Sept. 29, 2005

George Mason profiles former student-athlete Susan Vodicka in the `Where are they now?' series commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 1985 NCAA Championship women's soccer team.

The West Bloomfield, native was a standout defender for the Patriots. Vodicka was a team captain and was selected to the all-tournament team in 1983. A transfer after one year at the University of Michigan, she scored six goals and added one assist for her career as her teams compiled a 49-9-6 overall record in three years.

"The last four minutes of the championship game were unbelievable," said Vodicka when asked about her fondest memory of the 1985 season. "The reality of winning it all was beginning to sink in. After that, the remainder of the school year was spent relishing in that moment and celebrating."

Vodicka earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Mason in 1986 and a Virginia Secondary Teaching Certificate in 1992. She currently is in her first season as head coach for women's soccer at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

Prior to that, she spent time at her alma mater. In her five years as an assistant coach for head coach Jac Cicala she assisted in all aspects of the program, including on-field coaching and having the primary responsibility for recruiting. The Patriots were 49-48-7 overall but went 25-11-3 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Mason tied for first place in the CAA in 2000 and 2001, and finished second in 2002. The team was the CAA Tournament runner-up in 2000 and 2002.

Vodicka made her collegiate head coaching debut after serving two seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington State University. She also served as an assistant coach at William and Mary.

Her first tour of duty as a head coach came at Centreville High School in Clifton, Va. She led the program from 1988 to 1993 and under her guidance the team progress from a 1-10 record to a 10-2-3 mark. From 1984 to 1988 she served as an assistant coach at Lake Braddock, West Springfield and Robinson High Schools.