five players earned all conference recognition at the end of the season as Alison Jones and Jeanette Fauth were named to the 1st team All-Conference, freshmen Coqui Baez and Kasie Thomas were placed on the 2nd Team, and goalkeeper Emily Nalls earned WVIAC Honorable Mention.

The Lady Senators lost 2-1 in overtime in the WVIAC tournament to Salem International University but the gap between the teams was already closed significantly as the scores reflected.

The third season, 2002, proved to be Mitchell’s best team as it recorded its first winning record (5-4) in the conference. This pushed the Lady Senators to a 4th place finish and an overall record of 8-10. Seven players were named to the WVIAC All-Conference teams as sophomore Coqui Baez became the program’s first All-Region player and freshman Amanda Coates was named to the 2nd Team.

The team hosted and won its first WVIAC Conference Tournament game by defeating University of Charleston,1-0, to advance to the semi-final. Concord College proved too much for the valiant Lady Senators in the end and went onto win the WVIAC Championship despite the teams’ best efforts. Junior forward Alison Jones led the team in scoring and garnered 1st Team All-WVIAC honors for a third straight year. In addition she was also named D&E’s Female Athlete of the Year. Women’s Soccer made a clean sweep that year as Amber Bowman was honored as the D&E Female Academic Athlete of the Year by virtue of having the highest grade point average of all female athletes. She would later earn a graduate assistantship at the University of New Mexico.

In Mitchell’s final year, WVIAC pre-season polls stated that “Davis & Elkins could be the season’s surprise story”.

“We definitely had the potential to make it to the conference final that year but we expected to do so somewhat differently," said Mitchell.

"In the summer of 2003, we lost three of our all-conference returners including All-Region, 1st Team player Coqui Baez and Kasie Thomas and Amanda Coates, both of whom were named to the 2nd Team All-WVIAC team the season before. The loss of these key players saw the roster drop to sixteen and the women started to doubt themselves in what was anticipated by us to be the team's best year. To make matters worse, Kim Peterson broke her leg for the third time in as many years just seven games into the season. The team showed great heart and spirit with despite only having thirteen healthy players for the entire second half of the season. Mitchell recalls, "The women worked even harder as everyone elevated their game, even freshman Kara Dragan was forced to mature quickly as our starting left back.”

The Lady Senators rallied from a 1-9 record to finish 8-13 in 2003. This run was sparked by a 3-0 home shutout over WVIAC and Region powerhouse, Wheeling Jesuit University. Much of the team’s success was attributed to the stellar play of goalkeeper Emily Nalls who recorded six shutouts for the season and the return of Alison Jones and Adelina Abreu’s scoring abilities. One of the most memorable goals was a strong header by Abreu on the far post off a cross from reserve goalkeeper Amanda Chadwick who saw time as a field player that season.

After an unexpected 3-5 conference record and a disappointing 7th seed in the WVIAC Tournament, the team faced the difficult challenge of confronting two of the WVIAC’s top teams, Wheeling Jesuit University and Concord College, in order to advance to the Conference final.

“The run to the final was incredible. We defeated Wheeling Jesuit for a second time on their home ground to win, 2-1, in double overtime.”

WVIAC statistics indicate that West Virginia Wesleyan is the only other team in the history of the conference to accomplish this. Next, the Lady Senators traveled to defending tournament champions, Concord College, and shut them out, 2-0. This marked the team’s first victory over Concord and set up a Conference Final against the undefeated Lady Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan.

“The game wasn’t the prettiest on a very heavy wet and muddy field. The girls fought valiantly but weary legs got the better of them in the end. The lone goal of the match came late in the second half off a deflection from a shot struck just outside the eighteen yard box after a weak clearance. What a way for the seniors to leave though, playing in front a crowd of 275 people with a great student support rally organized by Athletic Director Ralph Hill."

It was the first time in sixteen years (since 1987) that any athletic team from D&E competed in a WVIAC Conference Final. The women earned the respect of their opponents in the conference and for their efforts the team was awarded the Campus Impact Award from the Office of Student Life.

Nine players garnered All-Conference honors as Alison Jones became the first player in D&E Women’s Soccer History to earn 1st Team All-Conference honors for all four years of her career. In addition, Jones was also honored as the D&E Female Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Jeanette Fauth was also appointed to the WVIAC’s All-Conference 1st Team for the second time in her career while Adelina Abreu, Jacqueline Lutman, Jessica Motes,Emily Nalls and Kauren Nordstrom were named to the WVIAC's 2nd Team. Rachel Landfried and Katie Neeley were WVIAC Honorable Mention selections as well.

