Rebecca Hornbacher grew up dreaming of one day having the chance to play soccer at her father’s alma mater, the University of Nebraska.

A three-sport athlete in high school, she was recruited by several schools to play volleyball and soccer. When she chose soccer as the sport she wanted to pursue, the Omaha, Neb., native was forced to leave home in order to play as a goalkeeper at the collegiate level.

“Nebraska didn’t have a [soccer] program when I graduated high school in 1993, so that wasn’t an option for me. I really wanted a chance to go there because my dad had played football for Nebraska – he was a linebacker in 1968 and ’69,” Hornbacher said. “I kind of wanted to go that way but they didn’t have the program there, so I went to the University of Virginia because I really liked the campus and the program.”

In 1994, her sophomore season at Virginia, Hornbacher set a single-season school record with 11 shutouts. However, when news came from back home that a soccer program was starting up at Nebraska, Hornbacher was elated.

“I really did love the University of Virginia, it was a great program and it was a good experience for me, but when the opportunity happened for me to be able to play closer to home and for the school I had wanted to play for since I was little, I jumped on that opportunity,” Hornbacher said.

After sitting out one year because of NCAA rules, Hornbacher suited up for Huskers coach John Walker during the ’96 and ’97 seasons. Her success at Virginia continued at Nebraska, as the team went a perfect 23-0 in 1996 before losing in the national quarterfinals against Portland, 1-0. During that campaign, Hornbacher inked her name all over Nebraska’s single-season records list, and still holds the school record for wins in a season with 23.

“It was really special because we went undefeated for 23 games and won the Big 12 Championship in the regular season,” Hornbacher said. “I had a great group of defenders in front of me and I played with a handful of All-Americans and players from the Canadian National Team, so it was just a really great experience.”

Walker, currently in his 14th season as Nebraska coach, labeled Hornbacher as a key part of that ’96 team.

“Rebecca’s best qualities were extreme competitiveness and consistency – great qualities for a goalkeeper,” Walker said. “She was a very influential player for us as our program grew at the national level.” Following her collegiate career, Hornbacher received a call from one of the founders of the Women’s United Soccer Association, the first women’s professional league, inviting her to try out.

“I just thought if this was the invitation I was given, it’s a blessing and I’ll just see where it goes and whatever is meant to be is going to happen,” she said. “If somebody gave me a chance then that would be great, and I chased that dream of being able to play professional soccer.”

After training for eight months and participating in a combine, Hornbacher watched the draft on the Internet from her apartment near the campus of Baylor University, where she was serving as an assistant coach. On day two of the draft, she was selected by the New York Power.

“My mom’s initial reaction was ‘Oh my gosh, New York! You’ve never been there, that’s so far,'” Hornbacher recalled. “I really felt like this was what I was supposed to do, regardless of whether I was going to play or not. It was just an opportunity of a lifetime that I couldn’t pass up.”

After two seasons of playing professionally, one in New York and one in Boston, Hornbacher was hired in June 2002 as an assistant at Iowa State. She became the head coach in January 2003 after leading the Cyclones in 2002 as the interim head coach.

Now in her fifth year as head coach, she has become the winningest coach in Cyclone history after last Friday’s 3-0 victory over No. 16 Oklahoma State.

“I love the opportunity to be able to interact with young women and be able to see the excitement they have when they know they’ve experienced success from their hard work,” Hornbacher said. “It is definitely a journey, and we have a lot of ups and downs throughout seasons. To really be able to see people grow and achieve success, it’s just really exciting. It’s something that I just love, and I couldn’t see myself not coaching.”

Although she now paces the sidelines for Iowa State, her former coach said he and Hornbacher still wish each other the best.

“We always like to see Iowa State do well and for [Rebecca] to be successful,” Walker said. “She is a good person.”