University of Massachusets Athletics
Kater to be Inducted into Hall
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Oct. 21, 2002
When April Kater walked off Central Florida's field on October 28, 1990, after a 1-0 Massachusetts win, she ended one of the most successful careers in the history of the UMass women's soccer program. This year, Kater and five others will make up the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame's class of 2002.
As a freshman, Kater stepped in and made an immediate impact in the UMass midfield. The Gibsonia, Pa., native was part of the Massachusetts team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1987 and lost a heartbreaker, 1-0, to top-seeded North Carolina on an own goal in the championship game. That season, Kater scored 10 goals and assisted on five others as the Minutewomen went 20-2 en route to the program's most successful season ever.
"The 1987 championship run was the turning point of my career," said Kater. "Other than graduation, it was my greatest moment at UMass, not just as a soccer player, but as an athlete."
Kater played in Amherst at a time when some of today's marquee players were in the collegiate ranks. Kater's career culminated as a senior when she received the Hermann Trophy as the nation's top collegiate women's soccer player.
"At the time, I had mixed emotions," said Kater. "I was shocked because we did not have a stellar season. To this day, however, I would trade the trophy back for a bid to the NCAA Tournament."
Despite a 10-5-2 record and a No. 13 national ranking, the Minutewomen did not receive a bid to the 1990 NCAA Tournament. It turned out to be the only season in a 16-year period that the Maroon and White were not in postseason play.
"It was heart-breaking for me not to be there, but Coach Rudy helped to put it in perspective," said Kater. "He pointed out that it was an honor for everything I had done in my career and it says a lot that a player could win the award on a team that has not had its best season. I just hoped that the award would continue to help the program recruit the nation's finest student-athletes and continue the proud UMass women's soccer tradition."
April was a four-year letterwinner, three-time NSCAA All-America and All-New England selection, Soccer America's Freshman of the Year in 1987 and currently sits first in school history in game-winning goals (12), fourth in goals scored (35), fifth in points (92) and eighth in assists (22).
"UMass was a soccer environment to its truest," said Kater. "Every single player on my teams were fully committed to making UMass a top Division I program. We pushed each other and I believe I became a product of my environment. Had I gone to a lesser standard of a program, I probably would not have won that award as a senior."
After leaving UMass, Kater served as a graduate assistant coach at West Virginia Wesleyan University. In 1993, she returned to her alma mater and was an assistant coach under Rudy for two seasons. After helping to lead the Minutewomen to consecutive Atlantic 10 titles as well as an NCAA Final Four and Sweet Sixteen appearance, she left to coach the newly-instated Syracuse University women's soccer program.
At the upstate New York school, Kater has recorded a 76-38-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice. In six seasons at the helm of the Orangewomen, she has never had a losing season.
"April played every game flat-out with everything she had," said Rudy. "She was a fearless leader on the team, a tireless worker. April epitomizes UMass Soccer and has already established herself as a top Division I coach. She is a wonderful addition to the Hall of Fame and I know that she is going to be successful in whatever she does."
In 1999, Massachusetts played Syracuse for the first time in the regular season and has played each year since then except for the 2001 season. Last month, the remnants of Tropical Storm Isidore forced the game to be called at halftime. The two schools often play each other during the spring exhibition season, too.
"The UMass game is something that I look forward to each year," said Kater. "Tactically, Coach Rudy is one of the best coaches out there so it is always a challenge for us when we play them. Our current players know that I went there so I do not even have to say anything for them to get up for the match. Coach Rudy taught me so much about the game and I just want to get out there to show him just how much I learned."
This winter, Kater and five others will be inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame. She will be the fourth former Minutewomen soccer standout inducted into the school's Hall of Fame, joining Debbie Belkin '88, Kristen Bowsher '88 and Jackie Gaw '83. In addition, Kalekeni Banda, UMass women's soccer coach during Kater's rookie season, is also in the Hall of Fame.
"It is a tremendous honor for me," said Kater. "UMass has a long-standing tradition of success both on and off the playing field. To be recognized this far removed from college is awesome. I do not believe it has completely hit me yet, but as it draws near I am starting to sense how big of a deal it really is. I have talked with other inductees and they say that you don't understand the capacity of it until you are actually there at the ceremony."
Kater played in Amherst in the midst of a dynasty. In a 16-year span, the Minutewomen won five Atlantic 10 championships, advanced to the NCAA Tournament 15 times and made six Final Four trips. She graduated from UMass in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in sport management.
"UMass allows you to be the best that you can be at what you want to be," said Kater. "It is an open-ended University where you can come and make the most of an opportunity. I just felt like much of my career was in control at UMass. There is a lot of tradition there that I wanted to uphold and it was a real healthy environment for me to grow as a student-athlete."