Aurora University
Spartan Women's Soccer

Meet the Head Coach

Kanute Drugan
Head Coach ( 163-62-12 - .713)
12th Season
630-844-4207
kdrugan@aurora.edu

In his twelfth year as head coach, Kanute Drugan attempts to lead the Spartans to their 10th conference championship in the past thirteen years. With 163 career wins, Coach Drugan is the all-time victory leader for Aurora University soccer.

The Spartans won eight of the last ten championships with the Northern Illinois Iowa Conference (NIIC). AU won conference championships in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005.

In the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC), Drugan led the Spartans to the first-ever NAC conference championship in 2006. In 2007, Aurora won their second consecutive NAC championship and the ninth conference championship in the past twelve years for the Spartans.

As Aurora’s head coach for women’s soccer, Drugan’s record is 163-62-12
(.713) and includes five NCAA national championship tournament appearances; eight conference championships; six “Coach-of-the-Year”
awards; one NCAA All-American (2nd team); two NCAA Academic All-Americans; nine NCAA All-region players; seven conference “Player-of-the-Year” awards; two conference “Rookie-of-the-Year” awards, and 80 All-Conference players.

With 163 career wins, Coach Drugan is AU’s all-time victory leader for Aurora University soccer.

Coach Drugan has served for three years on the NCAA Central Region Selection committee and for the past nine years he has been the Soccer Commissioner for the City of Aurora’s Sports Festival. Prior to arriving at Aurora University Drugan’s coaching experience includes the Northern Illinois Soccer League (NISL), the Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL), and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

In basketball, through 16 seasons, Coach Drugan compiled a career record as head coach of 258-150 (.632). Drugan led both boys’ and girls’ teams to AAU national and regional championships, and to three Illinois “Final Four” appearances (finishing second, third, and fourth). Drugan graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and government from Ohio University in 1977. Prior to attending OU, Drugan attended Walsh University. As a prep in Ohio, Drugan was a four-sport athlete.

Meet the Assistant Coaches

Diedja (Didi) Barreto
Assistant Coach
Goalkeeper Trainer
Second Season

A 1982 graduate of Instituto Epitacio Pessoa High School in Joao Pessoa, Brazil, Diedja Baretto was emerging as one of the best women's goalkeepers in Brazil. That was just the beginning. Didi quickly became the starting goalkeeper for Brazil's national team. By 1988, Didi had developed into one of the premier goalkeepers in the world.

In the World Cup held in China in 1989, Didi led Brazil's national team to a third-place finish. Continuing her run of World Cup success, Didi's performance in Sweden in 1993 helped take her team to the championship game of the World Cup and a second-place finish for Brazil. In 1996 in Atlanta, Didi and the Brazil National team earned a fourth place finish in the Olympics. The United States hosted the World Cup in 1999. Didi's goalkeeping contributions helped Brazil to a third-place finish behind second-place China and World Cup Champions, USA.

Didi also had a professional career in Brazil and in the United States that spanned from 1989-2003. During her professional career, Didi received numerous awards, tributes and recognitions for her many splendid accomplishments as a goalkeeper and leader. Among the many honors Didi received during her career, was when the Associacao Brasileira dos Cronistas Desportivos (Brazilian Association of Sports Chronicles) selected Didi as the Best Female Athlete of 1996.

Kate Madden
Assistant Coach
Fifth Season

Kate Madden is a 2001 graduate of Carroll College, where she was a four-year member of the varsity soccer team. Named a captain in 2000, Madden was selected the team's Most Valuable Defender her senior year.

As a sophomore, Madden helped lead her team to the Lake Michigan Conference Championship, and as a freshman, she was selected conference Rookie of the Year.

In 2002, Madden was the girls' JV Head Coach at her alma mater, West Chicago High School. As an athlete at West Chicago, Madden was a four-year varsity starter, and she was captain during her junior and senior years. She was selected All-Area and All-Conference her senior year. At AU, Madden is the Head Coach for the Spartans JV women's soccer program.

Carmen Zobel
Assistant Coach
Fourth Season

Carmen Zobel had an outstanding two-year career with the Spartans, capping her accomplishments with the team MVP award her senior year.

