MARY (ST. GERMAIN) WARNER ('90): St. Germain was the starting goalkeeper for the Plymouth State women’s soccer teams of the late-1980s. Her stellar play in net helped lead the Panthers to four straight NCAA Tournaments, including two Final Fours and one national championship game, while posting a remarkable 44 shutouts, a school record that still stands today.
A three-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American (1986, ‘88, ‘89), St. Germain was named to Soccer America magazine’s All-America Freshman Team in 1986 after helping the Panthers to a 12-game unbeaten streak, which included a postseason run all the way to the first ever NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer National Championship game. The rookie was outstanding in the tournament as Plymouth State upset the number one team in the nation, Cortland State, in the national semifinal, 3-2, before being nipped in the championship game by the University of Rochester (N.Y.) by a 1-0 margin. St. Germain was named the tournament’s Outstanding Defensive Player.
Plymouth State returned to the Final Four again in 1987 and 1989. St. Germain recorded a tournament-record 18 saves in another 1-0 loss to Rochester in 1987, while the 1989 game finished in a scoreless tie with the University of California-San Diego slipping past the Panthers 4-3 in penalty kicks.
Perhaps her most impressive season came her junior year, when the Panthers finished a remarkable 16-1, outscoring the competition by a 63-2 margin to earn yet another appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Plymouth knocked off Salem State in the regional semifinal, 3-0, but the Panthers were upset by Ithaca in the regional championship. St. Germain finished the year allowing a measly four goals while posting 15 shutouts among her 16 wins. She was awarded NSCAA All-New England First Team recognition for her play.
All told the Panthers were an extraordinary 62-14-1 (.812) during her four seasons, setting the stage for the dominating teams of the 1990s.
