Ask most players on the 1992 Mary Washington College women's soccer team what a "gut check" is, and their response will likely include the Oct. 17 game at perennial South Region power Methodist in Fayetteville, NC. The Eagles had just lost, 2-0, at top-ranked (South Region) N.C. Wesleyan in their previous game to fall to 7-5-1, a record not indicative of a team coming off a #1 regional ranking and three straight NCAA Tournament trips.

But after a Monarch goal early into the first half, MWC forward Becky Miller (Jr./Alexandria, VA) issued a wake-up call which would eventually alarm nine straight opponents en route to an NCAA semifinal finish some six weeks later. Miller's booming shot just before halftime tied the Methodist game (an eventual 3-1 victory by MWC) and provided the spark for a school-record nine-game winning streak, a second consecutive Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) crown and a fourth straight national berth.

Miller would eventually lead the team in goals with 12, including game-winners in 1-0 wins over N.C. Wesleyan and Denison in the NCAA tourney.

"The loss at N.C. Wesleyan was a big lesson for us," said head coach Kurt Glaeser. "But we came back against Methodist ready to play, and that game was a springboard to our success." In its winning streak, MWC outscored its opponents, 25-2, including an emphatic 3-0 win over eventual ODAC champion Randolph-Macon and resounding wins over Marymount (5-0) and Catholic (7-1) in the CAC Toumament.

The Eagle ascension continued with the opening-round win at #5 N.C. Wesleyan. Midfielder Mary Beth Leightley (So./Fairfax, VA) scored in the closing minutes to give MWC a win over host Wooster, and Miller connected in the final sudden-death overtime (also at Wooster) in the quarterfinal win over #7 Denison. Goalkeeper Amy Wilvert (So./ Springfield, VA) registered three of her 10 shutouts in NCAA play to anchor a strong defensive effort.

MWC's dream run ended with a 1-0 overtime loss to upstart Massachusetts-Dartmouth in the semifinals held at MWC, the first nationalchampionship event ever held on campus. Still, the achievement ranks as one of the great accomplishments in the school's rich athletic tradition.