Reunion for Soccer Alumni Set for Sept. 10-12

For more information about the Sept. 10-12 soccer reunion weekend, contact Pooler at poolerw@lindsey.edu or (270) 384-8070.

The 1996 Pine Cone, the former LWC yearbook, celebrates the men's soccer program's
first NAIA national title, won in 1995 in Mobile, Ala.

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Lindsey Wilson College will celebrate more than two decades of soccer heritage on Sept. 10-12 with an alumni weekend for all former men's and women's soccer players.

The events kick off at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 10, with an LWC-Auburn (Ala.) University Montgomery women's-men's doubleheader at Walter S. Reuling Stadium. The women play at 5:30 p.m. CT, followed by the men's match. All returning LWC soccer alumni and family members will be recognized at the games. Friday's games will be followed by a reception at the Emily Hundley President's Home.

Saturday's events will include tours of the A.P. White Campus, lunch at the Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center and tickets to the Southern Virginia University football game at Blue Raider Stadium.

Saturday evening will feature a women's reunion game at 5 p.m. CT, followed by a men's reunion game at 6 p.m. CT, both of which will be played at Reuling Stadium. The evening will a conclude with a special reception.

The events wrap up on Sunday with a brunch in Cranmer Dining & Conference Center.

More than 21 years ago, Lindsey Wilson's soccer program was born in the most humble of circumstances. The men's program started in 1990, the women's program debuted two years later.

The first teams played behind Horton Hall on a makeshift soccer field that caused the ball to take more wild bounces than a rollercoaster. In its inaugural season, the men's program didn't have enough money for warm-up gear, so the players wore special t-shirts that consumed more than 30 percent of the team's budget.

Today, Lindsey Wilson soccer is the gold standard for collegiate soccer throughout Kentucky and in the United States. The men's program has won eight NAIA national championships, and the women's program has won two NAIA national titles.

During its 20 full seasons of competition plus the first game of 2010, the men's program has posted an overall record of 387-63-21, all under the leadership of coach Ray Wells.

Wells' teams have reached the NAIA National Tournament 17 times, including appearances in the NAIA National Championship game eight of the past 14 seasons, where the Blue Raiders have never lost. The Blue Raiders' record in the NAIA National Tournament is 40-9-4. The 40 NAIA National Tournament wins is one shy of the all-time record held by Quincy (Ill.) University for the most at the national tournament.

After building a solid foundation in its first eight seasons, the LWC women's soccer program took off in 2000 under the leadership of Willis Pooler. In his three years, Pooler guided the Blue Raiders to a 57-13-2 record, including the program's first appearance in the NAIA Women's Soccer National Semifinals.

After ascending to the role of LWC athletics director, Pooler was succeeded in 2003 by current coach Drew Burwash. Through one game into his eighth season, Burwash has amassed a 142-17-12 record, including a 35-0-1 conference regular-season record. Overall, the women's soccer program has a 403-298 record.

To Register ...
Click here to register for the Sept. 10-12 soccer alumni reunion weekend. For more information, contact Traci Pooler at poolert@lindsey.edu or (270) 384-8070.