Wendy Dillinger
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wendy Marie Dillinger | ||
| Date of birth | December 9, 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | St. Charles, Missouri, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1997 | Indiana Hoosiers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2000 | Indiana Blaze | 43 | (19) |
| 1998 | Frederiksberg | 5 | (3) |
| 2001 | Atlanta Beat | 0 | (0) |
| 2004 | St. Louis Archers | 6 | (4) |
| Total | 61 | (29) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–2001 | Indiana Hoosiers (assistant) | ||
| 2002–2007 | Washington University Bears | ||
| 2008–2013 | Iowa State Cyclones | ||
| 2014–2019 | UMSL Tritons | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Wendy Dillinger (born December 9, 1974) is an American former professional soccer player and coach. She served as the head soccer coach at Washington University in St. Louis, Iowa State University, and the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and as an assistant at Indiana University.
Born in St. Charles, Missouri, to William and Dorothy Dillinger, Dillinger began her soccer career at age five playing in the backyard not long before she joined the CYC (Catholic Youth Council) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton team. From there she moved on to St. Cletus, Coke, Norco, Jamestown Stars and ended up with then national powerhouse JB Marine. She was a three-time Missouri State Cup Champion (once with Jamestown and twice with JB Marine) and in 1994 was named the Most Valuable Player of the U19 State Cup Final. In 1995, she won a silver medal with JB Marine in the U23 National Amateur Cup which was played in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Dillinger attended St. Charles West High School. She scored 100 career high school goals and led her team to the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Final Four in 1992. She was named All-GAC (Gateway Athletic Conference) four years straight and named St. Louis All-Metro in 1992 and 1993. As a senior, she was twice named St. Charles Journal Athlete of the Week and received the St. Charles West Scholar Athlete Award, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete Award and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1993 St. Louis North-South All-Star Game. Dillinger also earned All-Conference honors in softball and led her team to a basketball district championship her senior year.
College
Dillinger attended Indiana University from 1993–1997 (1996 redshirt) where she started 75 matches. She holds school career records for goals (37), assists (24), and points (98).[citation needed] She was a two-time first team All-Big Ten selection in 1994 and 1997. Dillinger also earned All-Region recognition in 1993 (All-Central), 1994 (All-Mid East) and 1997 (All-Great Lakes). Her 13 goals in 1993 mark the second-highest single-season total. She tallied eight assists in each of the 1993 and 1997 seasons, a mark that is tied for first in school history (Carrie Watts 1998). Her efforts make her the first player ever at Indiana to record three multi-goal games in one season. She also holds the school record with eight total multi-goal games. Dillinger, a biology major, received Academic All-Big Ten laurels in 1994–95.[1]
In 1993, women's soccer competed as a varsity sport for the first time in the history of Indiana University. Dillinger scored 13 goals for the Hoosiers, five of which were game winners and added eight assists on 61 shots. She led the Hoosiers in every offensive category. Only two Hoosiers have tallied three assists in a single game, Dillinger against Detroit on September 8, and Megan Pipkens in a 3–0 win over Oakland on September 30, 2004.[2] On October 31, Dillinger scored twice and Sheryl Mansberger added another goal as the women's soccer team beat UW-Green Bay, 3–1, to cap a nine-game winning streak and finish Indiana's first varsity season with a 12–6–0 record.[3]
In 1994, in the Big Ten's inaugural season and Indiana's first Big Ten match, Dillinger scored three against the Northwestern Wildcats on September 9, the first of only six Indiana hat tricks in program history.[2][4][5][6][7] On September 14, Dillinger scored two goals against Louisville in a span of 70 seconds to set a school record for quickest back-to-back goals.[citation needed]
In 1995, Dillinger was named Big Ten Player of the Week and to the Soccer America Team of the Week after a 1–0 win against Wisconsin on October 8 in which she scored the game-winning goal. Dillinger played in all 19 matches and scored four goals on 27 shots.[citation needed] In 1996, she was redshirted.[citation needed]
In 1997, Dillinger tied a school record with eight assists on top of nine goals. During the first weekend of play, she earned the Nike/Butler University Kick-off Classic Tournament Most Valuable Player.[citation needed] Dillinger's final career point came in the form of an assist in her final regular season match against Kentucky when she connected with Kris Fosdick in the 36th minute for the game winner.[8]
Professional
Indiana Blaze
Dillinger's senior career began with the W-League's Indiana Blaze in 1997 where she played through 2000. In 1997, Dillinger started nine games in which she recorded three goals and two assists. In 1998, she started the final two games of the season after returning from Denmark. Dillinger played a leading role in helping the Blaze win the Central Conference and advance to the W-2 Final Four in 2000 where they finished third overall. In July 1999, she was named to the W-League Team of the Week alongside Charmaine Hooper of the Chicago Cobras.[citation needed]
Fredericksburg Boldklub
In the summer of 1998, Dillinger headed to Europe to play professionally for Denmark's Fredericksburg Boldklub. She scored three goals and added three assists in five games to help Fredericksburg advance to the Elite Division.[citation needed]
Atlanta Beat
In February 2000, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was founded by John S. Hendricks. Dillinger was invited to the week-long combine held at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida December 5–9, 2000, during which 200 invitation-only players got the chance to participate in games and drills.[9] During this combine, Dillinger recorded the first official WUSA penalty kick.[citation needed] Dillinger was not selected in the initial draft; however, she did receive invitations to try out for the Atlanta Beat and Carolina Courage in February 2001. She attended the Beat's invitation-only tryout which took place on the campus of Emory University February 15–18 and consisted of 19 invitees from around the country. On February 19, the Atlanta Beat finalized their pre-season roster of 28 which included the addition of Dillinger along with Suzanne Eastman, Charry Korgel and Sarah Reading. March 1 marked the beginning of a month-long pre-season in which the 28-player roster trained at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Georgia Tech's campus.[10]
On March 28, 2001, the Atlanta Beat defeated the San Diego Spirit 2–0 and moved to 8–0–1 in pre-season play. Dillinger scored the first goal from the penalty spot.[11] By the end of pre-season, Dillinger led the Beat in scoring with four goals.[citation needed] On April 2 WUSA rosters were cut from 28 to 20 and the Atlanta Beat announced their final roster which included Dillinger as well as FIFA co-Player of the Century Sun Wen.[12] Three weeks following the Beat's season opener, Dillinger was released. Upon returning home, Dillinger underwent knee surgery. She was one of three Indiana Hoosiers to play during the inaugural WUSA season along with Tracy Grose, Carolina Courage and Kelly Wilson, Bay Area CyberRays.[13]
St. Louis Archers
In 2004, Dillinger concluded her playing career as player-coach for the W-League's St. Louis Archers. She tallied four goals and three assists in six games. Dillinger officially retired in April 2005 after a patellar realignment.[citation needed]