Carroll University's Cody Callender broke open a 1-1 tie 11 minutes into the second half and the Pioneers capitalized on one-player down advantage over St. Norbert to take the MWC Tournament crown 4-2 and earn the league's Automatic Bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Carroll, the 2007 MWC Champion and NCAA Qualifier, will learn of their first round opponent and location no later than Monday morning, November 10.

Click for larger picture

To say that Grinnell has had Carroll’s number in Midwest Conference Women’s Soccer of late is a bit of an understatement. From 2003-2006, Grinnell posted a 7-1 record against Carroll, including four straight MWC Tournament wins that ended Carroll’s subsequent seasons. Jason Bretzmann’s (right) Lady Pioneers ended that streak a year ago, downing Grinnell twice en route to the school’s third league title and third conference tournament crown overall. Overcoming the Grinnell hurdle has presented Carroll with a new number, one, as the Lady Pioneers are the favorite to repeat as league champs in the 2008 MWC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll.

Carroll received seven of nine possible first-place votes in the poll, while Grinnell received a pair of first-place nods to finish second. Lake Forest, who fell to Carroll in the MWC tourney finals last season, had the final first-place vote cast in its direction en route to a third-place projection, ahead of fourth-place St. Norbert and fifth-place Monmouth. Lawrence and Beloit followed in sixth and seventh, respectively, leaving Ripon, Knox and Illinois College to round out the poll’s final three spots in order.

Click here for complete release

After doubling the size of the men’s soccer roster at Illinois College over the past three seasons, head coach Shane Taylor (right) will take on additional duties this fall as head coach of the women’s soccer team.

In announcing the dual appointment, Illinois College Athletic Director Gale Vaughn said Taylor’s enthusiasm for the sport, coupled with his successful recruiting efforts, made him the clear choice for the job.

Under Taylor’s guidance the Blueboy men’s soccer team added 12 new freshmen in 2007 and 13 more in 2006. There were 14 players on the roster when he inherited the program prior to the start of the 2005 season, and he completed the 2007 campaign with a 29-member roster.

The IC soccer coach earned the B.A. degree in organizational management at Ashford University and played soccer at the semi pro level in Las Vegas after completing his intercollegiate career at Bethany ( Kan.) College and East Stroudsburg ( Pa.) University.

Click here for complete release

Grinnell women’s soccer coach Heather Benning (right) has been named the new women’s chair of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Committee.

Benning served as the Central Region chair since 2006 and prior to that was on the Regional Advisory Committee from 2001-04. She takes the place of Jeff Parker of Stevens Institute of Technology, who has rotated off the committee.

Benning has been the Pioneers’ head coach for 10 seasons. Under her direction, Grinnell has compiled a 112-49-10 record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 1999, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Benning holds a 67-14-5 mark in Midwest Conference play, while guiding the Pioneers to four MWC titles (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2006).