Roeders Named C-USA Coach of the Decade, Gordon Co-Player of the Decade

ST. LOUIS -- In celebration of its tenth anniversary, Conference USA named its Women's Soccer All-Decade team today and the team featured a number of former Marquette stars and the current head coach of the Golden Eagles, Markus Roeders.

Roeders earned C-USA Women's Soccer Coach of the Decade honors as voted on by the coaches of the conference. Roeders led the Golden Eagles to three C-USA regular season titles (1996, 1997 and 2000) and two C-USA Tournament titles. Roeders has coached 42 All-Conference team members, three All-Americans and three C-USA Players of the Year. He has coached at Marquette since the 1996 season.

"This award is a tremendous honor for our program," said Roeders. "The credit has to go to the players that have been a part of the Marquette women's soccer family--Frank Pelaez and everybody associated with Marquette athletics--who have helped us excel on and off the field."

Former Marquette star Kate Gordon was named Conference USA Co-Player of the Decade along with Megan Burke of Saint Louis.

Gordon is second all-time in Conference USA in goals with 48 and second in points with 114. She was a three-time member of the All-C-USA First team and earned All- Freshman honors in 1999. She was also a member of two C-USA Tournament Champion teams, four NCAA Tournament teams and on a C-USA regular season champion team. Gordon was twice named a NSCAA Second Team All-American (2000, 2002).

Ironically, Gordon and Burke were roommates when they both played professionally for the Carolina Courage of the WUSA in 2003.

Also named to the All-Decade team was Kelly Roethe and Rhegan Hyppio. Roethe is the all-time leading scorer in C-USA history with 49 goals. She also has the most points in C-USA history--123. A four-time member of the All-C-USA First Team, Roethe was the most valuable player in 1997 and freshman of the year in 1996. Roethe was also a four-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Hyppio was a NSCAA First Team All-American in 2000--Marquette's first ever First Team All-American. She was also named C-USA's Most Valuable Defender in 1998. Hyppio joined the Golden Eagles for two trips to the NCAA Tournament and celebrated two C-USA regular season championships and two C-USA Tournament championships.

Gordon, Roethe and Hyppio all were recipients of the McCahill Award at Marquette--a post-graduate award honoring Marquette athletes who have achieved in competition, academics and in carrying out the mission of the Marquette University.

"Certainly Kate, Kelly and Rhegan are amongst the very best that have worn a Marquette uniform," added Roeders. "Not only did they excel on the field but also as leaders off the field and in the classroom. They are among the most unselfish players that we have ever had in the program.

For them not only to be recognized during their playing careers when they reached their pinnacle, but now with this all-decade honor is a tribute to how much they meant to us and to the conference."

Marquette will play Charlotte in the first round of the 2004 C-USA Tournament on Wednesday in St. Louis at 2:30 p.m.

Roeders Named C-USA Coach of the Decade, Gordon Co-Player of the Decade

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