AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific head coach Phil Wolf was named the 2007 Brine-NAIA Men’s Soccer National Coach of the Year today at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Annual Convention in Baltimore.
“I am honored to receive this award, because it is voted on by the coaches of the NAIA,” said Wolf. “It’s an honor to be recognized by them, and this award is a testament to the hard work of my assistant coaches and my players. In keeping with our team’s motto, I accept this award for my God, my team and myself.”
Wolf guided the Cougars to the program’s first-ever national title with a 2-0 win over Concordia on Nov. 20, 2007, and Azusa Pacific finished with a 20-1-1 overall record. The Cougars claimed their third Golden State Athletic Conference title during Wolf’s 7 years at the helm, completing the program’s first-ever unbeaten regular season at 16-0-1.
“Phil represents this institution not only for his success on the field, but for who he is and how he handles his team,” said Azusa Pacific Athletics Director Bill Odell. “I think it’s a great honor and I am very proud of him.”
The 2-time (2001 & 2007) GSAC Coach of the Year picked up his 100th career win, a 2-0 win over Biola on Oct. 13, 2007, in the midst of a program record-tying 14-game winning streak to open the season. Azusa PAcific was ranked in the top 5 in all NAIA Top 25 coaches’ polls this season, including the No. 1 spot in the rankings heading into the national tournament.
After suffering a 2-1 defeat to Westmont in the opening round of the NAIA Region II Playoffs, Azusa Pacific still earned the No. 1 seed at the NAIA Tournament, and the Cougars became the first top seed to win the national title since Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) did the same in 2001. After posting a 3-1 win over MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) to begin its title run, Azusa Pacific overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with 3 second-half goals to post a 3-1 win over Fresno Pacific, the first of 2 conference rivals in its path to the national crown. Following a 1-0 win over Simon Fraser (B.C.) in the semifinals, the Cougars out-shot Concordia by a 28-4 margin in the 2-0 title-game victory on a cold, windy night in Olathe, Kan., to secure its place in NAIA men’s soccer history.
Three of Wolf’s players earned All-Tournament recognition, with senior forward Steven Lenhart also picking up Tournament MVP and Outstanding Offensive Player. Lenhart was also named NAIA All-American first team, joined in the national honors by NAIA All-American honorable mentions Sven Simon, Brnadon Stirm and Eric Winblad.
The 2007 Cougars posted the best winning percentage (.932) in program history and set single-season marks for shutouts (14) and goals against average (0.49). Azusa Pacific also tied the program’s single-season wins record (20).
In Wolf’s fourth season (2004), Azusa Pacific won its first NAIA Tournament game in program history, setting the stage for the first of 3 straight national title game appearances.
