West Long Branch, NJ — NJ.com recently released their top 99 greatest New Jersey soccer players of all time with five Monmouth Hawks landing on the list.
Joined by all-time greats like Carli Lloyd and Tim Howard, Monmouth had four former legendary players on the men's and women's side including Christie Rampone '97, Madie Gibson '19, RJ Allen '11 and Bryan Meredith '11 along with current head coach Rob McCourt (2004-21) among the top players ever to come out of the great state of New Jersey.
To read the original nj.com article and view their full list, click here.
No. 9 Christie Pearce Rampone (1993-1996)
Christie Pearce Rampone '97 was a multi-sport standout in soccer and basketball for the Hawks. A two-time Northeast Conference Player of the Year in soccer, Rampone holds the Hawks' all-time scoring record with 212 points, on 79 goals and 54 assists. Rampone led the Hawks to a combined 51-11 combined record over her final three seasons on the pitch.
Rampone won Olympic Gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and an Olympic Silver Medal in 2000 as a member of the United States National Women's Soccer Team. She was also a member of the USNWT's 1999 World Cup Championship, and 2011 World Cup silver medal. In 2021, Rampone was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
No. 50 RJ Allen (2008-2011)
Allen was a two-time All-American (2010, 2011) and a three-time All-Region pick (2009-11). He led the Hawks to the four straight NEC Regular Season Titles and two NEC Tournament Championships and was named the 2009 Conference Tournament MVP. The 18 wins Allen and the Hawks put together in 2009 is a program record. He is tied for the program led with 82 career games played and ranks fourth in program history with 23 career assists. He went on to play professionally in the MLS.
No. 69 Bryan Meredith (2007-2010)
Meredith played for the Hawks between 2007-10 and was a two-time All-Region selection (2009-10) and was named the NEC Conference Tournament MVP in 2010. He was also a two-time all-conference selection (2009-10). He led the Hawks to four straight NEC Regular Season Titles and two NEC Tournament Championships and appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In a two-year span (2009, 2010), Meredith allowed just eight goals total in 19 NEC Regular Season games. He holds the school record for single-season shutouts (14), ranks second for single-season goals against average (0.44) and is fourth for single-season save percentage (.859). He also holds Monmouth's career goals against average (0.51) and ranks second for career save percentage (.842). He went on to play nine seasons in the MLS.
No. 87 Madie Gibson (2016-2019)
Played and started in 82 career games under current Hawks coaching great,
Kylee Flynn, Gibson graduated tied for fifth in program history with 35 goals, second with 32 assists and fifth with 102 points. She had 10-career game-winning goals and was Monmouth's first three-time all-region selection. Gibson was Monmouth's second four-time All-MAAC First Team selection. She was named to the 2019 Women's MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List after being selected as the 2018 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. She was a three-time MAAC Preseason Player of the Year (2017, 2018, 2019) and was the 2016 ECAC Rookie of the Year and 2016 MAAC Rookie of the Year.
No. 95 Rob McCourt (2004-present)
McCourt has led the Hawks since the 2004 season and in that time, Monmouth has earned 10 Regular Season Championships and six conference tournament titles. The Hawks have made it the NCAA Tournament six times under McCourt. He is a six-time Conference Coach of the Year, who guided the Hawks from the NEC to the MAAC and CAA. He has coached four All-Americans, two Conference Players of the Year and seven Conference Defensive Players of the Year. Last year he picked up his 200
th career win at Monmouth. He was also a member off the Kearny High School team that went. 24-0 in 1984 and won a Group 4 State Championship
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