Siena University Athletics

Steve Karbowski '93 enters his 27^th season as the women's soccer head coach at Siena University. The winningest coach in program history, Karbowski has led the Saints to the program's first three MAAC Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances (2010, 2015, 2020-21). The current Dean of MAAC Women's Soccer coaches, Karbowski is also the winningest head coach in conference history with 136 career league victories (regular season and tournament) through the conclusion of the 2024 season. 

A 1993 Siena graduate, Karbowski has amassed a 219-205-56 (.515) overall record as the head coach of his alma mater, including a 122-89-32 (.568) mark in the MAAC. A three-time MAAC Coach of the Year (2001, 2002, 2020-21), Karbowski secured his milestone 200th career head coaching win with a 1-0 triumph at rival Marist on Oct. 9, 2021. Karbowski has both recruited and coached the first five Siena Athletics Hall of Famers in program history in Noel Cox '06 (2011), Tabitha Tice '11 (2016), Ashleigh Barone '12 (2017), Tara Sobierajski ’17 (2023), and Kristen Turner ’07 (2023).

In his first 26 seasons at the helm, Karbowski has guided the Saints to 17 MAAC Tournament appearances, and 11 double-digit win campaigns. Additionally, he led the Saints to 15 straight home wins from 2009-11 and 20 consecutive non-conference home victories from 2007-12. Karbowski has developed both four MAAC Rookie and Goalkeepers of the Year, three Defensive Players of the Year, and an Offensive Player of the Year.

Karbowski's teams have excelled equally in the classroom during his tenure, routinely ranking amongst the highest GPA squads at Siena annually. The Saints have earned 22 consecutive United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards for maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher, and on six separate occasions (2014, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025) have received recognition from the NCAA for achieving perfect multi-year APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000. 

Karbowski piloted a program resurgence during the most recent 2024 season. Predicted to finish ninth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Siena surged to a fourth-place regular season finish while nearly doubling their win total (10) from the previous two seasons combined (six). The Saints achieved their first double digit-win campaign since 2018 (11), while equaling the program benchmark for MAAC wins (2004, 2016) with seven conference victories. Siena's six true road wins were also the second most in program history, trailing only the 2010 MAAC Championship squad which won eight. Karbowski developed the dynamic offensive duo of Megan Stowell and Catherine Rogers, who became the first Siena teammates in 14 years to each eclipse 20 points in the same season. For her efforts, Rogers earned MAAC Rookie of the Year honors as Siena repeated awardees after Stowell claimed the title in 2023. Karbowski became the winningest coach in MAAC Women's Soccer history, securing his 133rd league victory (regular season and tournament) with a 3-0 victory over Manhattan on Oct. 16, 2024. 

Karbowski piloted Siena through the COVID-19 pandemic and onto the program's third MAAC Tournament Championship and first-ever MAAC Regular Season crown during an unprecedented 2020-21 season. Despite being predicted to finish eighth according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, and dealing with an in-season COVID pause which forced the team to play its five regular season matches in just a 10-day span, Siena persevered to go unbeaten in its five-match sprint to capture its first regular season crown. For his efforts, Karbowski earned MAAC Coach of the Year honors for the third time in his career. Karbowski developed Leslie Adams, playing in her first collegiate season, into the MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year, while Brianna Montinard was named MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. 

Karbowski led the Saints to the MAAC Championship Match for the fifth time in 2018. Siena finished the season strong winning eight of its final 10 matches, highlighted by a pair of separate four-match winning streaks. Under his guidance, Taylor Dorado was named the MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-MAAC selection.

Karbowski piloted the Saints to another double-digit win campaign in 2017, as Siena amassed an 11-8 overall record and finished fourth in the MAAC with a 6-4 league mark. The Saints qualified for the MAAC Tournament for a program record fifth consecutive season, and advanced to the semifinals before ultimately falling to top-seed and eventual champion Monmouth. 

In 2016, Karbowski guided the Saints to a 9-7-3 overall record. Siena finished second in the conference with a 7-3 league mark to earn the program's fourth consecutive MAAC Tournament appearance. The Saints' second place finish and seven league victories both tied program bests. 

