It’s not often that a first-year athlete can step into a crucial role and succeed immediately at the collegiate level, but that is exactly what Lisa Grefe did for Blazer soccer in 1996.
In her rookie year with the Blazers, the Des Moines, Iowa, native led all MIAC goalkeepers with a 0.39 goals against average, allowing just four goals in 10 games played in the net. Her 930 minutes played that season were also a league high, while her seven shutouts were nearly double that of her closest competition.
Coached by Bill Kelly, the Blazers went 7-2-1 that season and finished third in the final MIAC standings, and with Grefe backing the defense, placed no lower than fourth in any of her four years on the team.
Her breakout first year was just the beginning as she earned the Blazer Rookie of the Year award en route to becoming a four-time All-MIAC and All-Region performer. In her sophomore season she allowed a mere two goals, while posting seven shutouts. In her junior year of 1998, she became just the third All-American in CSB soccer history. During her final year at CSB, she topped the MIAC in goalkeeper wins and led the Blazers to a MIAC runner-up finish.
She remains the only three-time MVP and four-time All-Region player in program history, and becomes just the fourth soccer representative in the Blazer Hall of Fame.
Twice a team captain and three-time Team MVP, her exploits were not limited to the playing field. She earned the Blazers’ highest honor, the Presidential Award. By the time she graduated in 2000, she had been named to the Dean’s List and served as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Upon leaving CSB, she continued her playing career at the semi-professional level before stepping to the sidelines and joining the coaching ranks. She then started her own business in her hometown of Des Moines called SWAT (Skill, Will, Attitude, Training). It is geared to high school girls and incorporates leadership training, college search strategies, and the athletic skills necessary to enhance each student-athlete’s abilities.
In 2009, she married her partner of seven years, Abby Gillard. After most recently serving as the director of athletics and physical education at an independent boarding and day high school for girls in New York, she will return to Iowa this summer to begin a new role with the Iowa Soccer Association.
