Head coach Erika True enters her seventh season at Indiana State after a 4-10-3 (1-5 MVC) in 2014. This comes a year after the Sycamores posted their most successful season in program history in 2013, going 10-9, and 4-2 in the Valley. In her six seasons in Terre Haute, True holds a 39-65-10 overall record and 12-22-2 Missouri Valley Conference record with the Sycamores.
In 2014, the Sycamores placed one player on the Missouri Valley Conference First Team, sophomore Maddie Orf. Orf finished 2014 with a team-high seven goals while assisting two others. The Sycamores were 3-1-2 when Orf found the back of the net. Orf, along with Sydney Lovelace, earned spots on the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
In all, True has helped guide 14 All-MVC and six All-Freshman selections in her five seasons in charge of the program.
Indiana State finished with the first winning record in program history in 2013, finishing 10-9-0 overall. They also finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference, also their best finish in the 13-year history of the program with a 4-2-0 record.
In addition, the Sycamores matched the longest win streak in program history in 2013, with six-consecutive wins from Oct. 11-Nov. 10. The Sycamores placed three student-athletes to the All-MVC first team while three rookies also picked up All-Freshman team honors. Three ISU student-athletes also earned spots on the MVC Scholar-Athlete team (Sydney Loesing, Shelby Troyer and Kate Johnson).
True also helped guide freshman forward Abby Reed to the single season record in goals with 10 in her rookie campaign that bested the recorded set by Ali Gasparovich in 2010.
In 2012, Indiana State put together a four-game unbeaten streak late in the year, earning the fifth seed in the conference tournament before pulling off upsets of No. 4 seed Northern Iowa and No. 1 seed Evansville en route to making just the program's second appearance in the tournament finals. ISU posted an 8-10-3 record in 2012, including a 2-3-1 mark in MVC action.
In 2011, the Sycamores narrowly miss making the postseason on the final day of the season. ISU finished 2011 with a 4-13-0 record and saw senior Seyma Erenli earn First Team All-Conference honors.
In her second season in 2010, True continued to lead the Indiana State women's soccer program to new heights, as the Sycamores finished the 2010 season with an 8-10-1 record. True led the Sycamores to a 6-2 start to the season, their best opening to a campaign in the 11 years of the program. The Sycamores finished with their second-most wins in school history, while also setting the school record for fewest goals allowed. Under True, ISU also set the program record for most MVC Player of the Week selections (five), most MVC First Team Scholar-Athlete selections (four), most overall MVC Scholar-Athlete selections (five). Indiana State also led the entire Missouri Valley Conference in 2010 in first team and overall selections to the scholar-athlete team.
Under True’s direction, the Sycamores also set several individual records in 2010. Junior Alison Gasparovich set the then ISU record for goals in a single season (9) while junior Emily Lahay tallied the lowest goals against average for a year and tied the program record for most shutouts, with five.
In her first year at ISU, head coach True led the Sycamores to a 5-10-3 overall record and a 2-3-1 record in Missouri Valley Conference in 2009, good for fifth place in the conference.
The Sycamores set or tied several program records on the pitch in the first year under head coach True, including: most MVC Player of the Week selections (four), most road results in a single season (five), most MVC First Team Scholar-Athlete selections (three), most overall MVC Scholar-Athlete selections (four) and most goals in a game (two -- by seniors Katlin Owens and Erin Bianchi).
True was hired at Indiana State on February 10, 2009, after spending four seasons as the assistant coach at Indiana University. During her tenure with the Hoosiers, a number of the responsibilities that True held were the head goalkeepers coach, organizer of recruiting visits and all on-campus team activities.
In her four years working with the goaltenders at IU, the Hoosiers have been among the conference leaders in the net. In 2007, True was vital to the development of freshman Lauren Hollandsworth, who was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after a standout debut campaign. Hollandsworth played in every game for the Hoosiers in goal, setting Indiana freshman records with 13 wins and six shutouts.
In 2008, True worked side-by-side with freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell who posted a 0.77 goals against average and a .811 save percentage after starting the last 11 games of the season due to injuries sustained by two other goalkeepers. Campbell played every minute in net during Big Ten play, allowing more than one goal just once and posting a 0.78 GAA in conference action.
Before arriving in Bloomington in 2005, True served as an assistant coach at MVC rival Creighton from 2003 through 2005. Just as she did with Indiana, True was the head goalkeepers coach for the Bluejays.
During True’s tenure, Creighton average 10.6 wins per season while allowing under 1.30 goals per game, including a slim 0.81 GAA in 2003.
True concluded her time on the field as a player in 2002 after spending four seasons at Bowling Green State University. As team captain at Bowling Green in 2002, True finished her career holding every goalkeeping record (single-match, season, and career) in school history. She was the second player in school history to earn First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors and set conference career records for minutes played and saves.
In her final collegiate campaign with the Falcons, True was named First Team All-MAC, third team all-region, and tabbed to the MAC All-Tournament team, as well as earning the team defensive MVP award. True garnered Academic All-MAC honors as a junior and was named to the MAC Honor Roll for three seasons.
While at Nebraska, True worked with the Iowa/Nebraska Girls ODP teams while also serving on the Region II ODP staff. Erika was the head coach for one of the Gladiator girls' club soccer teams, served as the director for goalkeepers, and was on staff for the Fast Footwork Academy within the Gladiator club. In Bloomington, True continued to work within the club system with the Bloomington Cutters Soccer Club as a coach, trainer and academy director.
True (formerly Flanders) graduated from Bowling Green in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Art Education. While serving as an assistant coach at Creighton, True earned her master's degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2005. True also holds a NSCAA National Diploma, NSCAA Goalkeeping Diploma, and an Advanced NSCAA National Diploma
True and her husband, Josh, were married in June 2007 and welcomed daughter Lillyan in December 2013. The family currently reside in Terre Haute, Ind.
