DWU Athletic Department

L. Dale Roden
Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Tarkio University ’91
daroden@dwu.edu
605-995-2116

The Dakota Wesleyan University women’s soccer program is coming off its best year in the history of the program in 2010, and much of that success was thanks to head coach Lucien Dale Roden.

In 2009, the fourth-year head coach led his team to a 17-1-4 overall record, its first-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament and also its first-ever GPAC regular-season and tournament titles. The Tigers went undefeated in conference play, and their only loss of the season came in the first round of the national tournament.

Roden was named the 2009 GPAC Women’s Soccer Coach-of-the-Year and NSCAA Region Coach-of-the-Year after his team’s successful season. Goalkeeper Danielle Richardson was named the league’s Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year, and she, along with Ellie Peterson and Kasha Roberts, were All-GPAC First-Team picks. Sarah Weidler was named to the second team, and Kim Duff and Sarah Duff and Skye Pahl and Kayla Pahl were named honorable mention. Richardson was also named an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention.

The Tiger women also got their hands on the school record books in 2009. That squad set or tied eight team records as well as seven individual records. The team tied the record for goals in a game (6) and set records for shots on goal in a game (21), as well as goals in a season (60), assists in a season (42), shots on goal in a season (222) and shutouts in a season (10). Individually, Peterson tied the school record for points in a game (6), goals in a game (3) and assists in a season (7); and Roberts set records for points (35) and goals (15) in a season; and Richardson set goals for shutouts (10) and saves (140) in a season.

One of DWU’s biggest wins of the season came in the GPAC Tournament title game when it played Midland Lutheran College to a 2-2 tie in double overtime before winning 5-4 in a shootout. The Tigers recorded 10 shutouts in 2009.

Overall, Roden is 27-26-6 after three seasons at DWU. He has coached 13 All-GPAC players, seven NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, one NAIA All-American and two NSCAA Team Academic Award winners.

Roden, the second women’s soccer coach in school history, came to DWU from Adams State College, an NCAA Division II institution in Alamosa, Colo., where he was the first head coach at the school. He was the head coach of the Grizzlies for five seasons, leading the team to two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament berths. He compiled a 32-58-6 overall record in the first five seasons of women’s soccer at the school. Roden’s squads excelled in the classroom, earning the Team Academic Award every year from the National Soccer Coaches Association with 30 players earning Academic All-RMAC honors. He also coached three CoSIDA Academic All-District players and had 10 players earn NSCAA Scholar All-West recognition.

Roden has been a head coach for 14 seasons, compiling a 140-129-18 overall record. His 140 career wins make him one of the top 20 winningest women’s soccer coaches in NAIA history. Before starting the program at Adams State, he started the women’s soccer program at Huron University. He spent three seasons at Huron and led his team to a No. 16 national ranking in the NAIA poll.

He was also the head women’s soccer coach for four seasons at Westmar before arriving at Huron University. His Westmar team made a national tournament appearance in 1995.

Roden earned his bachelor’s degree from Tarkio College in Tarkio, Mo. He earned a master’s degree in HPERD in 2000 from the University of South Dakota. He also holds NSCAA National (1995) and Advanced National (1997) coaching diplomas.

Roden and his wife, Jaime, live in Mitchell and have two daughters, Bailey and Grace, and a son, Parker.

Brandon Ponchak
Assistant Soccer Coach
Asbury College ’07
brponcha@dwu.edu

Brandon Ponchak enters his second season as the assistant coach for both the Dakota Wesleyan University men’s and women’s soccer programs. Ponchak serves as the primary goalkeeper coach for both teams, and his expertise brought success to the Tigers in 2009.

Ponchak, who had a successful playing career at Asbury College (Ky.) where he was the goalkeeper, helped coach the 2009 DWU women’s program to a 17-4-1 record, its first-ever GPAC regular-season and tournament titles and its first-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament. He also played a key role in helping sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Richardson win the GPAC’s Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year award.

Both DWU head men’s coach Jeremy Tosaya and head women’s coach Dale Roden praised Ponchak’s knowledge of the keeper position and his passion for soccer. A four-year starter in the net for Asbury, Ponchak already has some impressive playing and coaching credentials. He also played keeper at the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, for SportsTours USA, and he had a standout goalkeeper career at Morgan High School in McConnelsville, Ohio.

Before joining the DWU soccer staff, Ponchak was the head coach for the Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy Middle School boys’ and girls’ teams. He has also worked as a goalkeeper coach at the high school level and at numerous soccer camps. He has a NSCAA Regional and State Goalkeeping Diploma and his USSF “E” License.

A McConnelsville, Ohio, native, Ponchak received a bachelor’s degree in Bible/theology: pre-seminary from Asbury College in 2007. At Dakota Wesleyan, Ponchak will pursue a Master of Arts degree in education administration.

Ponchak and his wife, Kellie, were married in July and live in Mitchell.