Women's Semifinal 2 Preview

Washington U.: 

Jim Conlon, 9th year (2008-2016), 150-33-15 (.795) [career w/ 2 women's teams: 245-90-19 (.719) / career men's record: 108-48-10 (.681)]

NCAA's (9 of 9 yrs.): 21-7-6 (.706) | 3rd Final Four | Runner-up ('09,'15), Elite 8 ('11,'12,'13)

In 2008, Conlon took over a successful program that had won the UAA title and participated in the NCAA tournament in four of the previous five seasons, having reached the Elite 8 once and Sweet 16 twice in the previous three years. But Conlon met the challenge of taking the program to the next level by reaching the national title game in his second season following a Sweet 16 run. Elite 8 finishes would follow in years four and five and another Sweet 16 in 2013 before last year’s run to the title game once again. Including this year, he also has six UAA titles to his name. Before coming to Washington U., the Loras graduate and player had quite a different task as men's and women's head coach at Wartburg. Conlon took a men's program with just one winning season in 19 years and turned it into a winner in three years, reached the Elite 8 in year five followed by three more NCAA appearances. In his second season the women's team posted its first-ever winning record, something repeated in five of the next six years, culminating in a first-ever NCAA berth and Sweet 16 run in Conlon's eight and final season leading the Knights.

Brandeis: 

Denise Dallamora, 37th year (1980-2016), 343-266-68 (.557)

NCAA's (6 of 31 yrs.): 9-5-2 (.625) | 1st Final Four | Elite 8 ('12)

Now in her 37th season, Denise Dallamora is one of the longest tenured and highly regarded coaches in collegiate soccer. She is the only coach in Brandeis women’s soccer history having started program in 1980. Early in the 2014 season she recorded in 300th career win to enter an exclusive club of coaches to reach that level and is now at 341 after last weekend’s dramatic victory over William Smith. The Judges made their first trip to the NCAA tournament in 1988 but quickly exited with a first round loss. After a lengthy absence, the Brandeis women have now become regular participants earning berths in five of the last seven seasons. They are developing a legacy of tournament success having advanced to the Sweet Sixteen last year, the Elite 8 in 2012 and now a Final Four. Dallamora served as the first chairperson of the NSCAA women’s committee, of which she is also a founding member. During her career she has received a number of coaching honors, including the UAA Coach of the Year. In 2015, Dallamora was presented with the prestigious NSCAA Women's Committee Award of Excellence, just the third Division III coach to receive the award since its inception in 1999.