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Chicago’s Sitch Makes History Leading Men’s Soccer Team to National Title

Former pro Julianne Sitch etched a spot in the NCAA record books after leading her program to victory on Saturday.

Jelani Scott

Chicago’s Sitch Makes History Leading Men’s Soccer Team to National Title
Chicago’s Sitch Makes History Leading Men’s Soccer Team to National Title /

The University of Chicago men’s soccer team made history in more ways than one on Saturday after capping their undefeated season with a shutout victory to claim its first-ever national championship.

Led by first-year coach Julianne Sitch, the top-seeded Maroons etched their spot in the record books by defeating the Ephs of Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.), 2-0, in the NCAA Division III final in Salem, Va. The victory added a thrilling stamp to a sensational year for Chicago (22-0-1) and Sitch, who became the first woman to coach a NCAA men’s soccer team to a national title.

“It gives young girls something to aspire,” Sitch said to CBS News. “If they can see it, they can dream it, they can believe it, and then aspire to be that.”

Saturday’s dominant win comes nearly eight months after Sitch, a 14-year pro who retired in 2015, agreed to become Chicago’s head coach in April. The monumental hire made her just the second woman to coach a collegiate men’s soccer team, joining NYU’s Kim Wyant, who was hired in ’15. Wyant’s Violets were the only team Chicago was unable to defeat this season; the teams dueled to a 0-0 draw in a historic match on Oct. 28.

A native of Oswego, Ill. and former star at DePaul University, Sitch arrived to the Maroons following various coaching stints over the last seven years, including a two-year run with her last pro team, the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars. She also previously served as an assistant for the Maroons’ women’s team from 2015 to ’17.

In addition to the Red Stars, Sitch spent time playing in Australia, Sweden and throughout the United States.

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Jelani Scott
JELANI SCOTT

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