In a series of brief recaps, AshfordAthletics.com is taking time to reflect on some key moments from its athletics programs during the fall season. In this first segment, AA.com focuses on men's and women's soccer.

Men's Soccer - (19-1-2)

Where to begin with the Ashford men's soccer program?

In a fall that featured plenty of breathtaking moments and unforgettable memories, the Saints simply wove together a season for the ages.

Under the navigation of first-year Head Coach Richard Markham, the Saints proved they were the elite of the Midwest Collegiate Conference with a regular-season title and conference tournament crown. That set a precedent for an undefeated regular season at 19-0-2 as a segway for the school's first ever NAIA National Championships berth.

The Saints transitioned as a regular into the NAIA national rankings towards the latter part of the campaign, culminating with a No. 22 rating in the final top-25 poll.

Markham was recognized as the MCC Coach of the Year and the Midwest Regional Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). His team was marked by a stonewall defense led by goalkeeper Nick Roman that pitched a total of 12 shutouts and an explosive offense that found the net at opportune times.

"The short term goals that I set for our program in two or three years have been accomplished in one year," Markham said. "We have set the groundwork for our future and our plans have been pushed forward because of the success we had in the fall. It's an exciting time to be a part of Ashford University soccer."

First-Team All-MCC'er Eddie Garza led a senior-laden class by rumbling for three hat tricks and led the Saints with 14 goals on the offensive end. The stalwart defense was led by Damian Ryan, Matt Escoto, Michael Handley and Geraldo Garza, arguably forming one of the top backlines in the nation.

The Saints routinely cleaned up the weekly conference awards, both on the offensive and defensive categories, and were honored on the national stage. Freshman Geraldo Garza collected NAIA Honorable Mention All-American honors and was selected as the MCC Newcomer of the Year.

In addition to Markham's coaching accolades, Ashford landed three players on the NSCAA All-Midwest Region Team, had a total of six All-MCC selections and collected 11 weekly MCC awards.

The future is bright for a program catalyzed by a skyrocketing trend and players/fans/followers are anxiously awaiting what's in store for 2010 for an encore.

Women's Soccer - (12-6-1)

The Saints totaled 12 wins, a single-season best for AU Head Coach Mick Regan in his sixth year at the helm of the program. It was Regan's first season in charge of solely the women's team, handing the reigns of the men's program that he built up, to Richard Markham.

After a tough season-opening defeat on the road at Robert Morris College, Ashford showed its mettle and resolve to spin together an eight-win month in September, highlighted by a 1-0 shutout over No. 8 Trinity Christian College.

The Saints reeled off the eight-game win streak and outscored opponents in that span by a combined score of 37-1 and seven of those victories came in shutout form.

Kylie Willet clearly established herself in the upper echelon of goalkeepers across the nation in just her first year as a starter, collecting NAIA Honorable Mention All-American accolades and National Player of the Week honors. A First-Team All-MCC pick, she blanked seven opponents in a breakout junior campaign.

Regan also received big contributions from freshmen Chelsea Fisher (9 G, 7 A) and Amanda Campos (10 G) while Cassandra Broderick heated up midseason to finish third on the team in goals scored.

The Saints landed five players on the All-MCC Team and Willet was named the MCC Defensive Player of the Week on three occasions while also having three team members earn NAIA Academic All-American status.

Ashford won three straight conference games in mid-October to garner momentum heading into the Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament.

Coming off that momentum, AU scored the lone upset to open the MCC Tournament, avenging a regular-season loss to Viterbo University in resounding fashion on the V-Hawks' home field. Even though the Saints' season ended in the tourney semifinals, the core of Ashford's offense and defense returns for what promises to be a breakout 2010.