MSU Athletics Hall of Fame
Coach Rhonda Ridinger's field hockey teams from 1978 to 1981 were inducted as part of the 2025 Hall of Fame Class.
During that spectacular four-year span, the Bears were a combined 110-14-6 with three conference championships, three regional titles and two appearances in the AIAW national championship game.
The 1978 Bears began the incredible stretch with a 28-2 season. Missouri State finished second in the AIAW regional tournament, falling just short of nationals with a 1-0 loss to Saint Louis in the regional finals. Junior standout Chris Dufner scored 61 of the team's 122 total goals on the season with the Bears outscoring their foes by a 122-10 margin. Ridinger's squad averaged 4.07 goals per game and recorded 20 shutouts.
The legendary 1979 team finished 28-2-1 on the way to an AIAW Division II national title. MSU dominated its opponents in every aspect of the game, outscoring its foes 127-10, establishing all-time program records for most goals scored, fewest goals allowed and most shutouts (23). Five members of the 1979 team are enshrined in the Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame, including Dufner who became the first MSU player to earn All-America honors. She scored 69 of the team's goals, followed by top scorers June Baran (18), Kathy Schubert (16) and Debra Long (10).
Coach Ridinger's squad won the MAIAW conference tournament with a 4-0 run in which the Bears outscored their opponents 15-0 with a 2-0 win over UMSL in the championship. The Bears also went 4-0 at the Region VI tournament with an 18-1 scoring margin, including a thrilling 5-0 victory over Bemidji State in the finals. Missouri State also went 4-0 at the AIAW national tournament, producing 13 goals while allowing just one. The 2-0 win over Colgate in the championship game in Princeton, N.J., sealed the deal as MSU won 12 straight games to close out the remarkable season.
The Bears were back in the national championship game in 1980 with 13 returnees from the national championship team headlining a 29-4-2 season. A 3-2 loss to LaSalle in the AIAW finals did not spoil the thrilling run with the team's top goal scorer Kathy Schubert (33) leading the way. June Baran (26), Stephanie Dutton (12) and Linda Schachet (10) also helped the team tally 91 goals on the season, while MSU allowed just 28 scores and recorded 16 shutouts. Dutton was named MSU's Female Athlete of the Year, while all-state honors went to Baran and Janet Meng.
In 1981, Ridinger's squad was poised for another national run and didn't disappoint with its 24-6-3 overall record and fifth-place finish at the national tournament. Missouri State won MAIAW conference and regional titles along the way, including five shutouts in a six-game swing that included a 2-0 victory over North Dakota in the Region VI title game. At nationals, Missouri State dropped a heart-breaker to Syracuse, 3-2, before fighting back with wins over Richmond (5-1) and Denver (1-0) to finish fifth. MSU outscored its opponents 81-21 on the season with 21 shutouts. Dutton led the team with 19 goals, followed by Melinda Amy with 17.
