Hall of Fame
From 2007-10, when the Millersville men’s soccer program emerged as a powerhouse and perennial PSAC contender, it relied on physical, smothering defense, and Jeremy Yoder was at the heart of it all.
A four-year starter at center back, Yoder led Millersville to two PSAC East titles, two PSAC runner-up finishes, a national No. 1 ranking and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Limiting the opponents’ scoring opportunities, Yoder’s Marauders led the PSAC in goals against and shutouts two years in a row.
As a junior in 2009, Yoder was named NSCAA All-America Third Team, becoming Millersville’s first All-American since 1991. He was twice voted All-PSAC East First Team and NSCAA All-Atlantic Region First Team. As a defender, he garnered his postseason accomplishments not through gaudy offensive statistics but through his consistency and impact on the game. He started all 76 of Millersville’s games in his four seasons. Of his five career goals, two were game-winners.
Yoder’s play directly impacted the Marauders’ team success. Prior to Yoder joining the program, the Marauders had reached the postseason just once in the previous eight years. Yoder’s teams never missed the postseason, played for the PSAC Championship twice and totaled a 57-19-4, which at the time was the best four-year stretch in program history.
The calling card of those teams was defense. In 2008, the Marauders totaled eight shutouts, including two in a row in the NCAA Tournament to reach the NCAA Quarterfinals. Millersville started the 2009 season 18-1 and held the nation’s No. 1 ranking entering the PSAC championship game. Yoder helped his defense post a school-record 13 clean sheets and limited opponents to a mere 15 goals in 20 games.
Yoder received a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2011 and is currently a consultant at Cargas Systems. He is married to former Millersville women’s soccer player Olivia Taylor Yoder, and the couple have a son and daughter. Yoder is involved in the differently-abled community, volunteering at GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down Syndrome achievement center in Lancaster and also volunteers at a special needs family retreat camp each summer.
