Millikin women’s soccer concluded its 2024 season with a 14-4-1 record, including a semi-final appearance in the CCIW tournament. 

In charge is Coach Ian Doherty, who has served as the head coach at Millikin since 2018.

Coach Doherty began his career in a manner unlike many who enter the coaching field. Doherty, after college, would have a couple of other jobs before going into coaching full-time.

“I had some odd jobs; I used to do the accounts payable for Chipotle,” Doherty said. “I had a teacher friend who was organizing summer camps and other activities, and I was sitting in my office, thinking, ‘I just don’t want to do this; this isn’t my calling.’ The moons and the stars aligned, and that master’s program at Ohio University opened up, just when I needed it to. I just can’t imagine not being involved in the game.”

While Doherty wasn’t always a coach, his love and passion for the game were undeniable; he would use this obsession to help him work his way up the ladder to where he is today.

“I always wanted to be in soccer somehow,” he said. “I have a huge obsession with the game, almost to a detriment. I love the game, I just have to be involved in it full time.”

Coach Doherty’s journey would have him at Wesleyan College in Georgia during the 2017 season. Doherty helped lead the team to its first-ever berth in the USA South Conference Tournament and the second-best record in program history.

Doherty, however, knew he didn’t want to stay at Wesleyan and began his search for a new head coaching job, where he would stumble upon Millikin.

“I knew of Millikin; it wasn’t one of the powerhouses, but it was some place I felt I could be challenged and have some resources,” Doherty said. “When I came here, I felt welcomed right away; the people here were bought in.”

Doherty has helped lead the team to many successful seasons. Still, his strongest attribute is his ability to connect with players and motivate them to perform at their highest level.

“It’s pretty fun, he’s very tough on us, while, at the same time, making sure we still enjoy and love what we are doing, he’s very active in the sport,” senior Hailie Schafman said.

This effect, while successful with older veteran status players has also trickled down and helped motivate some of the younger players on their roster.

“I think that he has a personality that can push us, but also he supports us as players and as people,” sophomore Izzy Jones said.

Doherty has also created a unique culture, making Millikin a highly desirable school for players pursuing sports and their careers.

“I really love the coach, I really love Ian,” freshman Jessica Bearley said. “Everyone here is very welcoming. The campus is amazing. The overall environment at Millikin is unlike anything I’ve seen before. I love it here. I’m really glad I ended up deciding to come to Millikin.”

Doherty, who has been able to recruit a majority of players from high school, has also been able to use Millikin to help recruit players who are willing to transfer.

“The soccer team, the coaches, and the culture here just felt like home,” sophomore Addison Weed said. “I think the culture is a lot tighter here; we work together very well, and the coaching staff is very lenient with school stuff, so that’s very helpful with balancing out school and soccer.”

Doherty has been able to build elite-level teams with his competitive mentality among players. He believes that everyone deserves a chance and is willing to give everyone the ability to develop and improve.

“We want to bring people in who are going to challenge right away,” Doherty said. “We want people who can come in and aren’t afraid to shake the feathers a little bit, you know, and make that impact. We don’t want people coming in and being okay sitting. At some point, everybody needs to be in that big moment; they have to learn it.”

A common concern among the team was the overall growth in confidence, an issue that is vital when it comes to playing to the best of one’s ability.

“I’d definitely say my confidence skyrocketed. I came in pretty scared about playing against such older girls, considering I was so young. I just grew my confidence up. I take on my one-on-ones now,” Schafman said.

Doherty also believes in preparing the team to compete in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), which is considered one of the most competitive Division III conferences.

“We’ve upped the schedule in who we play out of conference. Since last season, we have gone undefeated, which looks excellent. We’re delighted, but now we’re playing teams that are advancing far into the national tournament and winning their conference. These teams will prepare us more effectively for our conference. We wanna play against these good teams now, and learn to compete,” said Doherty.

Preparing for the conference cannot only come from the coach, and the players have been putting in extra work in hopes of making a successful run in the CCIW.

“I think we’re just coming [into the season] with positive attitudes, we’re gonna play hard, we’re gonna put in hard tackles, and just play for a full 90 minutes,” Jones said.

The team currently sits at (3-6-2) on the season and (0-1-0) in the conference. They are projected to finish third in the CCIW. 

Coach Doherty and players, however are more focused on making a run in the conference tournament.

“It’s nice people think we can finish that high, [because] it’s where we finished last season,” Doherty said. “Now, if we finish 4th or 5th, but then we win the tournament and get into the national tournament, great rankings didn’t matter. But if we finish first and we don’t get in, then it doesn’t matter,” said Doherty. 

This attitude is reflected by Doherty’s players as well.

“We’re hoping to get to the finals or semi-finals,” Weed said.

Millikin has many seniors on the roster, and as they prepare for their last season, they are very vocal about how much this season will mean to them when it’s all set and done.

“I’m hoping that we put together the rest of a season that we’re proud of,” senior Melis Barutcu said. “That was my goal for my senior season. It’s going to be very emotional, I think, but I just feel lucky to play at this level and that I’ve had a happy and healthy 4 years.”

Some players senior years don’t just mean the last season at Millikin but also put an end to their career playing soccer in general.

“It’s kind of sad, I’ve been playing since I was four, so being done hurts my heart. I’m really gonna miss it,” said senior Hailee Schafman.

The Millikin soccer team is more than just a team; it is a family, with many of the players sharing stories about their time at Millikin. This team’s chemistry is its most significant strength.

“I just want to have lifelong friends. You know, lifelong people who will stick with me. Honestly, I think I have already found quite a few of those,” said Bearley.

The team currently sits at 3-6-2 on the season and 0-1-0 in conference, but the season is far from over, with many games remaining. Doherty hopes for a good end of the season.

“We are going to be as competitive as we can, and hope to be playing for as long as we can,” Doherty said.

The season is a long way from being done, and Coach Doherty has no plans of leaving anytime soon. He looks to make an impact on the teams he coaches and wants to leave his mark on the Millikin women’s soccer team when asked about what he wants to be remembered for his time at Millikin.

“I think how we conduct ourselves and how the program conducts itself, we can be competitive and win games, but how we treat other people, how we control our controllables, how we focus, you know, we’re well-mannered, hardworking, people who show up, keep our word, academically very strong. Culturally very strong. Just so we are producing wonderful people, that’s a big thing. Yes, we want to win every game; that goes without saying, but I think every program shares that goal. I would love for us to be known as the program that conducts itself at the highest level,” Said Doherty.

Find the rest of the player interviews at the Dec’s TikTok.