Princeton University Athletics
Women's Soccer Coaching Register & Facts
Through 2025Â season
First Game:Â Sept. 20, 1980Â (at Cornell)
All-Time Record:Â 434-253-64Â (.621)
Head Coaching Register:
| Â W | Â L | Â T | Â Pct. | |
| Bob Malekoff (1980-84) | Â 52 | 18 | Â 5 | .727 |
| Tom Griffith (1985-89) | Â 36 | 29 | Â 8 | .548 |
| April Heinrichs (1990) | Â 8 | Â 6 | Â 1 | .567 |
| Moira Buckley (1991-93) | Â 15 | 28 | Â 2 | .356 |
| Dodie Colavecchio (1994) | Â 5 | 10 | Â 0 | .333 |
| Julie Shackford (1995-2014) | 203 | 115 | 29 | .627 |
| Sean Driscoll (2015-pres.) | 115 | 47 | 19 | .688 |
Ivy League Championships (12):Â 1982, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2024, 2025
Ivy League Players of the Year (14):Â Lynette Prescott (1982), Dodie Colavecchio (1985), Heather Deerin (2001), Esmeralda Negron (2003, 2004), Emily Behncke (2005), Diana Matheson (2007), Jen Hoy (2012), Tyler Lussi (2014, offensive, 2015, offensive), Vanessa Gregoire (2017, offensive), Mimi Asom (2018, offensive), Pietra Tordin (2024, offensive), Drew Coomans (2025, defensive)
Ivy League Rookie of the Year (6):Â Linda DeBoer (1982), Emily Behncke (2002), Diana Matheson (2004), Alison Nabatoff (2009), Mimi Asom (2015), Pietra Tordin (2022).
Ivy League Coach/Coaching Staff of the Year (4): Sean Driscoll (2015, 2017, 2018), Princeton (2024)
Quick Facts:
• Women’s soccer was introduced as a club sport in 1977 and was elevated to full varsity status for the 1980 season.
• Princeton appeared in six straight NCAA championship brackets from 1999-2004 and won four of five Ivy League titles from 2000-04. Princeton returned to the Ivy title and the NCAA tournament in 2008 and again in 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2024, and earned at-large NCAA berths in 2021 and 2023.
• Princeton won its first outright Ivy League championship in 2002 before the Tigers fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Penn State, who advanced to the Final Four. The team added six other outright Ivy titles, in 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2024 and 2025.
• In 1999, Princeton made an NCAA tournament appearance for the first time since 1983. The Tigers received an at-large bid and traveled to Hartford for the opening round. Princeton fell 2-1 to Hawks, who went on to defeat defending national champion Florida in the second round and Virginia in the third round. The 1999 campaign also marked the first 12-win season in 10 years and a 4-win league season since 1982. Â
• The 2000 season marked Princeton's second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers earned an automatic bid after winning the Ivy League Championship for the first time since the League's formation in 1982. The Tigers traveled to Wisconsin where they earned their fifth and final loss of the season in double sudden death overtime by a score of 1-0. Princeton's 13 wins in 2000 tied the 1981 team for the second-most victories in a season and set a new school record for most shutouts with 13. Princeton's record number of 13 also placed them first in the nation with a shutout percentage of .722 and sixth in the nation with a goals against average of .325.
• Princeton made its third of six consecutive NCAA appearances in 2001. The Tigers defeated Loyola 3-1, for Princeton's first first-round victory since 1982. Princeton lost to Rutgers 1-0 in the second round. The Tigers' 14 wins in the 2001 season tied the record for most wins in a season. Princeton fell again in the first round in 2002 and 2003, its fourth and fifth straight NCAA appearances, to Penn State and Villanova, respectively.
• The team has participated in two EAIAW tournaments (1980, 1981), 16 NCAA tournaments (1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024) and one ECAC tournament (1995). Prior to 2001, the 1982 team was the most successful in postseason play, advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing to North Carolina.
• Tigers have earned All-America status 17 times: Kelly O’Dell ’84 (1980), Nnena Odim ’83 (1980), Lynette Prescott ’85 (1982, '83, '84), Linda DeBoer ’86 (1983, '85), Sue Roche ’90 (1989), Kathy Kobler ’91 (1990), Esmeralda Negron (2004), Diana Matheson (2004), Jen Hoy (2012), Tyler Lussi (2015, '16), Vanessa Gregoire '18 (2017).
• 1994 head coach Dodie Colavecchio was a four time All-Ivy selection during her tenure as the Tigers' goalkeeper from 1984-87. She was Ivy Co-Player of the year in 1985 whe she posted nine shutouts and holds two Ivy and school records (most saves in a game - 23 and in a career - 237). In 1998 Colavecchio was named to the Ivy League women's soccer Silver Anniversary team.
• Princeton has had three four-time First-Team All-Ivy selections in its history: Lynette Prescott (1981-84), Heather Deerin (1999-2002) and Diana Matheson (2004-07). Princeton's three-time First-Team All-Ivy honorees include Kelly O'Dell (1981-83), Linda DeBoer (1982-83, 85), Danielle Schultz (1983-85), Esmeralda Negron (2002-04) and Emily Behncke (2003-05).
• From 2001-05, Princeton had four of the five Ivy League Players of the Year in Heather Deerin (2001), Esmeralda Negron (2003-04) and Emily Behncke (2005). Princeton again had a four-in-five run from 2014-18 in Tyler Lussi (2014, '15), Vanessa Gregore (2017) and Mimi Asom (2018).
• Princeton had 14 straight non-losing seasons from 1997-2010.
• The 2004 team advanced to the NCAA Final Four and set a new team record for wins with 19. The Tigers had the first four games of the NCAA Tournament at home, topping Central Connecticut State, Villanova, Boston College and Washington before falling to UCLA in the national semifinal. Esmeralda Negron set season and career records for goals (20 season, 47 career) and points (52 season, 112 career). The team also broke an Ivy League record for goals in a league season with 24, allowing only three. The squad ranked first in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 11 goals in 22 games, and broke the school record for goals in a season with 58. A Princeton-record 2,504 fans came to see the Tigers top Washington in the national quarterfinal.
• The 2012 team made the 10th NCAA tournament appearance in program history and, for the first time, won an NCAA tournament game away from the Princeton campus when it defeated West Virginia 2-1 in the first round.
• The 2015 team became the second Princeton team in four years to win an NCAA first-round game, defeating Boston College 4-2 in the first NCAA tournament game to be played at Roberts Stadium. The Tigers did it again in the next NCAA game held at Roberts in 2017, defeating Monmouth 4-0, and again in 2021, defeating Vermont at Class of 1952 Stadium.
• The 2017 team made it three consecutive NCAA first-round wins and made the NCAA quarterfinals for the second time in the 64-team era, following the Monmouth win with a weekend sweep of No. 21 North Carolina State and No. 2 North Carolina before its season ended in the quarterfinals at No. 4 UCLA.
• The current incarnation of the Ivy League Tournament began in 2023. Princeton made the semifinals of that tournament and then hosted and won the tournament in 2024, becoming the first host in the current incarnation of the tournament to win the event. The team hosted the tournament again in 2025, making the final.