It is very difficult to describe the UCF women's soccer program in one sentence. With head coach Amanda Cromwell continuously putting the Knights on the national stage, one needs to use terms such as NCAA Tournaments, conference championships, top-25 rankings and All-Americans just to get a start on what this program is all about.

Team Success
Since taking over the helm of UCF women's soccer in 1999, Cromwell has guided her team to a 141-63-14 record, seven NCAA Tournament appearances, four Atlantic Sun Tournament championships and two C-USA regular-season titles.

The Knights have capped off the last eight seasons ranked among the top squads in the Southeast Region by SoccerBuzz.com, including a No. 7 ranking in 2003 and 2004 and a No. 9 ranking in 2007. In 2008 alone, UCF spent seven weeks in the national rankings and achieved its highest Southeast Region ranking in program history when it was fifth in late October.

Individual Honors
In addition to her accomplishments as head coach, Cromwell also has helped her players excel individually both on and off the field. During her tenure, Knights have earned 64 all-conference honors and 24 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region selections. In 2008, she helped Aline Reis develop into UCF's first All-American since 1995, as Reis was one of just three freshmen on either the first or second team.

Meanwhile, Courtney Baines (2004 and 2005) and Jennifer Manis (2007) both received conference defensive player of the year honors, Danielle dos Santos was the 2007 C-USA Newcomer of the Year, Jennifer Montgomery was named 2002 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and Michelle Anderson earned 2001 A-Sun Player of the Year recognition.

Her student-athletes are also known for their academic success, as they have collected 203 conference academic awards entering the 2009 campaign. In 2005, Baines received ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors and the C-USA Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete Award. Danielle dos Santos later would become the sixth player in UCF history to earn NSCAA/adidas Women's Collegiate Scholar All-America honors, joining former Cromwell protégés Baines, Jennifer Manis, Jackie VanLooven and Allison Blagriff.

Year-By-Year Highlights
Cromwell and the Knights put together a grueling schedule for 2008, and the results did not disappoint. UCF completed the year with a 14-6-3 record, and went 5-2-1 in a non-conference slate that included four ranked teams. That, along with a 7-2-2 mark in C-USA, helped the Black and Gold secure an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, where it topped Miami to reach at least the second round for the eighth time in school history.

UCF finished 2008 by ranking first in All-C-USA Team selections, with Becca Thomas and Nikki Moore leading the way as members of the First Team.

The 2007 season gave the Knights yet another championship ring, as the Knights claimed a share of the C-USA regular-season title and finished with a 15-4-4 record. UCF went on to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament, where it defeated Auburn and played No. 6 Florida to a 0-0 draw in the second round. The Black and Gold completed 2007 ranked No. 20 in the final RPI poll and No. 30 in the Soccer Buzz national rankings.

Individually, Jennifer Manis, Hanna Wilde and Nikki Moore all earned a spot on the 2007 All-C-USA First Team, and Manis and Kate Begley were selected to the C-USA All-Academic Team.

During its sophomore campaign in C-USA in 2006, UCF posted a record of 11-6-2, including a 1-0 shutout of No. 9 Rice and a 2-1 win over No. 15 SMU. Five Knights were named to the all-conference teams as forward Roberta Pelarigo and midfielder Becca Thomas grabbed first-team honors and goalkeeper Jennifer Manis received a spot on the C-USA All-Academic Team. Both Pelarigo and Manis also were tapped for NSCAA All-Southeast Region accolades.

The Knights enjoyed tremendous success in their inaugural season in C-USA in 2005. They posted a 12-10 overall mark and an 8-1 record in conference play to earn a share of the regular season championship. After defeating Houston 3-2 in the first round of the C-USA Championship, UCF fell to eventual runner-up and NCAA Tournament participant UTEP. The 2005 season also marked a milestone in Cromwell's career with the Black and Gold as she won her 100th match as the Knights' mentor, taking a 2-1 win against Houston on Oct. 30.

During the team's final season in the Atlantic Sun, the Knights went 17-4-2 overall and were a perfect 9-0 against teams from the state of Florida, including wins over No. 14 Florida State and No. 10 Florida. They were 8-2 in league play as they picked up the A-Sun's first ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they defeated Florida, 3-2, in the first round before falling to Boston College, 2-1, in the second round.

Cromwell led UCF to a 16-5-1 record in 2003 as the team won the A-Sun Tournament crown for the third consecutive season. The Black and Gold advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where Florida topped the Knights, 3-2, in double overtime in the first round.

The success of 2003 came on the heels of a record-breaking 2002 season. That year, the Knights posted an 18-5-0 mark, eclipsing the program record for most wins previously set by Cromwell's 1999 squad. After defending both the A-Sun regular season and tournament titles, UCF returned to the NCAA College Cup for the second consecutive year - and took a 2-0 loss at the hands of Auburn in its opening match.

In 2001, the Knights finished with a 14-6 record and took top honors in the A-Sun before making a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the second time under Cromwell's leadership.

UCF compiled an 8-11-1 overall mark and landed second in the conference in 2000 thanks to a 7-2 record against A-Sun opponents.

After a 7-5 start in 1999, UCF rebounded with a 10-game unbeaten streak that included a 1-0 win over Furman in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before perennial power North Carolina halted the Knights' bid for a national crown. They finished the year with a 16-6-1 overall record and an 8-0-1 conference mark.

Cromwell Prior to UCF
A native of Annandale, Va., Cromwell led the Annandale High School team to a state championship and earned NSCAA All-America honors. The school retired her jersey after she graduated.

Cromwell continued her playing career at the University of Virginia, where she captained the squad to the 1991 NCAA Final Four. She added even more individual honors to her resume, including two All-America selections and four All-Atlantic Coast conference awards. She earned Soccer America's MVP award twice, captured three all-south region selections and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy.

In her first year at UVA, Cromwell was selected to Soccer America's All-Freshman Team and took the team's rookie of the year award. She is currently tied for third on the Cavaliers' career goals list (35), tied for fourth on the career game-winning goals list (11) and fifth on the career scoring list (84 points).

Following her standout career in Charlottesville, Cromwell continued to make a name for herself. She was a member of the U.S. team that took third at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden and an alternate on the 1996 gold medal winning Olympic team in Athens, Ga. after coming back from a serious knee injury. She earned 55 caps while representing the Red, White and Blue at least once every year from 1991-98.

Cromwell has also lent her playing talents to the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). She began her career with the Washington Freedom in 2001, starting 18 matches and scoring two goals. The following season, she played in 12 games as a member of the Atlanta Beat, then moved on to the San Jose CyberRays in 2003.

Representing UCF Around the Globe
During the summer, Cromwell acts as the director of the Central Florida Soccer Academy, which is held on the campus of UCF. She continues to serve as an ambassador for the game as a member of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors.

Before the 2007 season, Cromwell worked on the coaching staff for the U-14 Girls' National Development ID Camp, which took place in California. And during 2008, she served as an assistant coach for the United States U-20 Women's National Team, which claimed its second FIFA World Cup trophy since 2002.

When 2009 began, the leader of the Knights was back in the U.S. program, joining the Women's National Team in January as an assistant coach as it prepared for the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

In 2002-06, Cromwell was appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports as part of President George W. Bush's Healthier U.S. Initiative. The council is charged with promoting fitness and athletic activities to Americans of all ages.

She was also selected for the Athletes in Action Women's Advisory Board, a committee whose goal it is to identify and equip potential leaders in women's sports.

Cromwell holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Virginia. She resides in Winter Park.