CLEVELAND, Miss. – The 2024 season marks two decades of soccer at Delta State University, and fans are sure to get a kick out of season 20.
 
Introduced in 2004, Head Coach Jim Allen led both men's and women's teams from the programs' inception until 2010. The winningest coach in women's history with 30 career wins, Allen was succeeded by Paul Babba who took over the women's program from 2011-2015. The next two coaches, Luke Sheeky (2016-19) and Mark Hiller (2020-2022) amassed 25 and 26 career wins, respectively. Allen's 2008 and Hiller's 2022 teams each put up 10-win seasons, the most in program history.
 
Nick Glaser coached the Statesmen in 2013 before Andy Robertson, the longest-tenured coach in program history, took over. Serving as the head coach from 2014-22, Robertson accumulated 38 wins. In 2023, former Statesman Austin Jackman returned to lead his former team. As a first-year head coach, Jackman led the Green-and-White to an 8-win season and the team's first Gulf South Conference Tournament appearance in over a decade, making it all the way to the conference championship.
 
Several Lady Statesmen left their marks on the program. The program's lone All-Gulf South Conference First Team selection was Bridget Duke in 2007. Second team honorees are Duke (2006), Melissa Webber and Ashley Cechovsky in 2008, Payten Pearson (2012), Lauren May and Tabitha Holden in 2013, Rainey Niles, Nicola Hauk, and Jennifer Lopez in 2021, and Niles in 2022.
 
Several names are atop the statistics categories, cementing their names in Delta State's record book:

• Catherine Sanford (2006-07): career goals (19)
• Holden (2013-16): career assists (12)
• Laura Swanson (2005-08): games played (75) and games started (73)
• Kelsey Elling (2011-13): career saves (212)
• Cechovsky (2008) and Sanford: season goals (11)
• Elling (2012): season saves (122)

 
The complete record book can be found here.
 
The 2012 men's soccer squad secured many GSC awards, including Freshman and Player of the Year Caue Da Silva and Coach of the Year Matt Watts. All-GSC First Team selections included Da Silva and Steven Simmons, while Daniel Deblaere, Sebastian Ridout, and Amine Rahmani secured second team recognition.
 
Record holders for Statesmen soccer include:
 

• David Hortsman (2006-09): career goals (32)
• Deblaere (2011-14): career assists (14)
• Ricardo Callendar (2005-08): games played (71)
• Evan Griffin (2005-07): career saves (266)
• Da Silva (2012): season goals (16)
• Griffin (2005): season saves (127)

 
The complete record book and list of award recipients can be found here.
 
The 20^th season of Statesmen and Lady Statesmen soccer is sure to entertain fans. Both squads will open the season on Thursday, Sept. 5 at Delta Field in Cleveland. The women host Clayton State at 1:30 p.m., while the men host St. Edward's University at 4 p.m.