The previous season, Karbowski led the Cinderella Saints to the program's second MAAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. He piloted Siena to a seven-match unbeaten streak (6-0-1) down the stretch, which culminated with the Saints becoming the first-ever No. 6 seed in MAAC history to win the Tournament. Karbowski earned his milestone 150th career head coaching victory at Siena on his birthday in the Saints' crucial 2-0 victory at Quinnipiac in the regular season finale which clinched the squad the final MAAC Tournament berth. He then proceeded to steer Siena to MAAC Tournament victories over each of the conference's top-three seeds - Marist, regular season champion and regional power Monmouth, and second seeded Manhattan 5-2 in the championship match. Under Karbowski's guidance, Siena's stout defense recorded a program single-season record nine shutouts including a record four consecutive clean sheets and benchmark shutout streak of 504:23.

The program first reached unprecedented heights from 2008-10, posting the three winningest seasons in program history en route to an impressive 42-11-4 (.772) record culminating in the program's first MAAC Championship and NCAA Appearance in 2010.

The 2010 season was an historic year for Karbowski and the program as the Saints' set a program single-season record for wins and finished one victory shy of the MAAC record with an impressive 17-4-0 mark including a 6-3-0 record in the MAAC.

Additionally, the Saints were the last remaining undefeated, untied team left in all of Division I Women's Soccer as they began the season a perfect 12-0-0 which included signature wins over Big East powers UConn and Providence. As a result, Siena was ranked No. 25 nationally for consecutive weeks (Oct. 4, 11) in the Soccer America Poll for the first time in program history. Siena received votes for eight straight weeks (Aug. 23 - Oct. 12) in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Top-25 Poll, culminating with a program-record 25 votes - the 28th highest total in the nation - in the Oct. 12 NSCAA Poll.

Siena captured the 2010 MAAC Championship as the No. 3 seed, defeating No. 1 seed Canisius 1-0 in overtime on a golden goal from MAAC Tournament MVP Tabitha Tice. Under Karbowski's tutelage, Tice became the first player in program history to be named to the 2010 NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-Northeast Region First Team and was also just one of two MAAC players named to the 2010 NSCAA Scholar All-East Region First Team.

In 2009, Karbowski led the Saints to 12 wins and the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament following a 6-2-1 conference slate. The previous season in 2008, the Saints posted a then program record 13 wins and were the nation's 10th Most Improved Team.

In 2006, he guided the Saints to the MAAC Championship game for just the second time in program history. The team posted a 9-8-2 overall record marking its fourth consecutive winning season. In addition, Karbowski mentored the 2006 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year and NSCAA All-Northeast Region Third Team honoree, Kristen Turner.

Karbowski paced the Saints to back-to-back 10 wins seasons in 2004 and 2005, including a program-best 7-1-1 MAAC record in '04.

In 2002, Karbowski led the Saints to their second-straight MAAC Tournament appearance with a 5-3-1 conference record. For his efforts, he was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. In 2001, Karbowski guided the Saints to a 10-8 record which ranked Siena as the eighth most improved program in the nation.

Karbowski, who earned his United States Soccer Federation National `C' License in 2007, served as an assistant coach under Charlie Curto for the men's soccer team from 1993-98 before being named the fifth head coach of the women's program 1999. In 1998, Karbowski was a key part in the success that the men's team enjoyed, when the Saints went 11-6-1 and placed fifth in the MAAC with a 5-4 record.

Karbowski was a First Team All-MAAC performer at midfield for the Saints in 1992. Unfortunately for Curto and the Saints, that was the only year he played for the Green and Gold. His first three years were spent at the University at Buffalo before he transferred to Siena for his fourth and final season.

Following graduation, Karbowski played four seasons with the Capital District Alleycats of the United States Inter-Regional Soccer League. He is also a two-time Empire State Games gold medalist as a member of the Adirondack Region Open team, and was an assistant coach for the team in 1997.

Karbowski has also coached for Clifton Park Soccer Club for nearly 30 years.

A local product from Clifton Park, Karbowski played two years of varsity soccer at Shenendehowa High School and was a starter on the team that finished the 1988 season ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today.