Lewis Named AMC Coach
of the Year
By Bethany Kowalczyk
Houghton,
N.Y.— The American Mideast Conference (AMC) North Division has named
David Lewis, head coach of the Houghton College team, as its Coach of the
Year in women’s soccer. It is the ninth time that Lewis has been
Conference/Divisional Coach of the Year.
Despite fielding only two returning starters from last year’s National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Elite Eight team, Lewis led
this year’s team to a 7-0-0 conference record. The Highlanders started the
season 0-1-1, but continued to improve under his leadership to an 11-2-2
record, capturing the AMC North Division title. The division title propelled
the team into the NAIA’s Region IX Final Four for the 15th consecutive time,
where they knocked off two nationally ranked teams and won the regional
championship.
Though he is a well recognized within the NAIA for such success, he is
better known by his players for his character as he pushes each one to
strive for excellence on and off the field. At every Houghton soccer camp,
to each recruit and at the start of every season he expresses the importance
of integrating good soccer with good character. “Some programs emphasize
quality soccer, but at the expense of their Christian faith. Others
demonstrate a passionate faith, but they don’t play very attractive soccer.
I believe the two can be combined,” Lewis says.
Freshmen midfielder Lauren Haggerty says “I can’t think of a coach that
would be more deserving,” adding that “he is a coach that not only cares
about his players on the soccer field but off as well.”
Kim Gehl, a graduate of Genesee Valley Central School in Belmont, N.Y., who
played four years for Lewis, said “I really have a sense of appreciation for
him now looking back and seeing everything that he has done for all of us
and all that he has put into the team and program.”
Lewis and the Highlanders will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., for their
fifth consecutive appearance at the NAIA national tournament, November
14-20.
Bethany Kowalczyk is a senior forward for the Highlanders women’s soccer
team. She has spent this season on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Houghton College
has deep
and
solid
roots in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, where our
teams use their commitment to excellence, both on the field-of-play
and
in the classroom, as a platform for their strong and
unique emphasis on Sports Ministry. Their goal is to make a difference
for the Kingdom
on campus, in Allegany County,
in the Northeast and
around
the world.
Houghton is one of only 13 institutions who have been hand-selected
by the NAIA to serve as "Champions of Character" Program Centers, opening the door
for Houghton to be a leader,
both in the Northeast and
nationally, in character education.
Through hands-on,
innovative community outreach initiatives, Houghton coaches and
student-athletes
are working together to change the culture of sport and
to change our culture through sport.