At the end of the 2003-2004 academic year, all four of the team’s graduating seniors, the programs first recruiting class, matriculated with a median grade point averages of 3.51. An overall team grade point average of a 3.2 was established in the programs first semester and increased every year to a cumulative average team GPA of 3.56 by Mitchell’s fourth year.

“The women were more than just soccer players - they were also leaders on campus as six of the women served as resident assistants. They represented the program and the college with integrity and pride and I was extremely proud of them. This season marked my last at D&E as I realized a passion for coaching and being a mentor to these women was my most rewarding experience at the college.”

Mitchell recants his trials and tribulations as a student, player, coach and alumnus at his alma mater, “Elkins was my home since I came to the United States in 1991 to play for D&E,” said Mitchell.

“I made the decision after consulting my fiancee but was torn asunder by it.”

Mitchell resigned at the end of the spring semester but continued to recruit new student athletes in order to ensure that the program and the returning players would be left in a positive situation.

Mitchell’s freshman class, Danielle Anderson, Jessica Batten, Laura Bonzer, Valerie Coleman, Alicia Danaher, Alexis Hammond, Katie MacGregor, Adrianne Mendez and Myra Ramirez were shocked by the news but enrolled as promised for the fall 2004 season.

They would join ten returners which included five All-Conference players, leaving the program with a minimum roster of nineteen. Mitchell stayed in contact with his players out of genuine concern for them and the transition that they would need to make in order to welcome Mat Santoro to the position.

The Santoro Years: 2004-2007
For Mat Santoro, his first season at the helm was one to build on and learn from. Santoro is quick to credit seniors Jackie Lutman, Kauren Nordstrom, Katie Neeley, and Kim Peterson for their leadership and assistance during his inaugural season. Despite the odds, the D&E Women’s Soccer Team played with confidence and spirit despite the impact of multiple injuries to some of its key personnel. Santoro's team endured nine, 1-goal losses and saw junior forward Adelina Abreu’s season come to a premature end when she suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the campaign.
Despite the odds, the Lady Senators persevered with some of its best performances at the end of the season. Abreu, Jessica Motes, and Kim Peterson received WVIAC All-Conference recognition for their outstanding performance on the pitch.

“Their commitment and service to Davis & Elkins Women’s soccer is impeccable”, said Santoro. “It was evident from the start that these are all great kids and the success that the program had in its short history helped lay a foundation for the future.”

According to Santoro, the fall 2005 season was one to remember for D&E Women’s soccer. The team finished 9-9 overall and 5-3 in the WVIAC. Seven players (Adelina Abreu, Katie MacGregor, Kate McArthur, Jessica Motes, Brandi Nichols, Kay Stover, and Lisa Cancglin) received All-WVIAC Conference honors, and McArthur, an Elkins (WV) High School and AYSO native, was recognized as the 2005 WVIAC Rookie of the Year. Senior goalkeeper Amanda Chadwick had a stellar campaign with nine wins and six shutouts. The seniors will be tough to replace and Santoro feels privileged to have coached them for the past two years.

The 2006 season was a difficult campaign for the Lady Senators as they finished fifth in the conference behind West Virginia Wesleyan with a 3-4 league record. The team managed five wins on the season and was led by midfielder Danielle Anderson, defender Emilie Humes and forward Katie McArthur.

2007 marked the Lady Senators return to the top of the WVIAC in several seasons as the team finished with a school-record 11 wins on the season. Freshman sensation, Cole Dant, led the Conference and Region with 29 goals and was honored as Player of The Week on September 24th and as the WVIAC Freshman of the Year. She would later be elected to the NSCAA All-America Third Team for her remarkable goal scoring prowise throughout the year. D&E would finish third in the Conference behind the play of Dant, goalkeeper Jackie Krum, midfielder Danielle Anderson, forward Katie McArthur and senior defenders Katie MacGregor and Rachel Moore, respectively. Head Coach Mat Santoro resigned at the end of the season to become an Assistant Coach at the University of Memphis. Assistant Coach Raul Ovalle was promoted to Head Coach in February 2008 and added Amanda Chadwick, '06, as his First Assistant for the 2008 fall campaign.

The Ovalle Era: 2008
Coming soon! Good luck Lady Senators!