Over twelve seasons, Leigh Sears < sears@hope.edu > has become Hope's winningest women's soccer coach. She has guided the Flying Dutch to two conference (MIAA) championships and appearances in the NCAA playoffs. In 12 seasons, coach Sears has compiled a 127-90-15 record. The 2012 Flying Dutch tied for second place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Unbeaten on their home field (8-0-1), the Flying Dutch posted a 14-6-2 overall record. As a collegian, she was a three-sport standout at Ohio Wesleyan University. She was an all-conference player in the North Coast Athletic Conference in three sports -- soccer, basketball and track. In her senior year in soccer, she was voted the Ohio and conference player of the year and achieved All-America recognition as a midfielder. In 1998 she was inducted into the Ohio Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame. After receiving her bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan, she earned the masters of science degree from Ithaca College (N.Y.) and in 2007 was awarded the Ph.D. degree from The Ohio State University. Prior to coming to Hope, Sears was the women's soccer coach at Marietta College (Ohio) (1994-99). In addition to her teaching and coaching responsibilities at Marietta, she was faculty advisor to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She has served a chief clinician for women at the Ohio High School Soccer Coaches Association and has been a member of the NCAA Division III Great Lakes region women's soccer advisory committee. She has been a director and clinician at numerous soccer and basketball camps. A member of the kinesiology faculty, she holds the rank of associate professor. Hope Under Coach Sears Year Overall MIAA Place NCAA 2000 5-11-1 5-8-1 5th ------ 2001 7-11-1 4-9-1 5th (tie) ------ 2002 12-7-1 11-2-1 2nd ------ 2003 Academic leave       2004 13-5-2 11-1-2 1st 0-1 2005 18-2-1 15-1-0 1st-tie 0-0 (lost in shootout) 2006 9-8-2 6-4-1 2nd ------ 2007 10-8-1 6-3-1 3rd-tie ------ 2008 13-6-0 7-3-0 3rd ------ 2009 8-9-1 4-3-1 5th ------ 2010 6-9-3 2-4-2 7th ------ 2011 12-8-0 10-6-0 4th-tie ------ 2012 14-6-2 10-4-2 2nd-tie ------ Hope Women's Soccer Coaching Records Coach Seasons W-L-T Pct. Best in MIAA Stein Slette 5 (1989, 93-96) 47-29-8 .607 2nd (1993) Bob Holwerda 1 (1990) 8-5-1 .607 3rd (1990) Allan Allsup 2 (1991-92) 19-12-2 .606 3rd (1991) Paul Rosenbrook 3 (1997-99) 34-20-0 .630 3rd (1997 & 1998) Lindsey Engelsman 1 (2003) 16-4-2 .786 1st (2003) Leigh Sears 12 (2000-02, 04-12) 127-90-15 .599 1st (2004 & 2005)           All-time 23 251-160-28 .624 1st (2003-04-05)