Hall of Fame
Todd K. Abraham - 2008 MISOA Hall of Fame InducteeTodd Abraham was born in the Bronx in New York City and moved to Oceanside on Long Island when he was 5. He started playing soccer in elementary school and has been involved in the "beautiful game" ever since. Todd played throughout high school and college at Oceanside HS - the Long Island soccer champs for 3 years running and at Brown University - a Division I Final Four team 2 of the years he was there.
Todd started officiating in Philadelphia while in graduate school and maintained a full collegiate officiating schedule (probably due to the dearth of officials). After graduating from UPenn, he moved to Cincinnati and joined the Ohio Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association as well as playing top amateur soccer. Todd moved to Minnesota in 1985 to join the Pillsbury company and maintained his NISOA membership by traveling back to Ohio to fulfill his recertification requirements. Todd became a National Referee in 1987 in one of the first National Referee classes and a NISOA clinician beginning in 1985. Through his National NISOA contacts, Todd was one of MISOA's founding members and a Past President of MISOA, working with many of the MIAC and some of the Minnesota senior referees to establish the Minnesota chapter. Todd moved to New Jersey in 2000 physically leaving Minnesota, but it was never far from his thoughts. He is currently living in Glencoe, IL a suburb of Chicago, with his wife and three children.
Todd has authored numerous articles for Referee Magazine and has refereed NCAA DIVISION I, II and III Men's and Women's playoff games.
He is currently on the Big 10, Horizon, MAC and Big 12 referee rosters and continues as NISOA's Assistant Director of Instruction and liaison to Referee Magazine.
He is profoundly honored and moved to be part of MISOA's Hall of Fame.
Steve Cook - MISOA Hall of Fame Inductee 2007Born in Portsmouth UK, moved to Reading when he was 3 months old. Played for the Reading Boys as a senior in High School and offered a minor league contract when he turned 18. The following year Reading were promoted out of the 3rd division and his contract was not renewed. He played in a Sunday combination league until his early 20's - more for the pub afterwards. He was always played full back or central defender.
Started officiating in 1975. As President of MSRA in 1988, he co-formed MISOA (with Todd Abraham) and one year later, with a lot of help from?Jim Hirsch, MISOA was assigned the full non-conference schedule of the MIAC and one year later both the conference and non-conference schedules. He was assigned to 3 NCAA final 4's from 1990 to 1993, he coordinated the first playoff series at the St. Thomas in 1988 with one foot of snow on the field.
The following year the St. John Johnnies hosted the regional final at the same time Jacob Wetterling went missing.
Carrie Schulz-Leaney - MISOA Hall of Fame Inductee 2006Carrie Schulz was born in Minneapolis on February 4th 1962 to Wilford and Ardis. Father Wilford was a soccer pioneer in the suburbs and has been heavily involved with the Southeast SC for many years
Carrie played volleyball and soccer at Marshall University high school and later at Luther College IA.
After her father encouraged her to begin officiating Carrie joined MISOA and started her career under the guidance of Steve Cook and RJ Anderson, when officiating was conducted with teams of officials. It was clear very early on that Carrie would be a very good official and she was soon promoted to senior referee status. Carrie was the first female in the area to be officiating at a high level and the NCAA took notice appointing her to playoff games. Carrie officiated at several playoff sites including the 1994 final four in San Diego, CA.
It was through officiating she met her husband, John Leaney the Head Soccer Coach at Macalester College. They were married on June 5th, 2004 at the Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. It was Carrie's desire to have children and to her delight son Jack arrived on October 28th, 2004.
In October 2005 Carrie was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer.
This particular form of breast cancer is known as the silent killer as there is as yet no cure. After a brave fight Carrie passed away on September 29th, 2006 a month before her son's second birthday. She is sorely missed by many, most of all her son and husband.