(Portions of this story were taken from the Trinity University website)

SUWANEE, Ga. - The Trinity University women’s soccer team had something to prove entering the 2000 season, as it was the first time since 1992 that the Tigers didn’t enter the season as defending SCAC champions. By season’s end, the team would not only make Trinity history, but would show itself as a force to be reckoned with nationally.

The Tigers opened with two strong wins over Emory and UW-Stevens Point, then went to California for its first road trip. That weekend opened with a loss to NAIA school, Westmont College, but that would prove to be the last blemish on the regular season for the 2000 Tiger team.

After that was an 18-game unbeaten streak that took the team all the way to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in school history. No Tiger soccer team – men or women – had ever made it to the “Final Four” before that.

Trinity's breakthrough run to the national semifinals in 2000 is being recognized as the Top Moment in the history of SCAC women's soccer. Top 20 Moments homepage

In the postseason, Trinity faced off against future SCAC opponent Austin College and familiar foe Emory in the first two games.  The Tigers got an overtime goal from Maureen Trickey to get a 1-0 win over Austin, then squared off against Emory – the hosts of the regional round of the playoffs. 

After playing 150 minutes, the two teams could not break a 1-1 tie, so the decision was left to penalty kicks. Erica Adelstein and Lindsay Anderson both converted PKs for the Tigers, and Emory also had two scores as well. All-American Becky King drove home the decisive score to lift the Tigers into the quarterfinals.

King scored 22 total goals that year, which was the second-most in school history for a single season. That total pushed her career numbers to 52 goals scored, which became the new school record by a single goal over Jennifer Heselmeyer (1993-96).

Trinity hosted in the NCAA Quarterfinals against Willamette, and after two first-half goals by the Tigers, it looked like history would happen in San Antonio. History did happen, but not without some second-half help from goalkeeper Jill DiGiampaolo. She recorded six second-half saves, giving up one goal, but leading the Tigers to the victory. It was her second-straight game to record nine saves (she also did it in the crucial game against Emory), which was the third-highest single-game total in school history at the time.

In the NCAA Semifinals, Trinity faced perennial power The College of New Jersey – a two-time NCAA Champion that was also the runner-up in both 1996 and 1998.  The Tigers were undaunted in their first-ever trip to the semifinals, hanging with TCNJ through 90 scoreless minutes. 

Again it was the heroics of DiGiampaolo that led the way for the Tigers. She faced 34 shots through regulation, shattering the Trinity record with 24 saves in the game. For her efforts, DiGiampaolo was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for defense. 

It was the 35th shot of the day that proved to be decisive, though, as TCNJ finally got one past DiGiampaolo in the opening seconds of overtime, and went on to win the 2000 Championship over Tufts the next day.

Erica Adelstein and Melissa Dickey both earned spots alongside DiGiampaolo on the All-Tournament Team. King was also the SCAC Player of the Year that season, and later went on to become just the third Tiger women’s soccer player ever elected as an All-American.

Two others SCAC squads - the 2002 Trinity team and the 2003 DePauw University team - would go on to make their own Final Four runs but it was this 2000 team that set the standard for future teams, and it will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Trinity (and SCAC) women’s soccer teams ever.

Russell Kramer, the SCAC Director of Communications/New Media, had a chance to catch up with then Trinity head coach Greg Ashton as well as former Tiger All-American Becky King to reflect on the Tigers' magical 2000 season and the run to the national semifinals. Click here to list to the interview with Coach Ashton; to listen to the interview with Becky King, click here.

To view the complete list of SCAC Women's Soccer Top Moments, click here.

Throughout the 2010-2011 academic year, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference will celebrate its 20th anniversary. A special logo commemorating the occasion will be used and the league office will also be releasing the Top 20 moments for each sport the conference sponsors (excluding men's and women's lacrosse).