Loras College Soccer Camps
Head Women's Coach Matt Pucci
The Fall 2021 season will be Matt Pucci's 12th season as a part of the Loras women's soccer program and sixth as the head coach. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Pucci serves as an instructor in the Kinesiology department.
The Fall 2021 season will be Matt Pucci's 12th season as a part of the Loras women's soccer program and sixth as the head coach. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Pucci serves as an instructor in the Kinesiology department.2021 saw the Loras College women's soccer team rewrite the history books, reaching the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament Final Four for the first time in program history. The Duhawks finished third in the country after entering the Tournament with the best record in NCAA Division III, going undefeated in the regular season with a record of 18-0-1. Pucci led the Duhawks to their 14th American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Regular Season title before cruising through the A-R-C Tournament to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with a 4-1 win over Wartburg College to claim their 16th A-R-C Tournament title. The Duhawks' dominance in conference play saw Pucci and staff received A-R-C Coaching Staff of the Year nods while seven Duhawks earned All-Conference honors. On the national stage, the Duhawks earned four All-Region players and one All-American in Payton McDonnell, who was named A-R-C Defensive Player of the Year and led all of Division III in assists with 24 to her name, setting a new single-season assists record that had been unchanged since 2002.
In the 2020 (Spring 2021) season, Pucci led the Duhawks to a dominant 7-1 record, pummeling A-R-C opponents offensively, taking a total of 252 shots on the season with 26 goals to average 3.250 goals per game. Pucci's defense excelled in the spring, as well, allowing only three goals in eight games played with five shutouts. The impressive season saw six Duhawks earn All-Conference nods while Pucci and staff were crowned Women's North Region Staff of the Year by United Soccer Coaches (USC) for the first time of their careers. Olivia Lansing and Payton McDonnell added to the postseason accolades for Pucci's Duhawks, earning USC's Player Award of Distinction. McDonnell, a sophomore midfielder, led NCAA Division III in assists in the spring season with 13 in the eight-game conference-only season.
The 2019 season saw the women’s soccer team retain their fourth consecutive regular season conference title during Pucci’s fourth season leading the program and tenth overall at Loras. The team earned numerous awards during the season including the Team Academic Award and the Team Ethics/Sportsmanship award both from USC. The Duhawks also earned the first ever Pinnacle Award from the USC honoring the team for success in the classroom, and as well as on the field and overall ethics. For the team’s accomplishments there were many individual awards handed out including both the Conference Offensive MVP in junior Brynn Jacobi and the Defensive MVP in senior Taylor Trovato. Both Jacobi and Trovato went on to feature on the USC All Region team as well. For her efforts both in the classroom and on the field, Jacobi was also honored as a Scholar-All American.
The 2018 season was Pucci's ninth as a member of Loras soccer staff and third as the women's soccer head coach. His team won it's 12th overall conference championship and first as a part of the American Rivers Conference. The team also captured the American Rivers Conference Tournament Championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. For the team's accomplishments Pucci was awarded A-R-C Coach of the Year and senior Gretchen Schutz was named A-R-C Most Valuable Player. Schutz also earned United Soccer Coaches Association All-Region Honors in addition to senior Elizabeth Mills and junior Jenny Wick. His team was also presented with the United Soccer Coaches Association Team Academic Award and the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award.
In 2017, Pucci's team won its second consecutive and 11th overall Iowa Conference Championship, finishing with a 15-2-3 overall record, advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in-a-row. Loras garnered a D3Soccer.com All-American, three United Soccer Coaches All-North Region selections, five All-Iowa Conference honorees and the United Soccer Coaches Team Ethics and Team Academic Awards. Sydney Wright was named a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American, the second in program history and first since Michelle Wieser was named a Third Team selection in 2004. For his team accomplishments, Pucci was named IIAC Coach of the Year.
In his first season at the helm, Pucci guided the women's soccer program to an Iowa Conference Championship and berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they defeated No. 20 St. Thomas to advance to the second round. Elizabeth Mills was named Iowa Conference MVP and NSCAA All-Region, while Sydney Wright earned NSCAA All-Region and Scholar All-American honors.
Since joining the Duhawks' coaching staff in 2010 as the men's associate head coach, the men’s teams have won six regular season conference titles, six conference tournament titles and have made seven NCAA Tournament appearances. In addition, the men's teams advanced to the Final Four three times ('12, '13, '15) and the NCAA Division III National Championship game in 2015. The women's teams have won five Iowa Conference Regular Season Championships and four Iowa Conference Tournament Championships since 2010, advancing to five NCAA Tournaments in the process. In both the 2010 and 2012 seasons, the women advanced to the "Sweet 16" for the second and third time in program history, respectively.
Pucci was a four-year member of the Loras varsity team from 2004-2007. During that time he helped lead the Duhawks to two Iowa Conference Regular Season Championships, two Iowa Conference Tournament Championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Duhawks' first NCAA appearance in 2005. As a player, Pucci’s honors include being named to the NSCAA All-Region First Team, D3soccer.com All-Region First Team as well as All-Conference First Team, while putting together the fourth-best offensive season in program history his senior year, by scoring a league-high 17 goals. Pucci is currently ranked in the top-10 for goals scored in a career. He was inducted into Loras' Athletics Hall of Fame as a captain of the 2007 men's soccer team that went 23-0-2 on the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
Pucci's coaching career began during his time on the Duhawks' roster with the boys' high school teams at Hempstead and Wahlert Catholic. While the head coach Wahlert in 2008, the Golden Eagles went 17-3 and won the IHSSA 1A State Championship and Pucci was named the Mississippi Valley Conference Coach of the Year and Iowa High School 1A Coach of the Year. Upon concluding his time in Dubuque, Pucci spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa from 2008-2010. The Cougars went 14-4-3 (6-1-1 Freedom) in 2008 and 12-5-3 (5-1-1 Freedom) in 2009 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of those two seasons, winning the Freedom Conference twice.
Pucci earned his bachelor's degree from Loras College in public relations in 2008 and followed with his master's degree in management from Misericordia University in May of 2010. His professional coaching licenses include both the National Diploma and Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Originally from Libertyville, Ill., Pucci now resides in Peosta with his wife, Carrye, and their three daughters, Nora, Ellee and Colbie.