Carmen was selected to the NIIC All-Conference Team in both her junior and senior years and ended her AU tenure fifth on the all-time list in game-winning goals (nine). She helped the Spartans to their second NCAA championship tournament appearance as a junior and to back-to-back NIIC championships.

Carmen transferred to Aurora University after playing her first two years with Northern Idaho University, where she was selected team MVP in her sophomore year. She played high school soccer at Lewiston (Idaho) High School, where she earned the team MVP award and was an All-Conference selection as well.

Tara Daniels
Assistant Coach
Third Season

In an phenomenal four-year career, Tara (Utrata) Daniels led the Aurora University women's soccer program to national prominence. As an assistant coach she hopes to lead the Spartans to a national championship.

During her career, Tara twice was selected to the NCAA All-region team and twice was selected as Aurora University's Female Athlete-of-the-Year. She made the NIIC All-Conference team all four years and was NIIC Player-of-the-Year once. Tara was a captain for three years, was team MVP her junior and senior year and team Offensive MVP her freshman and sophomore years. As a junior and senior she led her team to back-to-back NCAA National Championship tournament appearances.

The Spartans won three NIIC Conference Championships in her four years. Upon her graduation from the Spartan women's soccer program, Tara held six school records and was second all-time in three other categories. She holds the record for Match Assists (4), Season Assists (14), Career Assists (50), Season Points (77), Career Points (174), and is tied for the record for Career Game Winning Goals (16). She is second all-time in Career Games Played (85), Career Games Started (84) and in Career Goals Scored (62).

At Naperville Central High School Tara was All-Conference, team Offensive MVP, team Leading Scorer, and Naperville Central Female Athlete-of-the-Year her senior year.

Alicia Martin
Assistant Coach
Second Season

Selected to the Northern Illinois Iowa Conference (NIIC) All-Conference Team in back-to-back seasons, Alicia Martin's legacy places her among the all-time best goalkeepers in Aurora University women's soccer history. During her tenure in the AU nets, Alicia helped her team to three NIIC Championships, and two NCAA National Championship tournament appearances.

Alicia holds five school records: Games Played (66), Games Started (64), Career Minutes Played (5,509.11), Season Shutouts (26) and is second in two other goalkeeper categories: Career Goals Against Average (1.29) and Career Saves (287).

A graduate of Lake Park High school in Roselle, IL, Martin was team MVP for her soccer team and a varsity basketball player as well.

Dylan Drugan
Assistant Coach
Second Season

A 2006 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Dylan Drugan earned a varsity letter as the Student Manager for the Notre Dame men's lacrosse team that made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA national championship tournament before being eliminated by eventual national champion, University of Virginia. Dylan spent two years with the men's lacrosse team as part of the Notre Dame Student Manager program and one season with the Notre Dame football team. Prior to that Dylan also was assigned to men's basketball, and men's and women's soccer.

As a prep athlete at Streamwood High School, Dylan was a varsity starter and team captain for the boy's basketball team. Dylan also participated in AAU basketball and club soccer.

Shalisse Mathieu
Assistant Coach
First Season

After a highly acclaimed, four-year varsity career with the Spartans, Shalisse Mathieu is thoroughly steeped in the history and philosophy of the AU women's soccer program. AU won three conference championships and earned two NCAA championship tournament appearances during her career.

Shalisse completed her AU career as a two-time All-Region selection and three-time All-Conference selection (at three different positions). As a sophomore, she was Team Defensive MVP, and in both her junior and senior seasons, she earned Team MVP honors. In her senior year, Shalisse also served the team as a captain.

Recognized for her performance on the field, Shalisse also earned many distinctions and honors off the field. Graduating Magna Cum Laude, the state of Illinois presented Shalisse with the very prestigious Lincoln Laureate Award given annually to the top 10% of all students attending school in Illinois. Aurora University honored Shalisse with the coveted Chris Thompson Award given annually to the student-athlete exemplifying courage, leadership, commitment, sacrifice and inspiration. ESPN The Magazine selected Shalisse to its Academic All-District team. She twice received Academic All-Conference awards.

Shalisse is an inducted member in both Omnicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society and the Alpha Chi National Honor Society.

During her off-seasons at AU, Shalisse played in the Professional Development League (PDL), and continues to do so with the Chicago Breeze.