St. John's University Athletics
Ian Stone Wins Bob Blitz Sportsmanship Award
11/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 18, 2013
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's women's soccer head coach Ian Stone received the Bob Blitz Sportsmanship Award from the New York Metro Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NYMISOA) at The Sterling in Bethpage, N.Y. on November 11. The referees of NYMISOA selected Stone based on their officiating of college soccer games from Westchester, N.Y. to Long Island, N.Y. This is Stone's second time receiving the accolade as he was also honored in 1994, his first season at the helm of the Red Storm.
Stone, the winningest coach in St. John's women's soccer history, has compiled a 182-156-41 record in his 20 years with the Red Storm. Stone has earned many impressive accolades including 14 postseason tournament appearances, two NCAA Tournament berths, 1994 BIG EAST Championship and 2002 ECAC Championship titles, 2006 BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors and 2009 NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year accolades.
A coach that values his team's classroom and character development, Stone has coached 10-straight (2003-2012) and 11 total squads that have earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award.
Stone also boasts a player resume that includes 26 All-BIG EAST players and four BIG EAST All-rookie team members, including the 2002 Rookie of the Year Kaitlyn Schmidt. Recently, Rachel Daly became the first-ever St. John's women's soccer student-athlete to earn two major postseason accolades as she was tabbed the 2013 BIG EAST Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Year. Stone has also mentored four BIG EAST All-Tournament honorees with Nicole Doran and Nicole Pasciolla, both in 2009, and Sarah Ashmore and Hailey Hemmer in 2013. Additionally, Cristin Burtis was named the 1994 BIG EAST Tournament Most Valuable Player.
"I have been refereeing Ian's teams for the past 20 years, both in youth soccer and at St. John's, and I have never heard him complain about the officiating decisions," commented NYMISOA Vice President Randy Vogt. "It's very nice that he has achieved a good level of success with the Red Storm while continuing to develop the character of his players."
With 123,843 youth soccer players--68,587 boys and 55,256 girls--and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 12 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered--from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.
St. John's will face the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Nov. 22. The game is slated for 5 p.m. in Durham, N.C.
