With Doug Hippler at the helm, the Washington University women’s soccer program made a name for itself as a perennial powerhouse. But as the saying goes, love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight. With the relationship between Hippler and WU severed this fall, someone new was needed to take the reins.
On December 14, WU announced that a replacement had been found and introduced Wendy Dillinger as the chosen one. In this new era of Bears’ soccer, this marks the first step in the effort to move the program in a new direction.
The Bears’ women’s soccer team made it to the NCAA final four in 1997. They made it to the national quarterfinals in 1998. Their successes slowed in 1999 and 2000, back-to-back 13 win seasons that for most teams would have been outstanding, but did not live up to expectations at Francis Field. Last year, the Bears continued the downward trend, winning only seven games en route to a .500 record (7-7-3).
The move will come as a homecoming of sorts for Dillinger, as she attended high school nearby at St. Charles West in St. Charles, Mo. Dillinger’s resum‚ includes an impressive playing career. In four seasons at Indiana University, she set 25 team records, including goals, assists, and points. She was a three-time all-Mideast region selection, three-time team captain, and a two-time all-Big Ten pick.
Following graduation, with a degree in biology in hand, Dillinger played one season for Fredericksburg of the professional soccer league of Denmark. She then played two seasons for the Indiana Blaze, a team in the semi-professional women’s league in Indianapolis, and continued on to play in the WUSA’s inaugural season, playing for the Atlanta Beat. She was the first Hoosier to play in the WUSA.
Dillinger also has an impressive, if limited, coaching resum‚. As the assistant coach at Indiana University for the past four seasons, she gained sideline experience with a top-notch team and helped guide the team to 36 wins over the four-year period. Also, the school recorded its first NCAA Tournament win in school history during Dillinger’s residency.
With numerous players returning for the lady Bears next fall, Dillinger will have plenty of kick in her lineup. With the remnants of one regime blending into the beginning of another, the women’s soccer team moves forward in attempt to return to national success.
Contact Jeff at [email protected]