Dwayne Cruz begins his seventh season as head women’s soccer coach at Morton College. His offensive-minded approach has led to some exciting scores since he’s taken over.
The 2025 season marked the most successful stretch in program history, as Cruz and the Panthers won a record setting 13 games. MC closed the regular season by winning nine of their last ten games and outscoring their opponents 47-4. The Panthers also made it back to the Region IV Quarterfinals for first time in two years after shutting out Triton College 8-0 in the opening round.
On top of winning, the 2025 season also brought on multiple individual awards for Coach Cruz’s team.
- Sjenna Van De Weerd - Sjenna was a goal scoring machine during the ’25 season, finishing with 24 total. She scored nine goals over a two match stretch to earn her D2 WSOC player of the week. After being ranked as high as 5th in the nation for scoring, Sjenna earned herself Skyway Conference Player of the Year.
- Zoe Hocke - A winning soccer team needs a good goalie, and Zoe was just that for Coach Cruz. Hocke played a huge part in helping to upset No. 7 Kansas City Kansas as she didn’t allow a goal while stopping 30 shots. At one point, Zoe was also ranked fifth in the region for goals against. Those numbers led to her winning Skyway Conference Co-Goalie of the Year.
Coach Cruz had a total of eight girls recognized to the Skyway All-Conference teams
Coach Cruz is no stranger to working with outstanding players in the past few seasons. In the 2024 season, Isabella da Costa shattered the Morton College single-season scoring record with 26 goals, which tied her for fourth nationally in 2024. Morton College’s 63 goals was another program record, eclipsing the 60 goals by the 2018 edition. On the national scene, the Panthers were 19th overall in goals scored and 17th in goals per match with 3.71.
"We want to be able to possess the ball and attack," Cruz said. "If an opponent scores four goals, I expect to score five. We constantly want to be on the attack."
The Panthers and Cruz achieved some major milestones early on in the 2025 season. Morton College WSOC achieved their 100th overall win as a program, while Cruz also moved past Juan Franco as the program’s all-time winningest coach.
Cruz took over the program when the Panthers transitioned into the NJCAA’s newly-created Division II in 2020. Since Cruz’s tenure began, he has overseen four separate seasons in which the Panthers have won nine games or more leading him to a 49-35-6 overall mark. Just a year later, Coach Cruz and the Panthers produced the program’s first NJCAA All-American player after Brenda Torres was selected as honorable mention. Torres helped MC beat Moraine Valley for the first time since 2012.
The Panthers also had posted back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference in 2021 and 2022.
Soccer is a huge part of Cruz's DNA. It’s what he's all about.
Cruz spent 18 years as the women's soccer coach at Harper College, taking the Hawks to the NJCAA nationals three times. His 2002 qualifier team was the only non-scholarship program at nationals that year, placing sixth in the eight-team field.
"I've been on the community college women's soccer scene for a long time and know what it takes to be successful," said Cruz, who also guided Harper to nationals in 2010 and 2012.
Cruz's personal soccer background extends to the club and high school scene. He's the director of soccer for the Arlington Aces, one of the largest programs in the NW suburbs. His club teams have claimed multiple state and national titles.
"Coaching soccer is something I love to do," Cruz said. "It's in my blood – it's my life's passion. It's something I really, really enjoy."
Cruz has long been recognized for his ability to teach and develop players for the next level, along with building team camaraderie and chemistry. Jane Stefaniak, who played on Cruz's U-15 Arlington Aces Presidents Cup championship team in 2018, said of him, "Our coach (Dwayne Cruz) has become like a second father to all of us."
Cruz holds the following soccer licenses: KNVB Youth License, NSCAA National Youth License, USSF D and ASEP Certified.
