It didn't take Terry Leiendecker long to make a big impact on the Saint John's University soccer program.
In the fall of 1980, in just the second game of his freshman season, the St. Louis Park (Minn.) High School graduate was inserted into the starting lineup in goal. He remained there for four years.
"From game two of his first year on, he was our guy," then-head coach Pat Haws '72 said. "He was our franchise."
Leiendecker allowed just 28 goals in nearly 6,000 minutes of play, which translated into 44 shutouts in 65 career starts. That included his junior season in 1982, when Leiendecker recorded 15 shutouts in 18 contests and earned All-American honors.
His shutout percentage that season (0.833) still stands as an NCAA Division III record. He earned All-MIAC honors four times and his career goals-against average of 0.431 remains in the top 15 in Division III history.
"I was very fortunate to have wonderful teammates throughout my four years as they contributed a lot in preserving those shutouts" Leiendecker said. " There were so many goals that were saved because the midfielders got back to block a shot or a cross, or the defenders blocked a shot or cleared the ball away before it went in.
"Knowing you had teammates and coaches who believed in you made it really easy to keep any outside noise out of your head as a goalie. It allowed me to keep my brain clear and just be in the moment."
Those moments were often memorable as the Johnnies advanced to national tournament play in 1980 and '82 and won MIAC titles in 1982 and '83.
"It was tough to beat us back then," Haws said. "And a big part of that was being able to attract outstanding players like Terry Leiendecker."
The success the Johnnies enjoyed in those years helped solidify a tradition of success and built interest on campus as well.
"The atmosphere was always great and it grew pretty steadily throughout those four years," Leiendecker said. "The sidelines were usually pretty packed with students and parents.
"It made home games really special."
Saint John's took on some top-quality competition above and beyond the teams it faced in the MIAC. That included matchups with Division I programs, such as a memorable 1-0 1983 victory on the road at Northwestern in the final game of Leiendecker's collegiate career.
"I just remember the whole team rallied around me to get that shutout," he recalls. "They were going to do everything they could to block every shot."
"He ended that game with the ball in his hands after making a save," Haws added. "You couldn't have asked for a more fitting way to go out."
Leiendecker's skills were readily apparent to the opposition. Haws remembers one game at the University of Denver when his goalie made a particularly impressive save on a breakaway on the far side of the field.
The Denver coach immediately called Haws to midfield to tell him how impressive Leiendecker was.
"That was such an amazing save that he couldn't wait to tell me," Haws said with a chuckle. "He had to do it right then in the moment.
"His height (6-foot-6), his athleticism, his hands and his intelligence all made him outstanding. And what was even more impressive was that goalie gloves were already part of the scene but Terry refused to wear them, even in very cold weather. He was the last-of-a-kind – the bare-handed goalkeeper.
"Bare-handed and brilliant."
Leiendecker's success earned him spots in two straight U.S. Olympic Festivals, which in turn led to his selection as a member of Team USA at the World University Games in Japan in 1984.
"That was a real highlight," he said. "At the moment, I was just playing soccer and didn't really put it in perspective to any degree. But looking back on it now, it was a pretty special moment for a kid from Division III to be able to wear that Team USA jersey at a tournament like that."
Leiendecker went on to spend a season with the Minnesota Strikers (
left) after the North American Soccer League franchise moved from Fort Lauderdale to the Twin Cities in 1984, playing its home games at the still relatively new Metrodome.
Then he began coaching, finding success as the boys soccer coach at St. Louis Park from 1987-93 and again at Chaska High School from 1997-2007.
He also spent time coaching at the professional level with the old Minnesota Thunder (the predecessor of the current Minnesota United of Major League Soccer). He is the longtime goalkeeping director at the Minnesota Thunder Academy, working primarily with girls but now also with boys at the elite youth level.
That's in addition to his successful longtime career as a financial planner in the Twin Cities.
"I've always had a love for coaching and teaching," he said. "In a way, that's what I do as a financial planner as well – coaching and teaching to help people gain an understanding about their ability to save for the future so they can have the lifestyle they want when they retire. The two areas share a lot of similarities."
Leiendecker has remained connected to the program at Saint John's as well, giving of his time over the years to work with players and contributing financially as a donor.
In addition, the award the team hands out annually to its most outstanding Christian athlete – won by Leiendecker on multiple occasions – now bears his name.
"He's the kind of guy we all want to be," Haws said. "I don't think I ever heard Terry cuss. I never saw him get angry with anybody. He was a level-headed guy you could always count on to be there for you and for the team.
"They don't come better than Terry in any sense of the word."
