Rochester, Mn-
After nearly 20 years leading the women's soccer program at Rochester Community & Technical College, head coach Deb Hare has stepped down to pursue other professional interests.
Coach Hare has been named the NJCAA Region XIII Coach-of-the-Year thirteen times and entered the 2017 fall season as the winningest active women's soccer coach at the NJCAA Division III level and is found in the top six most successful two-year coaches across all three NJCAA Divisions. Hare was tasked with starting the program in 1998 and has posted a 210-103-14 record over that span.
RCTC Athletic Director Mike Lester said- "Deb has been a fixture of RCTC athletics for the past two decades. She has been an amazing coach and mentor for countless young women over the years and will be missed within our department and a t the College." Lester went on to note, "The impact Coach Hare has had on the lives of the women she has coached cannot be measured purely in wins and losses but a program that averaged over 10 wins per season is extraordinary. We wish her the best of luck as she moves on from RCTC. She will always be a part of the Rochester Community and Technical College family."
As the only head coach in the history of the program, Hare patrolled the sidelines for 19 seasons for the Yellowjackets. Some team highlights include the several NJCAA All-Americans who suited up for RCTC in her tenure, including Megan Gaffney, Taige Thoreson, Beth O'Brien, Kayla Fitzsimmons, Sarah Snyder, Kaylie Ericksonand, Kirsten Goeringer, all of whom achieved All-America status in their careers. Mallory Gehrking was the first Yellowjacket to be tabbed All-American in 2003.
Hare's 2011 Rochester team tallied 76 total goals in their fall campaign, while Sarah Snyder collected 16 assists in 2007 to lead the program in that category. In 2010, RCTC went 16-5 and followed up that effort with a 17-7 season in 2011. Emily Mohr patrolled the pipes in that era for Rochester and Coach Hare, and the goalkeeper set a high standard with 13 shutouts in 21 contests in 2010.
Prior to starting the women's soccer team at RCTC, Hare served as an assistant for two season's at Winona State University. As a student-athlete, Hare played goalkeeper at High Point (NC) University for three seasons and concluded her career at Winona State.
Rochester concluded the 2017 season with a 4-8-2 overall record and notched a notable victory over Lake Superior College in the first round of the NJCAA Region XIII tournament, scoring in sudden-victory overtime to earn a trip to the Region XIII final, where they fell to Anoka-Ramsey Community College. From 1999 to 2013, RCTC won the Region XIII championship each season.
RCTC has posted the position and will conduct a search for the next head coach with the goal of naming a successor this winter. Questions regarding RCTC women's soccer can be directed to Mike Lester, Athletic Director; Mike.Lester@rctc.edu
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The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.