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Adel Heder is in his ninth season as the head coach of the IUP women's soccer team, having brought the program to the upper echelons of the PSAC and Northeast Region during his tenure. He brings an overall record of 103-51-5, including a mark of 72-32-3 over the past five years, into the 2009 campaign. Last year IUP was 13-9-1, marking the sixth straight year and seventh time in Heder's first eight seasons that the team has won at least 12 games. The Crimson Hawks knocked off top-seeded Gannon in the opening round of the PSAC tournament and defeated East Stroudsburg in a dramatic nine-round shootout in the semifinals before dropping a narrow 2-1 decision to Mercyhurst in the championship game. In 2006 IUP won its first ever NCAA tournament game, defeating New Haven 3-1 in the Northeast Region semifinals. That year IUP had an overall record of 15-7 and won its second straight PSAC West title with a 9-1 mark in the division. The Crimson Hawks finished the season ranked No. 15 in the country in the National Soccer Coaches Association poll, and Heder was chosen the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the third time and the Northeast Region Coach of the Year for the second time. In 2005, IUP won the PSAC West title with an 8-1-1 record in the division and finished 13-4-1 overall. The team was ranked in the national Top 25 for the majority of the season, reaching as high as No. 8. The season included a school record nine-game winning streak. The previous year, IUP won a school record 19 games against only four losses, captured its first PSAC championship in a decade and earned a first ever bid to the NCAA tournament. IUP was ranked No. 24 in the nation at the conclusion of the season. The third seed in the PSAC West, IUP pulled off 1-0 road victories over Lock Haven and Slippery Rock to set up a home date against Kutztown in the conference championship game. IUP posted a 3-2 win over the Golden Bears to reign atop the PSAC for the first time since 1995. Since the PSAC split into two divisions for women's soccer in 2004, IUP has a record of 38-15-1 in PSAC West games and won consecutive division titles in 2005 and 2006. In addition to his PSAC West Coach of the Year award in 2006, Heder received top honors in the conference in 2001 and earned the award in the Western Division in 2004. Heder was also the Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2001. Heder was hired by IUP in August 2001 and immediately made his mark on the program. The team went 12-4-1 that season and qualified for the PSAC tournament. After an injury plagued 2002 campaign, IUP rebounded to go 13-6 in 2003 before embarking on its record breaking 2004 season. Prior to coming to IUP, Heder ran the soccer program and served as boy's varsity coach at Kiski Area High School from 1987 until he left to join the collegiate ranks. During his stint at Kiski, Heder led the team to a WPIAL Class AAA Top Ten ranking in 1996, and he was selected Section V Coach of the Year in both 1993 and 1996. In addition to his work at Kiski, Heder was the head coach of the Pennsylvania West Olympic Development program and the head coach and coordinator of the state select Pittsburgh Strikers Soccer Club. In the latter capacity, he developed under-18, under-16 and under-13 squads and helped direct the team to several local, statewide and regional championships. Heder holds "A" and "B" national coaching licenses from the United States Soccer Federation. He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the United States Soccer Federation and the Western Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association. Heder earned his master's degree in health and physical education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984. Heder's daughter Crystal played on the IUP soccer team from 2003-06, and daughter Viann will be a sophomore on the team this fall. |
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